Cultural Competence

Cultural Competence in Sociolinguistics

The relevance of cultural competence in sociolinguistics has its roots in theories from the 1960s. In 1965, the linguist Noam Chomsky wrote about linguistic competence, the idealized understanding of a language's rules. Linguistic competence allows people to communicate with one another. The sociolinguist Dell Hymes built on this idea by coining the phrase communicative competence. According to Hymes, effective communication requires people to use language in its proper context. Cultural competence is directly related to the idea of communicative competence because the meaning and structure of language are often partially dependent on one's cultural context. ^{1, 2}

Fig. 2 - Cultural competence requires understanding how the meanings of words change based on cultural context.

Elements of Cultural Competence

Based on the work of Cross et al. (1989), the National Center for Cultural Competence has outlined five main elements or principles of cultural competence.³

Five Principles of Cultural Competence

The five principles of cultural competence are as follows:

1. Value diversity

Valuing diversity means respecting and appreciating the existence of cultural diversity. Different cultures have different worldviews, practices, and means of conveying their values. Welcoming this diversity in communication can enrich relationships and lead to the development of new ideas and connections.

2. Possess the capacity for conducting cultural self-assessment

Reflecting on one's own sense of culture can lead to an awareness of cultural differences that minimize barriers in cross-cultural communication. For instance, Cross et al. provide the example of the word "family." In some cultures, the word family refers just to one's nuclear family. In other cultures, the word "family" refers to extended family. If someone was implementing a policy with the word family, they should reflect on the cultural meaning it holds for them and the meaning it might hold for their intended audience. If there are differences in meaning, then the writer might be compelled to specify what type of family they are referring to.

Fig. 3 - Cultural competence requires self-assessment and reflection.

3. Be conscious of the dynamics of cultural difference

It is important to understand that cultural differences inevitably lead to judgment and miscommunication. When people from different cultural backgrounds communicate, they often bring internalized biases, stereotypes, and prejudges that complicate communication.

Being conscious of these tensions, called the "dynamics of difference," is an important part of being culturally competent. Awareness of these dynamics can help people address miscommunication and misjudgment while critically assessing the potential for bias in the outcomes of cross-cultural communication.

4. Institutionalize cultural knowledge

The fourth principle of cultural competence refers to cultural awareness at an institutional level. Social systems like health care and education systems need cultural knowledge in their service delivery frameworks. In an institutional hierarchy, people at all levels must be trained in cross-cultural supervision and develop an understanding of the cultural values and practices of the cultures they work in and with.

5. Adapt to cultural diversity

Adapting to cultural diversity requires a flexible, inclusive approach to the varying needs of people from various cultures. For instance, a company using positive representations of minority cultural groups would adapt to cultural diversity in their community.

Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Sensitivity

While you might hear cultural competence and cultural sensitivity used synonymously, there are key distinctions between the terms.

Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity is one part of cultural competence. To have cultural sensitivity, people must develop cultural awareness, which is learning that cultural differences exist. Once people are aware of the differences, they must work on developing cultural sensitivity, which is the willingness to understand and respect cultural differences. Cultural sensitivity involves the following:

• Demonstrating respect for cultural difference

• Being open to communication in the face of cultural differences

• Avoiding passing judgments or assigning values to cultural differences

Cultural Competence

Cultural competence operationalizes cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity. In other words, cultural competence is the ability to apply notions like cultural awareness and sensitivity in practice. One might be aware and respectful of cultural differences but not actually understand how to apply this perspective when interacting with people with cultural differences.

Cultural Competence Examples

Consider the aforementioned difference amount the meaning of the term "family." Imagine two colleagues are writing a family visitation policy for a hospital. The first defines the term family as a nuclear family. His colleague tells him that just using the word family is unclear. In her culture, the term refers to more than the nuclear family. The first person possesses cultural awareness and demonstrates cultural sensitivity when learning about the cultural differences, but then tells their colleague that defining family as extended family is wrong and that they need to understand the term differently.

This person is not demonstrating cultural competence because he is not valuing or adapting to diversity. Instead, to be culturally competent, he should acknowledge that the meaning conveyed by the word family can vary across cultural contexts. He should then explain his intended meaning of family in the policy to make the language accessible to people from all cultural backgrounds.

Fig. 4. - Different cultures assign different meanings to the term "family."

Barriers to Cultural Competence

Several barriers can make it challenging to develop cultural competence. Acknowledging these barriers is the first step in overcoming them.

Lack of Education

It is difficult for people to be culturally aware without proper training. People can address this barrier by educating themselves about the cultural differences around them. Institutions and workplaces can also help address this issue by mandating training in cross-cultural communication.

Prejudice

People often have internalized judgments about other cultures. This prejudice can prevent them from being culturally sensitive, which in turn prevents them from being culturally competent. People can address this by critically reflecting on their internalized biases and recognizing how they might impact their ability to demonstrate respect and openness to others.

Ethnocentrism

Those who subscribe to ethnocentrism often feel that those from other cultures are inferior and use that belief to justify discrimination. This is particularly concerning when people in positions of power, like politicians or policymakers, subscribe to ethnocentrism. To combat ethnocentrism, people should educate themselves about other cultures and reflect on the roots of their worldview. Mandating cultural competence training for people in powerful positions can also help ensure ethnocentrism does not lead to systemic discrimination.

Language

Sometimes language barriers get in the way of culturally competent communication. When people do not speak their common language at the same level, some terms can get lost in translation and prevent one or both parties from effectively interacting. People can address this by studying the common language, but also by being patient with the other and being willing to explain concepts slowly and in different terms.

¹ Noam Chomsky. Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. 1965.

² Dell Hymes "On Communicative Competence" in J.B Pride and J. Holmes (Eds.) Sociolinguistics. 1972.

³ "Foundations." National Center for Cultural Competence.