Becoming Culturally Competent

Becoming Culturally Competent

Introduction

Cultural tradition is a powerful engine that has an impact on our perception. A misunderstanding eliminates the possibility of effective cooperation. Meanwhile, some people have, apparently, an innate ability to adequately perceive the foreign culture, with its unfamiliar traditions. We call this ability "cultural competence" or the ratio of cultural development (Stavans, 1995).

Cultural competency is associated with emotional intelligence one, but it shows where emotional intelligence is powerless. A man with a well-developed emotional intelligence understands that all people have in common and what distinguishes us from each other. Culturally competent person is able to determine what properties of a specific human characteristic of all people, what - just for him, and which are neither universal nor unique (Stavans, 1995).

In the cultural and emotional competencies common element - is "a tendency to postpone responses, think before you act." A person with a high level of cultural competence in the production of opinions can take hours or days, with a low - weeks or even months (Stavans, 1995).

People are successful in their communities, often with great difficulty understanding the representatives of different cultures and with no less difficulty perceived by them. Sometimes people cut off from their culture, it is easier to adapt to local customs and even language unfamiliar environment: they are accustomed to watch and consciously adapt to the new environment (Stavans, 1995).

Three Sources of Cultural Competence

Three components of cultural competence: cognitive, physical, emotional and motivational. In other words, the cultural competence of responsible head, body and heart. Not all of these components are developed to the same extent, yet they are necessary and interdependent (Krieger, 1993).

Head. A study of beliefs, traditions and taboos of foreign culture on corporate training does not prepare a person for unexpected situations and does not protect him from serious errors. At the same time trying to find their own meaning of a custom does not always end well: someone does not like to talk about themselves to foreigners, someone just has to analyze the habits of their culture (Krieger, 1993).

Newbie need to develop a strategy for learning. Most people find it difficult to penetrate the world of another culture, but people with high levels of cognitive cultural competence can he find the guidance that will help him in this (Krieger, 1993).

Body. In order to gain the aliens (foreigners) - not enough to show that you understand their culture. Your actions, demeanor, the way you shake, or order a coffee, should show respect for their traditions and etiquette. Having mastered these rules, you are partakers in their world, and they begin to trust you (Krieger, 1993).

But this does not happen if people are so jammed that he could not maintain themselves adequately, or he lacks self-control. For example, in France at the meeting decided to kiss on both cheeks and hug the girls. A number of prim Englishwoman, knowing about this tradition, any time feel uncomfortable and try to dodge the ...