Cultural Competency = Forced Extroversion

[mjr]

Now I'm wondering, what if you already KNEW several other languages? Would it consider you culturally incompetent because you weren't actively learning another?

Does Klingon count??

[Tama]

PetaQ!

If so, then hooray!

[Sapphire Silk]

I've had the same employer for about five years now. (Just got my 5-year certificate last week. No award--just a fancy-looking template-generated certificate in a cheapo plastic case.) During those five years, I've been forced to attend a training session of some kind on "Diversity" or "Cultural Competency" or "Intercultural Effectiveness" at least once a year. Might even be twice a year.
<snip>
Is anybody else having to put up with this crap?

Let me just play devil's advocate here.

Sometimes being culturally competent shows itself in unexpected ways. I have to deal with people from many different cultures in my work as a nurse.

A couple of years ago, I assigned a female Muslim patient to a male student because I wanted him to get familiar with cultural competency. I instructed him to knock and wait for permission before entering the patient's room because the patient herself had requested this. She only wanted a moment to cover her head before the male staff member entered; other than that she had no issues with male caregivers. She spoke perfect English, and had lived in the US most of her life. I explained to my student that this was an important part of her religious faith and he had to respect that.

There was even a note on the fucking door stating this exactly.

Half way through the day, I took the assignment away from him. THREE times, he had walked in to the room unannounced. The patient was very upset, and I had to apologize profusely. She was nice about it; she understood what I was trying to teach my student (with whom I had a Come to Jesus meeting shortly thereafter).

I know the OP works in tech support. But here's how culture might affect him. He might find himself talking to a father who doesn't speak English well over a problem with the daughter's product even though the daughter speaks perfect English (and he might hear the daughter coaching her father on the line) because in that culture, strange men don't speak to females. Cultural diversity helps you cope with a situation that otherwise might drive you crazy.

[HawaiianShirts]

Ultimately, however, do they actually check you are learning a language?

Nope. Just survey questions. I still fail to see how my desire (or lack thereof) to learn a foreign language affects my ability to just be nice and considerate to other people.

I instructed him to knock and wait for permission before entering the patient's room because the patient herself had requested this. She only wanted a moment to cover her head before the male staff member entered; other than that she had no issues with male caregivers. She spoke perfect English, and had lived in the US most of her life. I explained to my student that this was an important part of her religious faith and he had to respect that.

Long before I even knew that "cultural competency" or (whatever you want to call it) was even a thing, if you had given me instructions like that, my response would have been something like, "Knock, wait, then go in. Has to cover her head for religious reasons. Got it." Why? Because I would expect someone else to do the same for me if I made a similar request.

Unless I'm totally missing the point with my current attitude, I don't think that respect for others (for whatever reason) has ever been a difficult concept for me.

In other news, I haven't heard anything about this from upper management for about a month, though. We have our monthly division-wide meeting this week. Maybe they'll mention it then. If not, maybe they've given up...?

[Sapphire Silk]

Long before I even knew that "cultural competency" or (whatever you want to call it) was even a thing, if you had given me instructions like that, my response would have been something like, "Knock, wait, then go in. Has to cover her head for religious reasons. Got it." Why? Because I would expect someone else to do the same for me if I made a similar request.

Unless I'm totally missing the point with my current attitude, I don't think that respect for others (for whatever reason) has ever been a difficult concept for me.

Most people think that. They think if they just apply the Golden Rule, everything will be fine. It's the nuances that get people, and many very good hearted people give unintentional offense without even realizing it because they don't understand the framework the people they interact with are working from.

That being said, based on your description of how your company actually approaches this, it seems to me they don't really understand how to educate on the subject effectively. Which would make it a colossal waste of time.

Which is typical for most in house inservices, my profession included. The really good ones cost more than management is willing to spend.

[WishfulSpirit]

Being respectful is all well and good, but the definition of "respect" changes based on culture. For example, if I gave the thumbs up sign to someone from certain parts of the Middle East, I'd be flipping her off. Having specific info about what is and is not considered rude in other cultures helps, and if the company was teaching that, I'd be all for it. Doesn't really sound like they are, though.

[RootedPhoenix]

I don't get the bit that not actively learning a language or traveling the world magically means that you don't care about culture. I mean, I care...but I can't exactly go to Japan for a week in my current condition. Nor can I really go to any classes on Japanese anything. I'd be offended to have someone say that I didn't care about other cultures or was actively..hiding from them or something just because I didn't engage in those two activities.

Language and travel are not the only ways one learns about others. They're just two obvious ways. This company doesn't appear to want to teach what they say they do.

[Tama]

Phoenix, you may want to check with your local library to see if they offer a program called "mango" (if they do it's free). It's a neat language learning program that you can use on computer (if you are mobile you have to download the lessons though)

[HawaiianShirts]

That being said, based on your description of how your company actually approaches this, it seems to me they don't really understand how to educate on the subject effectively. Which would make it a colossal waste of time.

This!

Having specific info about what is and is not considered rude in other cultures helps, and if the company was teaching that, I'd be all for it. Doesn't really sound like they are, though.

This!

This company doesn't appear to want to teach what they say they do.

And this!


Also: Announcements from yesterday's meeting included a statement that the cultural competency courses will be temporarily put on hold because more Change is coming. I quiver in terror apathy.