Process Pl Multicultural Competence - 1689 Words

Process Plan Summary Paper Multicultural competence is the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. There are four major components present when discussing multicultural competence: (1) the individual (me) must be aware of one’s own cultural views, (2) know ones attitude towards cultural differences, (3) Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, and (4) having cross-cultural skills (Adapted from class 2 and 3 definitions handout, as adapted from Pope, R.L. Reynolds, A. L. (1997)). How does one gain this competency though? Is it ever truly obtainable? I would argue that every person, no matter upbringing or background, has the ability to become more multicultural competent. This semester we were†¦show more content†¦When engaging in the dialogue with â€Å"Mrs. A†, I was constantly trying to remind myself that (1) it was not an interview, (2) I was trying to learn as much about myself as the other cultures, and (3) what I put into the project is what I would go out of it. Before beginning my initial conversations with Mrs. A I had to center myself and try to understand what truths and cultural views I has around racism, gender, and religion. While all lenses of multiculturalism are equally important, these were the three areas I focused on. I choose to focus on these three critical areas because they are the three that I have the most to learn about and make me feel discomfort when discussing. I struggle with race because of my white privilege and how I â€Å"feel† when discussing racial issues. I often feel that my voice falls on deaf ears because of my privilege and that I am often pushed aside because of what I bring to the table. As the Adam et. al (2010) book discusses, racism begins at early age and it would be naà ¯ve of myself to not say I have imbedded racist thoughts or ideas, even if I am unsure of them. I had to understand what negative thoughts I had when thinking and discussing topics around the Middle Eastern race and how this thoughts were enhanced by my privilege. I struggle with gender because of my male privilege and still not fully understanding the difference between gender, sexual orientation, sexual