CULTURAL COMPETENCE
“If you treat an individual…as if he were what he ought to be and
could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.”
—Goethe
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CULTURAL COMPETENCE
Introduction
More than ethnic identity, culture is a framework through which a person views the world. This
framework includes beliefs, values, traditions, experiences, education, gender, and social status—all
of which work together to guide behavior and decision-making. A mentoring pair from very different
cultural backgrounds may have difficulty communicating effectively. Cultural competence—the
ability to recognize the value of a culture different from one’s own—is required. Cultural competence
acknowledges that cultures are neither inferior nor superior to one another, implying appreciation for
differences. A healthy mentor/mentee relationship includes respect, empathy, genuineness, and
warmth.
The Importance of Cultural Competence
Research shows that as the nation’s school age population becomes more culturally diverse, the
challenges also increase. The Quality Education for Minorities Project (1990) stated that in the states
of Texas, New Mexico, and California, minority students comprised the majority of the school
population. In this study, minority students included Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans,
and Asian Americans as well as additional diversity within each group. It is fair to conclude that those
with an interest in school-age children should acquire the skills, knowledge, and disposition to work
with diverse populations (Shultz, et al., 1996).
An important exercise in preparing mentors to work with culturally diverse populations is to require
them to examine their thoughts and beliefs about their own and other cultures. Prejudice or bias stem
from a set of beliefs involving stereotypes and negative emotions about a group of people. These
beliefs predispose a certain attitude or manner of action toward that group (Hraba, 1994). No one is
bias-free. We all make unquestioned assumptions. These biases can lead to discrimination, which is
the act of showing favor for or unfairness against a group of people. Thus, bias is the belief;
discrimination is the action based on that belief.
An example of such bias and discrimination in a very well-intentioned group of teachers was
demonstrated in research conducted by Rebecca L. Huss-Keeler (1997). She found that teachers
within a British multi-ethnic primary school falsely assumed Pakistani parents were uninvolved in the
education of their children and thus held lower expectations for those children’s progress in language
and literacy. In fact, the Pakistani parents were very interested in their children’s education and held
high aspirations for them. They demonstrated this by “assisting and supporting their children at home
according to Pakistani cultural [tradition] and not by being actively involved in school” (Huss-Keeler,
1997, p. 180).
The teachers misinterpreted lack of school participation as a general lack of parental interest. As a
result, the teachers made no attempt to reach out to the parents, thus learning little about the
children’s home life, further perpetuating the stereotype. Because of the language barrier, the parents
had difficulty learning about school matters, further limiting their involvement. When the teachers left
the school environment and entered the children’s homes, they witnessed high levels of parent
involvement in their children’s learning. Consequently, the teachers were forced to face their biases
that had fostered such false perceptions of these families.
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The above study involves a very specific set of circumstances, but it is easy to extrapolate the results
to a whole community. Instead of teachers at one school, consider the effects of bias on an entire
school district. Huss-Keeler’s research warrants consideration when one is working with a culturally
diverse population. A wide discrepancy existed between the teachers’ perceptions and reality—
unchallenged until the teachers investigated and entered the children’s homes.
Another study examined student teacher beliefs about cultural diversity (Smith, Moallem, & Sherrill,
1997). Smith, et al. (1997) sought to further the understanding of the backgrounds and experiences of
student teachers as factors influencing their beliefs about race, class, and gender. This study is
relevant because just as a teacher enters a classroom not as a blank slate, but with various beliefs, so
does the mentor enter into a relationship with a youth with a set of beliefs about race, class, and
gender. The researchers found that four factors that most affected the student teacher’s beliefs about
others of different cultural backgrounds were:
 Exposure to individuals of different cultural backgrounds (e.g., friendships, dating, sports, and
school)
 Education (e.g., influences of teachers and peers)
 Travel
 Personal experience with discrimination as a child or an adult.
(Smith, et al.1997)
Prospective mentors might consider these four factors in their own and their mentee’s lives at the
outset of the relationship.
Becoming culturally competent has several advantages. Embracing diversity can increase problemsolving capacity. By accepting different points of view, one can increase the number of possible
solutions to a problem. Differing perspectives can also serve to reframe the problem in a way that is
more positive. Diversity can increase an individual’s ability to adapt to challenging situations and new
environments. It allows for flexibility and open-mindedness to replace rigidity and narrowmindedness (Hong, 1997).
Cultural Competence Skills
The mentor/mentee relationship should always consist of respect, empathy, genuineness, and warmth.
As pointed out in the studies cited above, cultural diversity can challenge such a relationship. Mentors
can be trained to face such challenges successfully. For example, the mentor can:
 Be open with the mentee and initiate conversation about issues related to their culture as well as
being honest about issues related to their own. The mentor should appreciate the difficulty of
sharing such beliefs and experiences with others and remember to listen without becoming
defensive.
 Research the mentee’s culture. Magazines and newspapers targeted to particular communities can
provide insight into that community.
 Take on the task of learning a language native to the mentee’s culture, if appropriate. The mentee
can teach the mentor, or the two of them can learn it together.
 Participate in cultural traditions with the mentee.
(Hong, 1997)
By engaging in one or more of these activities, a mentor will gain insight into the mentee’s
background and culture. Consider three properties of the mentee’s background and culture.
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1. Values characteristic of that culture (Ivey, et al., 1993). For instance, the rights of the
individual are held above all else in many Western cultures, whereas in many Eastern cultures
the family or community is held above the rights of the individual. Understanding this value
system will help the mentor when working with the mentee in setting goals and making
decisions.
2. Where the mentee’s family is in the acculturation process (Hong, 1997), (a process occurring
when one cultural group encounters a more dominant culture, and change occurs in one or
both groups). The process exists on a continuum.
 Traditional: Holding on to a majority of the traits from the culture of origin while
adopting only a few traits of the dominant culture.
 Bicultural: Being able to function effectively in the dominant culture while holding on to
some traits of their own culture.
 Acculturated: Giving up most of the cultural traits of the cultures of origin and
assuming the traits of the dominant culture.
(Hong, 1997)
How long a family has lived in the dominant culture often determines where on the continuum the
mentee’s family resides. Conflicts can occur within families when children are more acculturated to
the dominant culture than the parents. The children will then attempt to shed the cultural distinctions
that set them apart from their peers, often against their parents’ wishes.
3. A final consideration of the mentee’s culture is how open they are to outside influence. For
instance, many Asian and Latin cultures foster the self-sufficiency of the family. People seek
help and resources (e.g., counseling, financial loans, housing, etc.) only from those within the
family, rather than from government or community organizations. This behavior is evident in
cultures where the family’s honor is held in high esteem. On the other hand, this behavior can
also serve to limit the possible solutions to a problem.
Conclusion
In summary, culture is the combination of several factors to create a framework through which an
individual views the world. These factors include beliefs, values, traditions, experiences, education,
gender, and social status. The broader the framework, the more adaptable the individual will be in
diverse and challenging situations. Cultural competence is the appreciation and respect for cultures
that are different from one’s own culture of origin.
Cultural competence can be achieved by:
 Recognizing personal, culturally learned assumptions or biases. A mentor’s
comprehension or perception of reality is filtered through these biases. Identifying them is
the first step toward managing them.
 Increasing knowledge about particular cultures. When the mentor has identified
cultural biases, the need for increasing the knowledge about that culture becomes selfevident. The study of the British teachers demonstrates this point. Once they had direct
contact with the children’s parents in their own environment, they were confronted with
reality rather than their perception of reality.
 Increasing interaction with different cultures. Mentors can facilitate a dialogue
with their mentees in which cultural information is flowing both ways. The mentor can
express interest and participate in the mentee’s cultural traditions when appropriate.
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(Pederson & Ivey, 1993)
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Cultural Competence
Lesson Plan
Objectives: To help mentors understand concepts of culture and cultural competence. Allow
mentors a safe environment in which to confront any misperceptions or biases about cultures different
from their own.
Lesson: The instructor will discuss:
 Culture
Definitions
Factors that comprise culture
 Cultural Competence
Importance in a mentoring relationship
Current research supporting the need for cultural competence
Advantages of cultural competence
 Skills
Facilitate success in culturally diverse relationships
Materials:
Activities:

A Cultural Autobiography

Inclusion/Exclusion

Face Game
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Activity:
A Cultural Autobiography
Instruct mentors to create an abbreviated autobiography. They should focus on four areas:
 Exposure to individuals of different cultural backgrounds
 Education
 Travel
 Personal experience with discrimination as a child or an adult
This autobiography should contain descriptions of people or situations that challenged the mentor’s
biases or perceptions. Mentors might also include a description of a situation in which they did not
experience cultural competence within themselves or with other people. They could discuss what they
could have done differently to make the experience more successful. The purpose of this exercise is to
cause mentors to examine their own cultural competence and to consider any biases they may hold
and perhaps challenge those biases.
(Smith, et al., 1997)
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Activity:
Inclusion/Exclusion
Group members will: 1) simulate the experiences of being included and excluded, 2) describe feelings
associated with inclusion and exclusion, 3) identify benefits that can result from including others, and
4) specify ways to include others in their activities.
Place a colored dot on the forehead of each person and explain that the color of their dots will
determine what groups they will join. However, they will not be able to see their own dots. In
addition, there will be no talking during the activity. The students will form their groups through
nonverbal interaction (facial expression, body language, gestures, etc.).
Rules of the game:
 No talking
 Use nonverbal behavior to discover the color of your dot
 Form a group with other students who are wearing the same color dot.
Signal the beginning of the “no talking” period. Place a colored dot on the forehead of each student.
(Do not allow the students to see their own dots.) Using only three colors, distribute the first two
colors evenly throughout the room. Then place the third color on only one student. Instruct the
students to stand, begin moving around, and silently form their groups. The students will quickly
realize that one person has been left out and is not a part of any group. Call an end to the “no talking”
period. Lead the students in a discussion, focusing on issues of inclusion, exclusion, and
discrimination.
Questions
 How does it feel to be included? Excluded?
 What are some of the rationales upon which groups exclude people?
 When specific people are always excluded, what kinds of problems can result?
 What are some benefits of including others?
(Elliot, 1994)
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Activity:
Face Game
Cut out pictures of faces from magazines. The faces should represent diverse cultures and ethnicities.
After passing the pictures out to the students, ask them to study the picture and give a description of
the person based on their perception. Include the following:
 Name
 Age
 Occupation
 Mood
 Family life
 Friends
 Educational background
 Socio-economic status
 Any religious beliefs
Have each student present their person to the rest of the class. They must explain how they derived
their descriptions and whether they were based on physical appearance or personal experience.
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Bibliography
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