Cultural Competency in Social Work

Cultural Competency in Social Work

According to the Pew Research Center, approximately forty million immigrants live in America. These individuals come from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, which only adds to the diversity when combined with the cultures of American citizens. Most of these individuals require support to thrive after immigrating to America. One of the key factors to ensure this happens is through social workers who help them overcome the social and economic challenges they will face. However, one challenge is the numerous cultural barriers that prevent such clients and social workers from understanding each other and working together. This is where a skill known as cultural competency factors in.

Cultural competency is essentially understanding the deep extent of culture in shaping a person’s thoughts, identity, values, beliefs, assumptions, and stereotypes, among other aspects of an individual’s identity (Marsiglia, Kulis & Lechuga-Peña, 2021). To be culturally competent, one must seek knowledge about other cultures and learn how to respect them despite differences in one’s own culture. The best way to serve people, especially as a social worker, is to be acutely aware of how cultures influence lives, and with this understanding, one will be able to better assist their clients (Zou et al., 2009). In connection with cultural humility, which is a disposition to learn from and trust other people from different cultures, social workers will overcome many challenges in their work.

Notably, cultural competency applies not only to cultures but also to people of different ages, socio-economic classes, sexualities, and gender identities, among others. In their work, social workers should be prepared to encounter a lot of beliefs or traditions they do not know about or even completely disagree with. However, cultural competency will help them navigate these encounters in a way that ensures that their role in helping the client is fulfilled.

References

Marsiglia, F. F., Kulis, S. S., & Lechuga-Peña, S. (2021). Diversity, oppression, and change: Culturally grounded social work. Oxford University Press, USA.

Zou, X., Tam, K. P., Morris, M. W., Lee, S. L., Lau, I. Y. M., & Chiu, C. Y. (2009). Culture as common sense: perceived consensus versus personal beliefs as mechanisms of cultural influence. Journal of personality and social psychology, 97(4), 579.

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Cultural Competency in Social Work

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Chapter 14