Culturally Competence Practice

Victoria Clowers
24 April 2021
Dr. Kay Locklear
Human Diversity and Populations at Risk 
 • "Cultural competence requires self-awareness,
cultural humility, and the commitment
to understanding and embracing culture as
central to effective practice" (NASW
Cultural Standards, 2003, page 4). 

• "The workers’ self-awareness of their own

Defining Cultural cultural identities is as fundamental to practice
as their informed assumptions about clients’

Awareness cultural backgrounds and experiences" (NASW

Cultural Standards, 2003, page 22.).

• Developing cultural awareness and

competence is critical in the social work
profession and ties heavily into the NASW core
values of competence, service, and dignity and
worth of a person (NASW, Code of Ethics.) 
 • My initial awareness for the LGBTQ+
population was limited due to my up
In order to attain cultural
brining.
competence and awareness,
workers must  "identify how their
own knowledge, fears, and
• My awareness and empathy has
“isms” (such as racism, sexism,
ethnocentrism,
heterosexism, homophobia,
changed since adulthood, as I now
cissexism, ageism, ableism,
xenophobia, and classism)
influence their attitudes, beliefs,
identify with this community. 
and feelings" (NASW, Cultural
Standards, page 23-24).
• Personally, it took my choosing to be
around people within this population
to shift my mindset and beliefs about
this population. 
 Intersectionality in Theories

Feminist Theory                   VS. Queer Theory

• Since both feminist and queer research methods aim to centralize the
experiences of people marginalized under racist, sexist, heterosexist,
patriarchal, and imperialist conditions, both methods seek
decentralization of and liberation from such experiences in research
methodologies" (Erol, A., & Cuklanz, L., 2020).
• From a queer feminist standpoint, "sexual identities then, are not
given, and they cannot be understood in isolation from other
dimensions of identity and power" (Pindi, G. N., 2020). 
 •"Queer theory promotes an intersectional
approach to sexuality by positing sexual identities
as multiple, unstable, and fluid social constructions
intersecting with race, class, and gender, among
others" (Pindi, G. N., 2020). 

Knowledge  •Queer theorists argued that academia, as well as

society in general, was under the influence of
Queer Theory processes and structures of power that
simultaneously privileged and marginalized certain
groups of individuals in the interests of sustaining
existing power structures that created these
differences in the first place. (Erol, A., & Cuklanz, L.,
2020)
 "We are educating our
Knowledge  communities and our
organizations on why it is
important for LGBTQ
communities to stand with
Black communities — why our
politics, our values and our
liberation are bound
Oppression & Discrimination: together."-Jennifer Houston. 

• Queer feminists/theorists examine how sexuality is socially and culturally constructed

through heteronormativity to portray LGBTQ people's sexuality as "abnormal" (Pindi, G,
N., 2020). 
• Vast discrimination within the United States: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil
Rights Commission, Stonewall riots, and Trump's transgender US Military Policy. 
• The LGBTQ+ community has been known to be strong allies to other groups of
oppressed and misunderstood communities, such as the African American community.
• Jennifer Houston, Director of the Neighborhoods Funder Group, spoke to this solidarity
on numerous occasions. 
 • According to the Diller textbook, cross-
cultural helping is more likely to affect the
provider directly and emotionally. 
• As a person in a helping profession, it is
important to remember that people in
Skills and Implications oppressed communities likely have anxiety
in Practical Settings about meeting with you in the first place
(Diller, J, 2019). 
• Let them tell their story to you. 
• Advocate for a better community for
them. 
 • "Social workers should promote policies and practices that
What ethical demonstrate respect for difference, support the expansion
issues/considerations of cultural knowledge and resources, advocate for
programs and institutions that demonstrate cultural
might come up in work competence, and promote policies that safeguard the
with this rights of and confirm equity and social justice for all
people. Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate
client/population domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against
group? any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity,
national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief,
religion, immigration status, or mental or physical
disabilities." (NASW Cultural Standards, 2003, page 15). \
• Remaining aware of one's own biases and level of
competence in certain demographics is critical. 
 Summary

• My purpose for this presentation was to demonstrate and practice working with
culturally diverse clients.  Additionally, I am trying to shed light on a marginalized
community that is very close to my heart.  While my level of awareness for this
population is high, I only identify as a lesbian women.  I have learned over the years
that just being a member of the LGBTQ+ population does not make you the
spokesperson for the community and there is always room for the expansion of
knowledge.  I gained more awareness of this community and learned more in-depth
examples of allyship within this community. 
 • Diller, J. (2019). Cultural Civersity: A Primer for Human Services
(6th edition)., Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. 
• Erol, A., & Cuklanz, L. (2020). Queer Theory and Feminist
Methods: A Review. Investigaciones Feministas, 11(2), 211–
220. https://doi-org.proxy181.nclive.org/10.5209/infe.66476
• Houston,  J., (2018, December 7). LGBTQ Organizations Stand
in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter. NFG.
https://www.nfg.org/news/lgbtq-organizations-stand-solidarit
y-black-lives-matter

References . 
• Pindi, G. N. (2020). Beyond Labels: Envisioning an Alliance
Between African Feminism and Queer Theory for the
Empowerment of African Sexual Minorities Within and Beyond
Africa. Women’s Studies in Communication, 43(2), 106–112.
https://doi-org.proxy181.nclive.org/10.1080/07491409.2020.1
745585
• NASW Code of Ethics.
• Queer Theory, developed by Teresa de Lauretis.
• NASW Cultural Standards, 2003.