Developing Cultural Awareness Paper Example

Introduction

Cultural competence is the ability to interact with, understand, and communicate with different people in society, despite being from different backgrounds and cultures (Danso, 2018). Cultural competence also involves being aware of one's culture and how the culture affects their worldviews and how their cultural self interacts with the other cultures in society to bring out the effects achieved from the different activities that they engage in. it also involves learning from the different cultures that one interacts with and how these influence our cultures and the development of new cultural practices. This paper will explore the aspects of cultural awareness, Americanization, the cultural self, cultural otherness, intersectionalities, and how these factors influence the self's outcomes and the worldviews of the people concerned.

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Seven Steps of Cultural Awareness

The first step involves getting training for global citizenship. This means being in touch with the different cultural aspects of the world's people, hence resulting in more cultural awareness and respect for the different cultures in the world. Secondly, the cultural gaps should be bridged through efficient communication skills (NASW, 2015). Through communication, one can express themselves and therefore avert instances that would have otherwise resulted in the people from the different cultures being offended by the possibility of insensitivity. Additionally, good manners are an additional step through which one can gain cultural awareness. This is because good manners are universally accepted. Therefore the one practicing them will be on the right side of whichever culture they are practicing, hence being culturally acceptable in the different cultures they may experience.

Another way to achieve cultural awareness is by practicing the different aspects of the other cultures that one comes into contact with. This involves celebrating their holidays and festivals, which will help gain knowledge of the different cultures they are interested in. observation is another way to gain cultural awareness (NASW, 2015). Should one find themselves in a foreign country, they should observe how the natives behave and follow suit, which is a sure way for them to be doing the right and acceptable thing at all times. While doing so, the individuals should also observe and respect the difference in cultures to not engage in conversations that may be acceptable in their cultures but result in disagreements or misunderstandings such as the different religious or political practices. Finally, cultural awareness can be achieved through observation and recognition of the difference in time zones. This will help contact people in different communities at an appropriate time, which is both courteous and considerate.

Knowing Your Position

As described, positionality is a self-reflection of who you are, including where you've come from and where you're going. I started my journey here at UNCP in the ___________ as a _______________. At the outset, I was uncertain that this _________ would be the best choice for me. However, ______________ is the best fit for me. However, I am still interested in other majors and want to learn more about them, so I began taking social work classes. The social work classes I have taken are interesting and have caused me to use critical thinking of self, which in turn allowed me to view myself and things ___________________________. Since taking social work classes, I have become more aware of my actions, I have become more empathetic towards others and better understand other people and cultures. The self-perception theory of Daryl Bem (___) states that ____________________. Having the opportunity to review the concept of perception in relation to cultural competence has allowed me to __________________. With this class's help, I have become more aware of others and their culture, but I know that I still have a lot to learn. For example, when thinking about values and beliefs, much has been learned through family relationships. While growing up, socialization time increased, and I was able to form various friendships and interactions with others. Now, as a college student, ___________________. My positionality is changing, which means there an existence of internal growth. This steady occurrence is partly due to educational exposure, interacting with people different from me, and being exposed to new environments, values, and belief systems. My positionality is expected to continue to shift and change with me as I gain more experience in the world around me. In further exploring the self, the meaning and application of Americanization provide further enlightenment of the self.

Americanization

Americanization is the process through which one is transformed into thinking like an American by sharing the values and beliefs held by Americans and therefore living in an American way. It involves adjusting, accepting, and appreciating the American way of living and making positive steps towards becoming an American member of society who contributes to the development and advancement of the society in the different aspects that the individual is expertly trained in (Wiedemann & Meyen, 2016). Americanization also means making the needed changes to fit into the American lifestyle, such as learning and using English for communication if one is an immigrant from a country that does not use it. It also involves going through the American educational system for those in the school-going age for them to be competently trained into fitting the American job market and for them to be competently equipped in helping the country address the different aspects that will help them overcome the different milestones and challenges that will help the country achieve positive change and improve the lives of Americans.

I believe that I have successfully undergone the Americanization process. This is because I have fully adapted to Americans' way of life, and I appreciate the American culture and share in the American dream. I am also currently undertaking the education process in America, which will help me have the academic competence to address the different challenges that society will face when becoming a qualified professional. Additionally, I am culturally aware of the American way of life and appreciate the role of the unique culture in the contribution towards the achievement of the American dream, which seeks to make everyone in America great despite their backgrounds, which will, in turn, make America the greatest country on earth.

The cultural self

The cultural self refers to recognizing how the culture that one comes from and practices has had on the individual. Culture either positively or negatively affects the perception of one for themselves through the different ways and approaches it has for the different practices and situations in society. The different norms affect the way one behaves in society since norms are encouraged, and in some instances, they may be rewarded (Bem, 1972). Therefore, this may encourage one to behave in a certain way since it is an acceptable and encouraging way of behaving, resulting in their concept of the self being shaped towards the appreciation and facilitation of the achievement of the behaviors that would encourage being rewarded for their actions. This may also lead to one getting rid of some behaviors and practices to fit into the systems of the society and cultures that they practice, which will also affect the concept of the self held by the individual at the given time. The positive or negative reinforcement will lead to the self being influenced in that if one will work towards being rewarded for their adherence to the cultural practices and beliefs. At the same time, they may be punished for not following normalized practices (Abrams & Moio, 2009). I believe that the first aspect that influences the cultural self is the family since the family introduces one to their cultural practices and way of life from when they are young, which results in the individual growing up with a concept of culture and being eased into the different beliefs and practices of the society away from their families. However, they will always have an aspect of their adulthood influenced by the cultural orientation they received as children.

Cultural other

Cultural otherness refers to the awareness of the other cultures around us and exploring the roles played by the existence of cultures other than ours to our cultural practices and the self's concept. Through the recognition of the other cultures, one may be influenced directly or indirectly into adjusting into practicing the other cultures partially or through developing an openness to the cultures, which will lead to a more peaceful society since there will be no need for conflicts through the practice of different cultures in the society (El Sayed et al., 2020). Otherness also encourages making the needed adjustments in one's life to facilitate the other cultures and recognize the other cultures and the role they play towards the achievement of societal success and prosperity. Therefore, cultural otherness is important in shaping the outlook of the society, with societies without otherness being intolerant to others, which increases the possibility of conflicts and little development compared to those that are tolerant and open to accommodating the other cultures in the society.

Having the necessary knowledge in cultural otherness has helped me become culturally aware and tolerant of the other cultures around me, resulting in me being in better relationships with different, even with people who do not practice the same culture as me. I have also experienced the different aspects of the other cultures and learned of the different cultures and, whenever appropriate, borrow some of their aspects that would improve my cultural practices. Therefore, while I recognize and practice my people's cultural practices, I have also had instances where the different cultures around me have influenced my life regarding the dressing, food, and languages that they speak.

Intersectionalities

Intersectionality refers to the overlapping issues and aspects that contribute to the individual as they are. The different aspects that make up an individual, such as their races, religious practices, their sexual orientation, among other factors, will place the individual either at an advantage or disadvantage depending on the attitude of the society that one is in (Crenshaw, 2017). the different experiences, backgrounds, and experiences that one has also played a critical role in the Intersectionality outcomes of the people concerned since they help in making up the worldviews of the people in question, which will, in turn, affect how the said people approach the different aspects of the society.

I believe that I am a product of different intersectionalities and that they play a role in my position in society. However, due to society's more inclusive nature today, I have not been at a disadvantage in most of the aspects that make up my Intersectionalities, such as my religious practices or my sexuality. The inclusivity of society is a positive move that has helped me express myself in my way and exercise the different aspects of myself in society without fear of persecution or judgment. However, the race has been a sensitive subject, whereby one's race puts them at a disadvantage irrespective of race. If one is black, they are at a disadvantage of assumption of guilt, which makes them susceptible to arbitrary arrests and police violence, which may lead to death in some instances.