The Prac)cali)es of Cultural Competence
Katherine Becvar Adjunct Reference Librarian, College of San Mateo Sarah Naumann Adjunct Instruc:on Librarian, CSU East Bay Research Into Prac)ce session CARL 2014 -‐ "Leadership In Ac)on”
What we’ll be covering today:
! Literature review and background
! The diversity standards & the development of cultural competence
! Discussion ac)vity
! Research results
! Next steps and ques)ons
Cultural Competence in Professional OrganizaBons
What can we learn from them?
! AACN -‐ American Associa)on of Colleges of Nursing ! APA -‐ American Psychological Associa)on ! NASW -‐ Na)onal Associa)on of Social Workers ! NEA -‐ Na)onal Educa)on Associa)on ! NIH -‐ Na)onal Ins)tutes of Health ! and others...
Diversity as focus
“If your school or library or organiza)on
doesn’t look like the community around it, if it
doesn’t mirror the world, you’ve got some work
to do.” (Shorter-‐Gooden)
Cultural Competence in Academic Libraries Yes!
! Library collec)ons
! Instruc)on
! Reference
“Not everybody learns in the same way...there are
cultural differences in learning styles and approaches”
(Shorter-‐Gooden).
The process of training
Challenges & Successes
! Resistance
! Who is going to be the diversity/mul)cultural librarian?
! Charge comes from higher up
! Focus on individual skills
Cultural Competence Training in Library School
ACRL Diversity Standards : Overview and Context
! Developed by ACRL’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity Commi\ee between 2008 -‐ 2012, released in 2012
! Affirming ACRL’s commitment to “diversity of people and ideas” and making libraries reflec)ve of the (diverse) communi)es they serve
! Increasing a\en)on to concept of cultural competence in service professions -‐ nursing, social work, librarianship, etc.
ACRL Diversity Standards: Cultural Competency for Academic Libraries
! Standard 1. Cultural awareness of self and others Librarians and library staff shall develop an understanding of their own personal and cultural values and beliefs as a first step in apprecia)ng the importance of mul)cultural iden))es in the lives of the people they work with and serve.
! Standard 2. Cross-‐cultural knowledge and skills Librarians and library staff shall have and con)nue to develop specialized knowledge and understanding about the history, tradi)ons, values, and ar)s)c expressions of colleagues, co-‐workers, and major cons)tuencies served.
! Standard 3. OrganizaBonal and professional values Librarians and library staff shall develop and support organiza)onal and professional values dedicated to culturally competent service.
! Standard 4. Development of collecBons, programs, and services Librarians and library staff shall develop collec)ons and provide programs and services that are inclusive of the needs of all persons in the community the library serves.
! Standard 5. Service delivery Librarians and library staff shall be knowledgeable about and skillful in the use and provision of informa)on services available in the community and broader society, and shall be able to make appropriate referrals for their diverse cons)tuencies.
! Standard 6. Language diversity Librarians and library staff shall support the preserva)on and promo)on of linguis)c diversity, and work to foster a climate of inclusion aimed at elimina)ng discrimina)on and oppression based on linguis)c or other diversi)es.
ACRL Diversity Standards: Cultural Competency for Academic Libraries (cont.)
! Standard 7. Workforce diversity Librarians and library staff shall support and advocate for recruitment, admissions, hiring, and reten)on efforts in libraries, library associa)ons, and LIS programs to increase diversity and ensure con)nued diversity in the profession.
! Standard 8. OrganizaBonal dynamics Librarians and library staff shall par)cipate in and facilitate the development of organiza)onal dynamics that enable individuals, groups, and organiza)ons to con)nually develop and exercise cultural competence.
! Standard 9. Cross-‐cultural leadership Library leaders shall influence, support, and encourage the crea)on of proac)ve processes that increase diversity skills; empower colleagues, co-‐workers, and cons)tuents from diverse backgrounds; share informa)on about diverse popula)ons; and advocate for their concerns.
! Standard 10. Professional educaBon and conBnuous learning Librarians and library staff shall advocate for and par)cipate in educa)onal and training programs that help advance cultural competence within the profession.
! Standard 11. Research Research shall be inclusive and respecdul of non-‐Western thought and tradi)onal knowledge reflec)ng the value of cultural ways of knowing.
The Culturally -‐ Competent Librarian…
! “shall develop an understanding of their own personal and cultural values and beliefs” (Standard 1)
! “shall have and con)nue to develop specialized knowledge and understanding about the history, tradi)ons, values, and ar)s)c expressions of colleagues, co-‐workers, and major cons)tuencies served” (Standard 2)
! But how? …
Cultural Competence as a Process
! Star)ng at the individual level ! self-‐reflec)on, iden)ty forma)on, power and privilege ! cogni)ve flexibility -‐ ability to shig frames of reference
! Moving to interpersonal level ! beyond just contact or knowledge of other cultures
! Expanding to environmental level ! impac)ng our organiza)ons and prac)ce
Informed by Patricia Mon)el-‐Overall and Janet M. Benne\
From Mon)el-‐Overall,P. (2009) “Cultural Competence: A Conceptual Framework for LIS Professionals.”
AcBvity: The Cultural Shield
How do these things help you think about culture or diversity?
! Family / Heritage / Growing Up ! Educa)on / Training ! Personal Life / Friends / Life
Experience ! Work Experience
Take 5 minutes to write responses on your handout, then discuss in small groups for 10 minutes
Cultural competence and the ACRL Diversity Standards in California academic libraries Survey Results
59
14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Yes No
Q2. Is service to diverse populaBons a
priority for your library? (n=72)
18
39
16
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Yes No I don't know
Q3. Does your library have a Diversity Statement or
something similar? (n=72)
60
1
12
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Yes No I don't know
Q4. Does your college or university have a campus-‐wide Diversity Statement or something similar? (n=72)
Ins)tu)onal Approaches to Diversity
34
39
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Yes No
Q5. Had you heard about ACRL’s Cultural Competency Standards for Academic
Libraries before taking this survey? (n=72)
6
42
25
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Yes No I don't know
Q6. Has your library discussed or implemented any aspect of
the ACRL’s Diversity Standards? (n=72)
Knowledge of ACRL’s Diversity Standards
12
61
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Yes No
Q8. Have you changed any aspect of your pracBce as a librarian as a result of the Diversity Standards?
(n=72)
58
15
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Yes No
Q7. Do you think that ACRL’s Diversity Standards are
something that your library could benefit or currently benefits from? (n=72)
Impact of ACRL’s Diversity Standards
65
7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Yes No
Q11. Do you feel that you possess a sufficient amount of cultural competence to support your day to day
interacBons at the reference desk or in the classroom?
(n=72)
59
13
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Yes No
Q9. Do you feel that you have a strong knowledge of or familiarity with
cultures other than your own? (n=72)
Personal Cultural Competence in Reference and Instruc)on
38
27
2 5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Very important
Somewhat important
Less important
Not important
at all
Q10. How important is it to you to have a common cultural
understanding with students that approach you at the reference desk or whom you
teach in the classroom? (n=72)
12
9
6
7
3
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Language differences or barriers
Differences in social cues and interac)ons (body
language, asking ques)ons, etc)
Situa)on(s) handled differently because of knowledge about a specific culture
Library-‐ or informa)on-‐specific cultural differences
teachable moments about diversity and cultural
difference
Num
ber o
f Respo
nses
Coded categories from free-‐text responses
Q12. Can you give us an example of how cultural differences have presented themselves to you on a day to day basis, and how you handled the
situaBon? (n=43)
Q12: Can you give us an example of how cultural differences have presented themselves to you on a day to day basis, and how you
handled the situa)on? -‐ a sample of responses -‐
! “If you work at an academic reference desk in a community college in California, you are dealing with different cultural backgrounds daily. I cannot come up with one situa)on specifically because I do not think of them as situaBons, but as reference.”
! “I don't think I understand Japanese, Korean, or Chinese cultures. Nor can I (I'm embarrassed to say) tell them apart. I deal with many people of Asian descent at my university, but lack any depth of cultural knowledge.”
! “I'm not sure this counts as a ‘cultural difference,’ but at my last place of work a male student of color asked to borrow a highlighter. I said, "Sure, just be sure to bring it back!" and he replied, "You think I'm going to steal it?" and I realized this was probably yet another microaggression in his life, as he probably ogen encounters people who treat him like he's going to steal something because of his age, gender, race, and manner of dress. Ader that, I've been more sensiBve to how I say things like that.”
11
6
11 10
7 6
2
7
13
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Ethnic/cultural descent
Other aspect of background (ie. Sexual
orienta)on or "how I was raised")
Live in an urban/diverse
place
Have traveled or lived overseas
Professional development, associa)ons, or training
Educa)on -‐ anthro and/or other cultures
Diversity class in library school
Rela)onships -‐ friends or family of another culture
Work experience -‐ serving a diverse
popula)on
Num
ber o
f respo
nses
Coded categories from free-‐text responses
Q 13. Please describe any aspects of your background, experience, or training that you feel have most impacted your sense of your own cultural
competence. (n=43)
Q13: Please describe any aspects of your background, experience, or training that you feel have most impacted your sense of your own cultural
competence. -‐ a sample of responses -‐
! “I'm a librarian of color and have not tried to be or pretend that I'm of another race/ethnicity. I'm not ashamed of my ethnicity as some members of my family seem to be.”
! “I have worked throughout my life and my profession years to develop cultural competencies and have commifed to working towards building diversity in librarianship. I am mul)racial and queer so within my family and my life I am constantly traversing through different cultures. I was a Spectrum Scholar and went through the Spectrum Leadership InsBtute which addresses some of these issues as well.”
! “Living in a diverse metropolitan area during college, world travel from a young age, 1 year of working overseas in local business (not US company), military spouse (very diverse popula)on actually), 15 years of working in CA community college libraries, diverse friends and colleagues, generally an open and kind person to all people (something ins)lled in me by my own family while growing up). Professional dialogue on these topics just reinforces all of this for me. “
TentaBve “To-‐Do” checklist
! Be ethnically or culturally diverse ! Have other kinds of diversity in your background (ie.
sexual orienta)on) ! Live in an urban/diverse place ! Travel or live overseas ! Par)cipate in diversity-‐related professional
development, associa)ons, or training ! Study anthropology and/or other cultures (ie. Asian
studies) ! Take a diversity class in library school ! Cul)vate diverse personal rela)onships -‐ make
friends with someone from another culture ! Serve a diverse popula)on in your workplace (but
wait a minute…)
A more pragmaBc “To-‐do” checklist?
Things we can’t change
! Be ethnically or culturally diverse
! Have other kinds of diversity in your background (ie. sexual orienta)on)
! Serve a diverse popula)on in your workplace
Things we CAN change
! Live in an urban/diverse place ! Travel or live overseas ! Study anthropology and/or other
cultures (ie. Asian studies) ! Take a diversity class [in library
school] ! Cul)vate diverse personal
rela)onships -‐ make friends with someone from another culture
! Par)cipate in diversity-‐related professional development, associa)ons, or training
QuesBon Time!
Contact Us: Katherine Becvar [email protected] Sarah Naumann [email protected]
Works Cited Alexander, David L. “American Indian Studies, Mul)culturalism, and the Academic Library.” College & Research Libraries. 74.1 (Jan 2013): 60-‐68. Print. Benne\, Janet M. "Cul)va)ng Intercultural Competence: A Process Perspec)ve.” In The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence. Ed. Darla K. Deardorff. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2009. 121-‐40. Print. Hughes, Amy and Carissa Tsosie. “Ya’ at’ eeh! Serving American Indian Students.” American Library Associa)on Conference. Anaheim, CA. 24 June, 2012. Mestre, Lori. Librarians serving diverse popula:ons: Challenges & opportuni:es. Chicago: Associa)on of College and Research Libraries, 2010. Print. Monteil-‐Overall, Patricia. “Cultural Competence: A Conceptual Framework for Library and Informa)on Science Professionals.” Library Quarterly 79.2 (April 2009): 175-‐204. Mon)el-‐Overall, Patricia. "Developing cultural competence to create mul)cultural libraries." Paper presented at American Library Associa)on annual conference, Chicago, IL, June 2009. Oxley, Rebecca. “iDiversity and LIS Educa)on: Student-‐Based Groups Promo)ng Cultural Competence as a Vision for the Profession.” Library Quarterly 83.3 (July 2013): 236-‐242. Ryan, Marianne, and M. Asim Qayyum. "Designing an Intercultural Training Framework for Informa)on Professionals." Reference & User Services Quarterly 51.3 (2012): 226-‐230. Shorter-‐Gooden, Kumea. “The Culturally Competent Organiza)on.” Library Quarterly 83.3 (July 2013): 207-‐211. Tuleja, Elizabeth, A. Intercultural Communica:on for Business. Mason, Ohio: Thomson South-‐Western. 2005.