Understanding Cultural Proficiency in the Modern Context

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Table of Contents

Three Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency
The Meaning of the Principles and their Relevance
Conclusion
References

Culture is a crucial asset owned by current society, which was historically shaped alongside nations’ formation and their international development. One of the pivotal frameworks of cultural proficiency within a particular organization or educational environment implies its versatility, which must be deeply embedded in the cultural awareness of the educational approach. Both individuals and organizations are primarily defined by their cultures, reflecting the unique system of beliefs and professional conduct. They are rooted in race, ethnicity, and other related cultural and social aspects (Lindsey, Nuri-Robins, Terrell, and Lindsey, 2019). Understanding the core guiding principles of cultural proficiency is crucial for examining its application to the educational environment and the fundamental impact on students’ learning outcomes.

Three Guiding Principles of Cultural Proficiency

It is important to understand that educators are accountable for recognizing and responding to the cultural dynamics within the school settings to efficiently teach a diverse group of students. The guiding principles of cultural proficiency serve as core values that help guide the constructive facets of the continuum (Lindsey et al., 2019). Such principles are valuable for recognizing each student’s culture as a vital strength that formulates student’s behavior, perceptions, and individual approach to education. According to Lindsey et al. (2019), they assist in defining and overcoming overt barriers that marginalize students and the unrecognized restrictions limiting students’ access and eventual academic success. This research is focused on three of the nine major guiding principles of cultural proficiency practice.

The first selected principle emphasizes the fundamental role of cultural diversity, which is a vast and significant aspect of the educational environment. More specifically, diversity within cultures is considered as crucial as diversity among cultures because cultural groups are not “monolithic” (Lindsey et al., 2019, p. 122). The second principle refers to the unique cultural needs posed by each group of a diverse population. It is a critical concern within modern society as such specific needs concerning each culture are rarely addressed in accordance with the educational demands of marginalized communities. Therefore, educators must respect the particular needs of marginalized and historically underserved students, which vary in many components of culture. The third guiding principle of cultural proficiency implies that the school system must incorporate cultural knowledge into practice and policymaking. As such, multicultural affirmation enhances each individual as well as one’s unlimited capacities enabled by cultural tolerance and deferential attitude in learning strategy.

The Meaning of the Principles and their Relevance

Diversity within Cultures is Important

The first selected principle examines the defining role of cultural diversity in the school settings among the students and educator’s responsibilities regarding diversity incorporation into the teaching approach. Moreover, appreciating culture and diversity through a commitment to the essential elements of cultural proficiency helps teachers to manage change productively. For instance, in examining the lack of context in teaching about slavery in modern learning strategies, Shuster (2018) points out that enslaved and free people of African descent continuously had a considerable impact on American culture and the nation. The diversity has profoundly strengthened the present image of the United States in its attempts to serve as the country of inclusive people, accepting the immigrant culture into its diverse ethnical background.

Each Group has Unique Cultural Needs that Must be Respected

The second guiding principle asserts that educators are liable for reacting to the unique cultural needs of diverse communities within the complex system of the national culture. The level of cultural proficiency adopted by an educator is critically defined by the ability to advocate for lifelong learning to efficiently serve the educational needs of the cultural groups provided by schools. Hence, successful professional learning experiences are developed respectfully towards diverse communities (Lindsey et al., 2019). They must be deeply grounded in the perception that students’ distinct cultures are assets for building a relationship that better qualifies teachers for meeting the academic and social needs of historically marginalized learners. A variety of cultural groups remain oppressed in the contemporary context of American society; this particularly impacts the students within the educational environment. Thus, teachers are responsible for teaching students since the early stages of life to be accepting of different cultures and open-minded individuals.

The School System Must Incorporate Cultural Knowledge into Practice and Policymaking

Schools need to pursue a transformative change and become more culturally proficient systems evolving and adapting to new, future environments. Teachers and educational facilities need to acknowledge the importance of race and how it affects modern schools and students according to its construction and intersection with schooling (Learning Forward, 2018). Cultural knowledge plays a pivotal role in uniting the learning community and engaging each student in a respectful way and challenge them to become better through the institutionalization of such cultural competency. Matias and Zembylas (2014) examine the major concerns regarding whiteness ideology, given that white racial identity implies a lack of white racial knowledge presenting “normative rhetoric of whiteness” (p. 329). Therefore, the educator’s racial knowledge requires constant improvement to address the implications and rapid dynamics of the race.

The Analysis of the Principles

Cultural knowledge develops culturally responsive teaching that promotes more relevant and efficient learning for ethnically diverse students. Within modern society, one can trace how cultures were the historically formed assets defining nations and their uniqueness. However, at the same time, the inability to recognize cultural diversity tends to destroy society by oppressing every culture beyond the dominating one. As such, the three guiding principles advocating for diversity, cultural needs, and necessary shifts in education are crucial for responding to students’ identities and backgrounds by considering them as meaningful sources for creating an equitable learning environment.

Challenges to Usage

It is important to note that the main underlying reason for studying cultural proficiency implies the presence of the dominant culture, which restricts diversity and social equity. The first guiding principle underlines the important role of cultural diversity because it is an inherent element of every society and community. One of the main challenges implies the gaps between the socioeconomic status of the students. The second principle regarding the unique cultural needs of the students might be a complex approach within a teaching practice due to implementing different learning and cognitive styles and understanding distinct ways students process information. The key challenge of the third principle concerning the change in the school systems is based on the broad extent of cultures and related aspects that educators must comprehend and learn to serve the cultural groups in the school settings.

Incorporating the new practices in schools is indeed a complex and challenging measure, particularly in addressing the educational needs of historically underserved learners or marginalized students. Therefore, educators must take on the roles of the social justice leaders, recognizing the embedded contexts of schools and the approach of translating societal norms into “educational, economic, and political biases” (Singleton, 2015, p. 221). Moreover, self-knowledge and endorsement of one’s ethnicity, culture, and background are essential attributes of school leaders appreciating moral values, equity, respect, and care. A culturally proficient teacher challenges the restrictive legal mandates and fosters efforts towards meeting the unique needs of linguistically and culturally diverse students.

Connection with the Course Readings

White culture is proved to be the predominant force impacting the current societal order and cultural perceptions. Such a system disregards multiculturalism because it might lead to conflicting and contending powers. Hitchcock and Flint (2015) state that culture contributes to “economic support and professional advancement” (p. 2). However, these aspects are more accessible to white culture rather than to people of color. Django and Alim (2014) support the third principle concerning changed school systems because of the “deficit approaches to teaching” shaping decades of the educational system in the United States (p. 87). The authors argue that culturally sustaining pedagogy is an essential tool for shifting on sustaining pluralism through education to achieve social justice and change in the current learning climate. As educators, we must pursue the learning outcomes that are not focused on whiteness and monocultural norms of academic performance. DiAngelo (2011) defined whiteness as the “dominant representation of racism in mainstream education” (p. 56). The main objective is to develop the teaching perspectives and skills that enable all students, regardless of race and ethnicity, to become active creators of change.

Conclusion

To conclude, the cultural aspect significantly contributes to establishing and nurturing basic social behaviors, values, and institutions that vary worldwide. A culturally proficient educator strives to do what is right, regardless of the difficulties one might face during teaching practice. Cultural proficiency practice aims to facilitate linguistic and cultural flexibility in educational settings and promote multiculturalism, which is linked to access and power. Hence, the organizational culture must be the focal point of the professional learning in acknowledging issues of diversity, equity, and access.

References

DiAngelo, R. (2011). White fragility. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 3(3), 54–70.

Django, P., & Alim, H. (2014). What are we seeking to sustain through culturally sustaining pedagogy? A loving critique forward. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 85–100.

Hitchcock, J., & Flint, C. (2015). Decentering whiteness. Center for the Study of White American Culture, Inc.

Learning Forward. (2018). Beyond random acts of equity. Courageous conversation about transforming systemic culture. Focus, 39(5), 28–33. Web.

Lindsey, R. B., Nuri-Robins, K., Terrell, R. D., & Lindsey, D. (2019). Cultural proficiency: A manual for school leaders (4^th ed.). Corwin.

Mansfield, K. C., & Gaëtane, J. M. (2015). Courageous conversations about race, class, and gender: voices and lessons from the field. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 28(7), 819–841. Web.

Matias, C., & Zembylas, M. (2014). ‘When saying you care is not really caring’: emotions of disgust, whiteness ideology, and teacher education. Critical Studies in Education, 55(3), 319–337. Web.

Shuster, K. (2018). Teaching hard history: American slavery. Southern Poverty Law Center.

Singleton, G. E. (2015). Courageous conversations about race: A field guide for achieving equity in schools (2^nd ed.) Corwin.

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