Courageous Conversations An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency Courageous Conversations An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency These materials have been prepared by NISL by Kikanza Nuri Robins and altered by Candice Watkins. Our values declare who we want to be; Kikanza Nuri Robins helps us to close the gap between what we say we are and what we actually do. For twenty-five years, Dr. Kikanza Nuri Robins has been an organization development consultant serving individuals and organizations whose bottom line includes high quality service, compassion for their colleagues, and concern for the communities they serve. She specializes in the areas of leadership, change, diversity and spirituality at work. Dr. Nuri Robins has been a trustee of the San Francisco Theological Seminary, and she is currently on the board of the Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency, and is a member of the Ethics Committee of the UCLA Medical Center. She is the author of many articles and four books. Prepared by Kikanza Nuri Robins (c)2008

What is Cultural Proficiency? An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency What is Cultural Proficiency? Created by Terry Cross A model for dealing with differences The values and behavior of individuals and the policies and practices of organizations that enable them to work effectively in a variety of cultural settings Terry Cross is a member of the Seneca Nation. He lives in Portland, OR where he directs the National Indian Child Welfare Association. He developed cultural proficiency in 1989. It is used by educators, health care professionals and business people to respond to the issues that arise in a diverse environment. Cultural proficiency is an inside-out approach. It focuses on the behaviors and practices of the dominant culture, helping them to adapt and adjust to the diversity in their environment so that they become diverse and inclusive. Cultural proficiency is not a buzz word for diversity work, it is the use of a specific set of tools to change individual behavior and organizational practices. Prepared by Kikanza Nuri Robins (c)2008

An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency Dominant Culture Dominant Culture is one whose values, language, and ways of behaving are imposed on a subordinate culture or cultures through economic or political power. This may be achieved through legal or political suppression of other sets of values and patterns of behaviour, or by monopolizing the media of communication. (Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford Reference Online) Prepared by Kikanza Nuri Robins (c)2008 3

A Definition of Culture An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency A Definition of Culture The beliefs, values, customs and traditions shared by a people Cultures can be tied to race, ethnicity, social class, gender, geography, language, ability, occupation, organization, and nationality Most people belong to more than one cultural group Most people identify most strongly with one or two cultures Prepared by Kikanza Nuri Robins (c)2008

An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency What are your cultures? Take a few minutes to identify the cultural groups that shape and inform your worldview and daily interactions. What cultural groups do you belong to that may be perceived as a problem to others? Use Venn diagrams or other symbols to depict the cultural groups to which you belong. Select one group, that you are particularly comfortable with or proud of, and think about how being in that group may cause problems for others, who are not in that group, because of their perceptions of you. What prejudices or stereotypes might others have of you and members of your group? For example, if you are a beautiful blonde woman people may assume you are stupid or sexually promiscuous. Prepared by Kikanza Nuri Robins (c)2008

The Cultural Proficiency Continuum An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency The Cultural Proficiency Continuum Cultural Proficiency Cultural Competence Cultural Pre-Competence Cultural Blindness Cultural Incapacity Cultural Destruction Use the continuum to describe language, situations, or events. If you rotate the continuum 90 degrees clockwise, you will have a left and right side. The left side represents reactive behaviors, the goal being tolerance for differences. The right side of the continuum is proactive with a goal of transformation in response to learning about differences and welcoming new people into the environment. Cultural Destruction: Actions and behaviors that deliberately or systemically eliminate a people or exclude a group from full participation in the organization. Historically, ethnic holocausts, American slavery, white men only and English only policies have been culturally destructive. In an organization, hiring policies that discriminate against particular groups are culturally destructive. Cultural Incapacity: This is the same as tolerance, i.e. putting up with a group that you believe to be inferior. Examples of cultural incapacity include window dressing, stereotyping, and making people wrong because they are different from the dominant culture. Cultural Blindness: Although this has often been a goal for people, it is on the negative side of the continuum because if you do not recognize that people are different from you, you are not seeing all of that person or all they represent. To treat everyone the same way – equally – is to presume that you know the one best way to interact with all people. It is better to treat people equitably – differentiating how you interact based upon the circumstances—so that the outcomes for equal for all. For example, in an organization men and women can take parental leave, but the medical benefits they receive are different because of the different roles they play in the process of becoming parents. The outcome is that they both keep their jobs and are able to become parents. Equitable treatment gives differentiated inputs for equal outputs. Cultural Pre-Competence: When a person or organization begins to take steps toward cultural proficiency they may be well-intentioned, but inadequate or inappropriate. This is cultural pre-competence; efforts are surface level or implemented without sufficient research. An example would be a cultural celebration in response to diversity in the workplace without doing anything else the rest of the year. It is at this point that one begins to learn how to ask questions of others to learn about their cultures. Cultural Competence: There are five elements of cultural competence (see slide 12). These behavioral standards describe the behaviors of a culturally competent person or organization. Cultural Proficiency: Cultural proficiency is a process, not a destination. To hold culture in high esteem and to be on a journey of continuous learning is to move toward cultural proficiency. No one can ever learn all there is about every different culture, but one can learn how to learn, how to take advantage of teachable moments, how to share who they are and how to ask questions so that they can learn from others. Prepared by Kikanza Nuri Robins (c)2008

Cultural Proficiency Continuum An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency Cultural Proficiency Continuum Upward Spiral Conversation Incapacity Pre-Competence Proficiency Destructiveness Blindness Competence Language and behaviors on the left side of the continuum create downwardly spiraling conversations. They lead to further hurt, anger, misperceptions and misunderstandings. Upwardly spiraling conversations talk about important and difficult issues. They result in growth, understanding and change that benefits the organization and all who are a part of it. Downward Spiral Conversation Prepared by Kikanza Nuri Robins (c)2008

Cultural Destruction See the difference, stomp it out; the elimination of people’s cultures Holocaust during WWII in Europe Bureau of Indian Affair Schools in the early 20th century

Cultural Incapacity See the difference, make it wrong; belief in the superiority of one’s culture and behavior that disempowers another’s culture Jim Crow laws in the American South during the 20th century Tokenism – hiring one or two individuals of minority groups to prove that the organization is open and inclusive

Cultural Blindness See the difference, act like you don’t; acting as if the cultural differences that you see do not matter, or not recognizing that there are differences among and between cultures Assuming all Asian cultures are alike Teaching that Abraham Lincoln is a hero to all African Americans Belief that we are living in a post-racism world

Cultural Pre-competence See the difference, respond inadequately; awareness of the limitation of one’s skills or an organization’s practices when interacting with other cultural groups Serving soul food meal during Black History month to demonstrate cultural proficiency Dismissing as overly sensitive someone who complains about culturally inappropriate comments

Cultural Competence See difference, understand the difference that difference makes Uses these principles to guide individual and/or community interactions with other cultural groups: Assessing culture Valuing diversity Managing the dynamics of difference Adapting to diversity Institutionalized cultural knowledge

Cultural Proficiency See the difference and respond positively and affirmingly Someone who has the capacity to teach and learn about differences in ways that acknowledge and honor all the people in the groups they represent

Examples along the Continuum An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency Examples along the Continuum Think of situations you have observed, conversations you have heard, or experiences you have had in your professional experience. Where would you plot those examples on the continuum? Try to generate examples, both organizational and individual for each point on the continuum. Prepared by Kikanza Nuri Robins (c)2008

An Introduction to Cultural Proficiency Plot your Examples Upward Spiral Conversation Incapacity Pre-Competence Proficiency Destructiveness Blindness Competence Language and behaviors on the left side of the continuum create downwardly spiraling conversations. They lead to further hurt, anger, misperceptions and misunderstandings. Upwardly spiraling conversations talk about important and difficult issues. They result in growth, understanding and change that benefits the organization and all who are a part of it. Downward Spiral Conversation Prepared by Kikanza Nuri Robins (c)2008

On Your Notecard Answer the following question: Where would you place your library/OLA/or your work as a professional on the Cultural Proficiency Continuum, and why?

References This presentation draws upon the following resources, in particular, the power point presentation, Introduction to Cultural Proficiency, listed below. "dominant culture."  A Dictionary of Sociology. John Scott and Gordon Marshall. Oxford University Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  Clatsop Community College.  10 April 2009  <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t88.e634> Lindsey, Randall B.,Kikanza Nuri Robins, and Raymond D. Terrell. Cultural Proficiency: A Manual for School Leaders. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc., 2003. Robins, Kikanza Nuri . Introduction to Cultural Proficiency. 2008. 10 April 2009. 10 May 2006 <http://www.masc.org/images/Intro_to_Cult_Prof%5B1%5D.ppt>.