ALH1PAL Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Intercultural Competence
Document Summary
Cultural competency establishes a foundation of mutual respect and understanding, which in turn allows clients and practitioners to communicate successfully with each other. Health care professionals must recognize the impact of culture on issues of health care access, service delivery models, and willingness to participate in care. The challenge when considering cultural competency is to navigate the uneasy line between offering the type of vague generalities that provide little guidance and making sweeping generalizations that inadvertently reinforce stereotypical viewpoints. Someone asks you how they can improve their cultural competency. Cultural competency is having the ability and free will to engage and understand other people and to be respectful and open to different cultural perspectives. It enables us to build relationships and repour. Cultural competency requires cultural awareness, knowledge and sensitivity. To improve your cultural competency, it would be beneficial to increase your cultural awareness and know how, such as cultural identity, traditions, rituals, and stereotypes.
