DIMENSIONS OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE
Introduction
Culturally competent adult educators incorporate international and multicultural components and
perspectives into their teaching. This media piece will assist you in identifying the dimensions of cultural
competence that are relevant to the field of education.
MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCE
I. The Need for Multiculturally Competent Adult Educators
As the U.S. is becoming increasingly multicultural, it is more important than ever for educators to be
multiculturally competent to maximize the potential of culturally diverse learners and prepare all learners
to work with multicultural students and colleagues.
Multiculturally competent adult educators need to:
•
Design culturally appropriate learning environments that accommodate culturally diverse learners and
foster intercultural learning as well as the learning of course curricula
•
Incorporate relevant multicultural 'content' into teaching (curricula, instructional activities, and
assessments)
•
Assist all learners to become multiculturally competent professionals.
MULTICULTURAL COMPONENTS
Components of Multicultural Competence
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Designing Learning Environments
Accommodating learners from diverse cultures (ethnic and international students)
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Fostering cross-cultural communication and intercultural learning
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Teaching Multicultural Content (i.e. incorporating it into curricula)
Multicultural concepts and materials/resources
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Culture-specific content, perspectives, and materials/resources
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Cross-cultural communication skills and materials/resources
Example:
An instructor who teaches American History receives a complaint from a Native American learner that the
course ignores the contributions of Native Americans. She conducts a curriculum analysis that validates
the learner's perception. In the process of reviewing the curriculum, she notices that it also ignores the
role of working people and other 'low status' people. She decides to supplement the 'traditional' textbook
with Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, which describes U.S. history from the
perspectives of ethnic minorities, women, workers, and other 'ordinary' people.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETENCE
II. The Need for Internationally Competent Adult Educators
As a result of globalization, it has become increasingly important for educators to be internationally
competent if they are to serve as world-class professionals.
Internationally competent educators need to:
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Learn about other countries and regions and the interrelationships among countries (particularly as it
relates to the U.S.)
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Learn about global contexts and acquire the skills to access information and resources from global
organizations (especially international professional organizations)
•
Understand diverse perspectives about global problems, trends, and issues (especially in their
professional specialization). Besides these 'content' areas, educators need to develop the skills to
incorporate relevant international components into their teaching, and to assist their learners to become
internationally competent in their professional roles.
INTERNATIONAL COMPONENTS
Components of International Competence
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Country/region-specific 'content', materials/resources
Knowledge and understanding of particular peoples, countries, regions (e.g. history, geography, cultural
roles and values, etc.)
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Works from other countries (e.g. art, music, films, inventions)
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Ideas from other countries (e.g. case studies, health policies, educational practices)
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Conflicts between specific countries or regions
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International students, colleagues, and clients from particular countries
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Post-secondary and adult education in other countries
Example 1
An Economics professor asks learners to examine case studies of countries that have adopted innovative
ideas to reduce poverty.
Example 2
An instructor who teaches World Literature realizes that all of the anthologies she has reviewed for
possible adoption focuses almost exclusively on European and U.S. literature. She decides to search for
texts that will include works from African, Asian, and Latin American writers.
•
Global contexts, organizations and resources
State of the world: economic, political, environmental, health, educational, cultural, technology,
communications/media
Example:
A staff development workshop is organized to ensure that Public Health professionals are kept up-to-date
on global trends in health and health care. special attention at the workshop is paid to the possible rise of
pandemics, and consideration of strategies for containing epidemics in their own community.
•
Global organizations: political (e.g. UN, WHO), economic (e.g. IMF, WB), trade (e.g. WTO), judicial (e.g.
ICC), human rights (e.g. Universal Declaration of Human Rights), NGOs (e.g. Doctors without Borders,
CARE); global goals (e.g. Millennium Goals); international statistics (e.g. the UN Human Development
Index – HDI); materials and resources from global organizations
Example 1:
A Political Science professor has his learners find Human Development Indicators to include in their
analysis of the effectiveness of countries with different types of political systems.
Example 2:
The Public Health participants in the staff development workshop in the earlier example obtain reports
from the World Health Organization (WHO) as a main source of information about health in particular
countries and regions, as well as worldwide.
•
International treaties, agreements (e.g. trade agreements), forums (World Economic Forum, World Social
Forum), conferences (e.g. Climate Summits)
•
International professional organizations, standards, and resources
Example 1:
A Political Science professor has his learners find Human Development Indicators to include in their
analysis of the effectiveness of countries with different types of political systems.
Example 2:
The Public Health participants in the staff development workshop in the earlier example obtain reports
from the World Health Organization (WHO) as a main source of information about health in particular
countries and regions, as well as worldwide.
•
Post-secondary and adult education in other countries
Example:
An ESL teacher at a community college in Minnesota has been accepted for a faculty exchange program
in South Korea, where she will spend a semester teaching ESL at a college in Seoul. She prepares
herself by learning about the educational system – especially higher education - in South Korea.
•
Diverse perspectives on global problems, trends, and issues
Economic: "free trade" vs. "fair trade", outsourcing, MNCs, economic 'development' vs. sustainability
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Political/Military: colonialism/neo-colonialism/imperialism
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Environmental: climate change, resource depletion
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Health: new diseases, potential pandemics, accessible health care and medications
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Inequality: poverty, immigration, refugees
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Global North vs. Global South problems and perspectives
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Media: contrasting perspectives on international conflicts (wars, terrorism)
Example:
An Economics professor asks learners to examine case studies of countries that have adopted innovative
ideas to reduce poverty.
•
Teaching International Competence
Foster learner competence to incorporate international 'content' into curricula and teaching, as relevant to
their professional roles.
Example:
See the example from a learner project by Anne Steketee, which describes how she planned to
incorporate international dimensions into her project on gang culture. Note to interactive designer: This is
a separate document, that has learner permission to use. This document is included in the media folder
and is titled "IntlGangCultureExample." If possible, I would like learners to be able to click on a button and
have it pop-up.
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Media Analysis and Critical Thinking Skills for Cultural Competence (Relevant for both
multicultural and international competence)
Culturally competent educators need to have sophisticated media analysis and critical thinking skills in
order to locate valid sources of information and to examine diverse perspectives. These skills must be
acquired so that it is possible to achieve a high level of proficiency on the other goals relating to both
international and multicultural dimensions.
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