When examining historic cultural competence demonstrated by Americans, Strategy and Ethnocentrism’s Kenneth Booth (1979) stated that they “…are often blind by their inability to perceive other cultures or societies in an empathetic manner or to understand them” (Howard et al., 2016, p. 23). The inability to perceive empathetically, which reinforces cultural competence, has constrained many U.S. agencies responsible for providing underserved communities with basic human needs. Historically speaking, marginalized groups, namely Blacks, possess phobias of governmental systems – medical systems (Gamble, 1997). To diminish these fears and build trust, health agencies must leverage cultural competencies to atone for centuries of inequitable medical treatment. In Levy’s Social Justice and Public Health (2019), he identifies practices that could increase the relevancy of cultural competencies of healthcare providers. These practices are but are not limited to “interacting with cultural informants, reading scholarly and popular books and articles, visiting ethnic neighborhoods, attending cultural events and celebrations…” (p. 62).
The previously mentioned experiences could quicken and enhance the relevancy of one’s cultural competency. Nevertheless, an important quality to possess, in addition to academic aptitude, is the drive to learn about populations outside of one’s own (Ang & Linn Van Dyne, n.d; Howard et al., 2016). This drive is characterized by a sincere yearning to discover aspects of the people you desire to service, not just commit to memory aspects of the culture (Ang & Linn Van Dyne, n.d; Howard et al., 2016). Failure to possess this drive, regardless of mastery of Martin’s and Vaughan’s (2007) Cognitive Components and other Cultural Skills, will affect one’s apathy and meeting a group where they are at. Lastly, to affect the apathy and knowledge needed to increase the relevance of one’s cultural competence, you must get up close and personal with their research. This is done through a proper blend of Ethnographic and Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods. These methods could provide members of the health care team the humility and seeing the problem through the eyes of the people needed to navigate complex cultural issues within marginalized communities (Olshansky et al, 2005; Strudwick, 2021). Being invited to study the culture from within and/ or creating collaborative settings where community members have a say in the researchers’ approach are ways to illustrate the relevance of cultural competence and possibly affect the manner resources are distributed in marginalized settings.
Ang and Linn Van Dyne. (n.d.). Cultural Intelligence. Found in Howard, R, D., Hanson, G,. and Laywell, C. (2016). Cultural Intelligence for Special Operations Personnel. JSOU Report 16-10, The JSOU Press, MacDill Air Force Base: Fl.
Booth, K. (1979). Strategy and Ethnocentrism. Routledge Revivals. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.
Gamble, V, N. (1979). Under the Shadow of Tuskegee: African Americans and Health Care. American Journal of Public Health. November 1997, Vol. 87, No. 11. Retrieved on January 10, 2023 from https://med.emory.edu/departments/human-genetics/dei/documents_images/documents/gamble-1997-under-the-shadow-of-tuskegee.pdf.
Howard, R, D., Hanson, G,. and Laywell, C. (2016). Cultural Intelligence for Special Operations Personnel. JSOU Report 16-10, The JSOU Press, MacDill Air Force Base: Fl.
Martin, M. and Vaughan, B.E. (2007). Strategic Diversity & Inclusion Management Magazine. DTUI Publications Division. San Francisco, Ca.
Olshansky, E., Sacco, D., Braxter, B., Dodge, P., Hughes, E., Ondeck, M., Stubbs, M. L., & Upvall, M. J. (2005). Participatory action research to understand and reduce health disparities. Nursing outlook, 53(3), 121–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2005.03.002
Strudwick R. M. (2021). Ethnographic research in healthcare – patients and service users as participants. Disability and rehabilitation, 43(22), 3271–3275. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1741695
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