Cultural Competence in Academic Advising

What is cultural competence?

O The ability to effectively interact with people from different cultural backgrounds.

O Cultural competence is comprised of four main components: O (a) Awareness of one's own cultural

worldview.O (b) Attitude towards cultural differences.O (c) Knowledge of different cultural

practices and worldviews.O (d) Cross-cultural skills.

Why is cultural competence important?

O Increased diversity is already present:O 1/5 of students in the public schooling system

are immigrants or children of immigrants.

O By the year 2050, European Americans will no longer be the numeric majority.

O Colleges today embody a multitude of ages, cultures, races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, languages, nationalities, etc.

New reality for Academic Advisors

O Academic Advisors will be working with increasingly diverse student populations.

O Advisors need to be able to respond appropriately to their needs.O How can we learn to do this?

O Through cultural competence training…

Cultural competence training

O Can be used to…O Raise awareness (of self and others).

O Gain knowledge about diverse student populations.

O Learn skills to adjust/adapt behavior.

O For more information about cultural competence training and cross-cultural issues in advising, check out this NACADA webpage

Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

1) Denial -- The inability to construe cultural difference.2) Defense -- Recognition of cultural difference coupled with

negative evaluation of most variations from native culture -- the greater the difference, the more negative the evaluation.

3) Minimization -- Recognition and acceptance of superficial cultural differences such as eating customs, etc., while holding that all human beings are essentially the same.

4) Acceptance -- Recognition and appreciation of cultural differences in behavior and values.

5) Adaptation -- The development of communication skills that enable intercultural communication.

6) Integration -- The internalization of bicultural or multicultural frames of reference.

ReferencesBennett, M. J. (1993). Towards Ethnorelativism: A developmental model

of intercultural sensitivity. In R. M. Paige (Ed.). Education for the intercultural experience. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

Cardenas, V., Ajinkya, J., & Leger, D. G. (2011). Progress 2050: New ideas for a diverse America. Retrieved from: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/10/ pdf/progress_2050.pdf

Martin, M., & Vaughn, B. (2007). Strategic diversity & inclusion management. San Francisco, CA: DTUI Publications Division.