Running head: PERSONAL WORK PLAN

Personal Work Plan for Culturally Competent Practice

Zenia Q. Turner
Wayne State University
SW 3110
April 13, 2015

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2
Abstract

ThispaperprovidesacomparisonofthelevelofculturalcompetenceIheldbeforetaking
thiscoursetomycurrentlyheldlevelofculturalcompetencesincecompletingthecourse.Iwill
elaborateontheexperiencesthathadanimpactonmyperspectivesrelatedtocultural
competencyupuntilthepointofbeginningthisclass,whatIhaveattainedfromthiscoursein
termsofculturalcompetence,andIhowIplantofurtherincreaseanddevelopmycultural
understandingssothatImaybemoreeffectiveinmyfuturepractice.Furthermore,Iwilldiscuss
someofmyownpersonalideasandinterrogatoriesrelatedtoculturalcompetencythathave
arisenfromthiscoursesteachings.Finally,IwillexplainhowIplantousemynewlyfound
knowledgetoeliminateanyofmyownculturalbiasessothatImayupholdmyselfandmy
practicestothevaluesandstandardsofprofessionalismassetforthintheNationalAssociation
ofSocialWorkers(NASW)CodeofEthics.
BeginningSelfAssessment
Beforebeginningthisclass,IbelieveIhadamoderatelevelofculturalcompetencyasit
relatestothevariousethnicgroupsinexistence,theculturalnormsandtraditionsassociatedwith
thosegroups,andageneralunderstandingofthehistoricalissuesfacedbyindividualsof
particularbackgrounds.Myearliestunderstandingofculturestemmedfrommyinterestsin
readingaboutdifferentpeoplefromvariouspartsoftheworld.Asachild,myfamilymembers
frequentlygavemebooksthathighlighteddiverseculturesandpeoplebecausetheyknewhow
investedIwasinlearningmoreaboutthesubject.BeingthatIambiracialIwasalwaysvery
inquisitiveaboutdifferentpeopleanddifferentbackgrounds.Itwascuriosityrelatedtomyown
ethnicityandthesearchforwhoIwasthatdrovemetofrequentlycomparemyselfandmy

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culturetothatofothers.TheprocessoffindingmyselfgreatlyrelatestotheSocialIdentity
Theorywhichencompassesbothselfcategorizationandtheprocessofcomparingonesself
categorizationtoothergroupsandtheirmembers(Appleby,2011).
AsIgrewoldermyunderstandingofandconcernwithcultureexpanded,andattheageof
20myinterestsinissuesrelatedtoracialdiscrimination,culturalequality,andsocialjusticeled
metomycurrentprofession.Forthepast7years,IhaveworkedinanEqualEmployment
OpportunityOffice(EEOO)whichdealsprimarilywithcomplaintprocessingasitrelatesto
employmentdiscriminationbasedonprotectedclassstatus.However,theofficeisalso
responsiblefortrainingemployeestobeculturallysensitiveandorganizesmanyeventsin
recognitionofnationalobservancesfocusedonmarginalizedgroups.Itisfrommydaily
interactionswithemployeesofvariousbackgroundsaswellasmyconsistentresearchinwork
effortsthatIhavebeenabletogainreallife,indepthunderstandingofthevariousdynamicsof
ethnicity,race,nationalorigin,andotherrelatedareas.
Lastly,theSocialWorkcoursesIhadtakenbeforethiscoursediscussedgeneralcultural
competencyasitrelatestotheSocialWorkfield.Manyofmyprofessorspreferredtocallit
culturalsensitivityorculturalhumility.Thereasonforthealternativetermswasrationalized
bytheunderstandingthatonewillneverbe100%competentaboutanothergrouporethnicity.
Thereisadifferencebetweenactuallyexperiencingandbeingapartofparticulargroupdirectly,
andmakingattemptstounderstandthatgroup.ImustsayIagreewiththem,especially,after
takingthiscourse.
KnowledgeGained

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As mentioned before, I believe I had a pretty solid understanding of the overall differences
found in larger ethnic groups (e.g. African American, Latino, Asian, etc.). However, this class
allowed me the opportunity to gain more in-depth information about the myriad of sub-cultures
that can exist within a larger culture. It was because of the literatures detailed explanation of
how Social Workers should be mindful to avoid generalizing, based on a larger culture, which I
found myself interested in learning more. It has always been very important to me to be
considerate of how my actions and words can spark reactions. Knowing more about the various
spectrums of subcultures and what they may regard as insulting or disrespectful, based on their
cultural beliefs, has always been an area of personal interest. Within this class, I was able to
understand more of the whys for particular behaviors; even those encompassed within my own
culture. For example, my mother is Puerto Rican and while growing up I remember her being
very adamant about respect, dignity, and family. After reading about Latinos in Chapter 8 of our
assigned text, I was better able to understand my own culture and particular customs that I have
lived with all my life.
What I enjoyed most about learning in this class were the questions that were raised after
receiving particular information from the content. I wondered about the individuals that break
away from their cultural norms and their reasoning for making such a choice. I also was
intrigued by the idea of interracial families, like my own, that merge their cultures and the
dynamics that affect familial functioning. I also was fascinated with the idea of how a culture
changes throughout time yet still maintains many of its unique qualities, traditions, and customs
which make it an identified cultural group. I believe that due to the complexity of identity, I may
never gain the answers for many of my questions. Regardless, I will be invested in making the
highest efforts to keep myself abreast of the changing aspects of different cultures.

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5
Future Practice

The cultural group that I would find both challenging and beneficial to work with would be
the LGBT community. The reason I say challenging is, because of my upbringing, I still hold
some bias toward individuals that identify as LGBT. However, I am a person that places the
dignity of a human being and their life before any label that can be created by society. So, while I
may have my own viewpoint about the lifestyle of others, my desire to treat all people with
respect far outweighs my personal opinions. The reason I say this group would also be beneficial
to work with is because I feel the best way to rid of bias and/or stereotypes is to gain a better
understanding. By being able to work with clients from the LGBT community, I will be able to
learn about them from a genuine perspective of care. I think it will be important for me to
continuously stay abreast of current events or issues that face this population in an effort to gain
more information that will allow me provide better service for their needs.
While I mentioned that it is beneficial and stimulating for me to work with people of the
LGBT community, I personally would find working with all groups to be a rewarding
opportunity. I have always taken pleasure in learning about the similarities and differences held
in the grander scheme of culture, but also in the individuals that make up those cultures. I believe
that while the issues clients face will be difficult, there will be strength in identifying what their
culture can do to benefit them in improving their quality of life. There were so many unique
qualities presented in our group projects this semester that I was not aware of which I am
interested to explore through direct contact with individuals who self-identify within those
cultural backgrounds. For example, the Native American communitys perspective on embracing
nature in finding a sense of self is something that I hope to learn more about in my practice. The
Asian viewpoints of modesty and privacy are also values that I appreciate and hope to engage in

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while practicing Social Work. Finally, I recognized that all cultural groups share the viewpoint
that family and kinship are of utmost importance. It will be interesting to explore which avenues
of help are most beneficial to particular individuals and families in comparison to others. I am
also to see how my knowledge from current and future learning will evolve and aid in my efforts
of effectively empowering individuals.
Further Development and Conclusion
It is my intention to continue on in my Social Work courses with a goal of retaining as
much information as possible about the effect that particular social work theories and practices
will have on members of specific cultural groups. As it has always been, people and cultures
evolve and change over time. It is my aspiration to maintain awareness of ongoing developments
that will assist in my cultural competence by staying abreast of news and current events. In
addition, I will continue to be an avid researcher and reader. I have always gained a plethora of
information from being able to read and analyze information from my own perspective. It is my
belief that communication is the greatest source for learning and understanding. Therefore, I will
make efforts to increase the opportunities I have to converse with individuals from various
cultural backgrounds. I can accomplish this by being active in ongoing cultural events and
observances. For example, there are many cultural festivals held in the downtown Detroit area
during the summer that would allow for me to be engulfed in cultures other than my own. Also, I
will take advantage of classroom discussions, the upcoming field placement, and the wealth of
knowledge that is contained within my professors by asking questions when necessary. Just as
our society has prospered from cross-cultural knowledge, I plan to use an integrative approach
furthering my individual cultural competence.

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References
Appleby, G. A., Colon, E., & Hamilton, J. (2011). Culture, social class, and social identity
development. In D. A. & C.C. (Eds.), Diversity, oppression, and social functioning:
person-in-environment assessment and intervention (30-31). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon