Barriers To Culturally Competent Practice

According to Garthwait (2014) “culture refers to the learned patterns of thought and behavior s that are passed from generation to generation”. Our culture plays an important way in the makeup of our thinking, beliefs, behaviors, acting, and our values. Culture can also be the way other groups, outside of what society perceives as the “norm” such as, gays, lesbians, spiritual or religious groups, and transgender experiences the world around them. We currently live in a world that I is one big melting pot, made up of several diverse groups. Cultural diversity is no longer just ethnic and racial backgrounds. With the changes occurring in the world, diversity can be “gender, religious or spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, age, physical
12–13)”. Using the Table on 12.2 beliefs barriers to culturally competent practice, I have witness some of the statements used at my job and in my practicum setting. Some workers have said “This is how we deal with….”, “Don’t be disappointed if they don’t do well”, or “….are so resistant and unmotivated”. After reading the list, I can admit I am guilty of making these judges, in particular the last phrase listed. I am basing my prejudgments on the things in my own community. Where I am from I see a lot of African Americans resistant to change, and unmotivated to improve their current living situations of, poverty, education, and health and I found myself making the first assumption of “this is how we deal with…” I am learning that social workers need to be able to move from being culturally aware of their own heritage to becoming culturally aware of the heritage of others (NASW,