Introduction
Lum (2010) uses cultural competence to describe such awareness and consciousness of diversity in social work practice. Specifically, Sue, Rasheed & Rasheed (2015) describe cultural competence as an essential social work skill that determines the success of social work practice in society. Social workers integrate cultural competence to build constructive professional relationships and interaction rapport with their clients throughout the planned change process.
Strengths and Challenges of Cultural Diversity
Cultural diversity in social work settings has both strengths and limitations.
Strengths of Cultural Diversity
Cultural diversity helps social workers to uphold the dominant and diverse sociocultural values in society. The National Association of Social Work (NASW) (2015) demonstrates that cultural diversity enables social workers to engage in professional practice by upholding the professional values, standards, and principles of cultural diversity and competence. For example, cultural diversity helps social workers build constructive professional relationships and rapport with their clients. Besides, if social workers are aware of cultural diversity within their clientele systems, it encourages them to go beyond personal and professional confinements and accept the existence of alternative worldviews (Sue et al., 2015). Complimentarily, Lum (2010) argues that cultural diversity inspires anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practices, which ultimately promote social action, social justice, and policy advocacy.
Limitations of Cultural Diversity
However, some diversity interventions portray Eurocentric perspectives, which hurt culturally diverse populations or communities (Harrison & Turner, 2010). Cultural practices and beliefs might increase the client’s cultural oppression and vulnerability. For example, some cultures disvalue healthcare or medical services, instead believing in traditional methods, prayers, and herbal medication. However, some behavioral and mental health services require medically proven methods and services. Clients from such cultures subject social workers to a dilemma between choosing professional ethics or the client’s cultural belief systems. According to Pitner & Sakamoto (2015), upholding cultural diversity in such situations jeopardizes the client’s positive outcomes of the planned change process and compromises the social worker’s professional competence.
Cultural Competency: Conceptual and Theoretical Perspectives
Conceptual and theoretical perspectives provide various evidence-and-research-based theories, concepts, and approaches that inform social workers’ cultural diversity and competence in interventional practices. Cultural competence is a diversity principle or standard in human service practices emerging from understanding culture and cultural identity (Maschi & Leibowitz, 2018). In particular, social work professionals must exercise awareness, openness, and respect when approaching clients from diverse backgrounds. According to Sue, Rasheed & Rasheed (2015), social workers’ cross-cultural knowledge, skills, and cultural awareness determines the level of their cultural competence in service delivery. Cultural competence is the social worker’s possession of customized cultural knowledge, such as the population’s cultural beliefs and values or the individual’s spirituality, and integrating it inclusively into the practice. The NASW Code of Ethics illustrates that social workers implement their cultural competence through advocacy, awareness, and humility (NASW, 2015). Therefore, cultural competence is the ability of social workers to identify, acknowledge, and value/respect the essence of diverse clientele systems and to protect and preserve their dignity.
Diversity and Social Justice: The Core Values of Social Work
Cultural diversity in social work practice refers to the professional’s self-awareness. Social workers express cultural diversity by appreciating their cultural identities and those of others. Harrison & Turner (2010) claim that diversity and social justice relate directly to the core values of social work since social workers require cultural competence to implement diversity and professional standards, values, and principles. In this case, social workers should balance their understanding of cultural differences due to diverse societal worldviews and sociopolitical perspectives to deliver culturally competent services to their clients (Sue et al., 2015). Notably, Lum (2010) suggests that sensitivity to the client’s thoughts, problems, and cultural beliefs about family, mental health, and education helps social workers to identify and implement the most appropriate inventions and services that promote social justice. Therefore, understanding the client’s values and ethics is necessary for social workers to offer social justice to them.
Serving a Specific Population
The NASW Code directs social workers to uphold the dignity and worth of the person by demonstrating their multicultural awareness and cross-cultural knowledge and skills to uphold their clients’ values and beliefs (NASW, 2018). Racial discrimination against the immigrant population limits their access to quality mental health services and economic opportunities. In order to handle this population, I must maintain my professional integrity by respecting their worth and dignity. I shall embrace multinational awareness and multicultural knowledge to build empathetic relationships and social rapport with my clients. Constructive relationships help social workers understand their clients’ oppression, discrimination, and unequal treatment mechanisms.
According to Lau & Rodgers (2021), cultural competence is the most effective approach case managers use to promote effective and equitable service delivery for the immigrant population. Embracing cultural competence notions, I shall integrate cultural humility, sensitivity, and responsiveness when dealing with my immigrant clients to avoid biases and build trust-based relationships. In particular, I shall be sensitive to their unique and complex needs related to lack of employment, homelessness, racial discrimination, and illegal citizens. In this case, I shall use effective communication strategies that are culturally conscious to avoid using stereotypical notions that would make them feel more vulnerable (Lau & Rodgers, 2021).
Conclusion
Social work involves social justice and equality since its vision and mission revolve around providing social service interventional assistance to socially vulnerable/minority groups. Social work professionals need cultural competence and diversity abilities to deal with clients from different social, cultural, economic, and political backgrounds. Social workers do not require a deeper understanding of cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions. However, they should have a high level of diversity consciousness and awareness when interacting with clients from diverse backgrounds.
References
Harrison, G., & Turner, R. (2010). Being a Culturally Competent Social Worker: Making Sense of a Murky Concept in Practice. The British Journal of Social Work, 41(2), 333–350.
Lau, L. S., & Rodgers, G. (2021). Cultural Competence in Refugee Service Settings: A Scoping Review. Health Equity, 5(1), 124–134.
Lum, D. (2010). Culturally Competent Practice: A Framework for Understanding. Cengage Learning.
Maschi, R., & Leibowitz, G. S. (Eds.). (2018). Forensic Social Work: Psychosocial and Legal Issues across Diverse Populations and Settings. New York, NY: Springer.
National Association of Social Work. (2015). Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice. Washington, DC. https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=7dVckZAYUmk%3D&portalid=0
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2018). Code of ethics. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Pitner, R. O., & Sakamoto, I. (2015). The Role of Critical Consciousness in Multicultural Practice: Examining How its Strength Becomes its Limitation. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 75(4), 684-694.
Sue, D. W., Rasheed, M. N., & Rasheed, J. M. (2015). Multicultural Social Work Practice: A Competency-Based Approach to Diversity and Social Justice. John Wiley & Sons.
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