Definitions
As you engage the different elements of this module, work to deepen your understanding of these terms and definitions. These concepts are multifaceted both in definition and practice, and the explanations below should be seen as dynamic frameworks and starting points for further understanding.
Cultural Competence
Cultural Competence: Knowledge of student cultural histories and contexts, as well as family norms and values in different cultures; knowledge and skills in accessing community resources and community and parent outreach; and skills in adapting instruction to students' experiences and identifying cultural contexts for individual students.
Cultural competence is active, developmental, an ongoing process and is aspirational rather than achieved.
A culturally competent individual is one who:
is actively in the process of becoming aware of his or her own assumptions about human behavior, values, biases, preconceived notions, personal limitations.
actively attempts to understand that our worldviews and identities are socially located and made and how it is that some worldviews and identities have become dominant and others, marginalized.
actively attempts to understand the worldview of culturally diverse populations, in particular, the values, assumptions, practices, communication styles, group norms, biases, experiences, and perspectives students, families, communities and colleagues.
is in the process of actively developing and practicing appropriate, relevant, and sensitive strategies and skills in working with students, families, communities and colleagues.
advocates on behalf of their students, families, colleagues they work with. They take action in their work place, community and society to create a culture of respect and equity.
Adapted from Sue, D.W., & Sue D. (2003). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice, 4th Ed. New York: John Wiley.
Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT)
A research-based approach to teaching. It connects students’ cultures, languages, and life experiences with what they learn in school. These connections help students access rigorous curriculum and develop higher-level academic skills.
Positionality
The notion that personal values, views, and location in time and space influence how one understands the world. In this context, gender, race, class, and other aspects of identities are indicators of social and spatial positions and are not fixed, given qualities. Positions act on the knowledge a person has about things, both material and abstract. Consequently, knowledge is the product of a specific position that reflects particular places and spaces.