The current demographic changes in the U.S. have resulted in a national culture gap, which contributes to the achievement and opportunity disparities that persistently plague students of color. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 86% of all PreK-12 grade teachers are European Americans. Yet, the student population in urban settings continues to be overwhelming economically disadvantaged students of color. Plaguing the nation’s schools are concerns about identifying teachers capable of successfully teaching in diverse classrooms, as stakeholders continue to speculate about the efficacy of White teachers to teach students of color due to the White teachers’ lack of understanding about and sensitivity toward students of color. Consequently, educators struggle to effectively serve their culturally dissimilar students. Despite the technical fixes of school reforms over the past three decades, however, the achievement and opportunity gaps remain. Hence, an adaptive approach to closing the opportunity and achievement gaps necessitates challenging our nation’s beliefs, values, and assumptions through a series of professional learning opportunities, as engaging in a series of intensive professional learning within a 12-month period improves student achievement by as much as 21 percentile points. The purpose of this study was to develop the Cultural Competence Professional Learning Module (CCPLM, 2016), which is grounded in Adult Learning Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and is designed to foster Cultural Competence in NYC DoE public school teachers. The researcher used the Cultural Competence Needs Assessment Survey (2016) and the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (2000) to ascertain NYC DoE schools administrators’ level of cultural competence and their beliefs about their teachers’ cultural competence. Of the school administrators who completed the surveys and were culturally competent, 15 provided feedback on the CCPLM’s content and design in a focus group. Concurrently, four national experts on professional learning and diversity in schools also reviewed and provided feedback on the module. The results from the study support the need for a professional learning module that fosters NYC educators’ cultural competence. Delimitations and limitations of the study are discussed.

The purpose of the study was to examine cultural competence among oncology health care providers. Specifically, the study assessed how career type, presence of previous diversity training, and education affected overall cultural competence of oncology health care providers. The study used a quantitative survey design with self-administered questionnaires. A total of 36 voluntary oncology health care providers completed the cultural competence assessment survey. Participants were asked of their cultural awareness/sensitivity, cultural behaviors, previous experiences of diversity trainings, and some demographics questions. Descriptive (e.g. mean, frequency distributions) and inferential (e.g. t-test, one-way analysis of variance) statistics were used to analyze the data. Findings of the study showed that the levels of cultural competence among oncology health care providers were low to moderate. Oncology health care providers who were social workers and registered nurses tended to report more frequent culturally competent behaviors, compared to other career types of health care providers. The study also found that those who had specific previous diversity training tended to report higher levels of cultural competence compared to those who did not have those diversity trainings. Findings of the study suggest that there be a need for improvement in the cultural competency practice among oncology health care providers. The results of this study could serve as a reference in the initial evaluation of exploring cultural competency health care practice in the specialization of oncology.

The following research proposal was meant to identify concerns and desired resources for transracial foster families based on the perspective of social workers. This study utilized a qualitative design and included face-to-face interviews with social workers currently working at Ark Homes Foster Family Agency. Interviews included nine social workers who had clients who were transracial foster families. Data analysis included audio recordings and written documentation. Transcription of all interviews followed after data collection was received. Findings from this study showed that social workers working with transracial foster families felt culturally competent to provide information to their clients. This study also found that the majority of social workers did not feel a need for their agency to provide additional trainings in cultural competence and that bringing the topic up to their supervisor on a need-be basis was suitable. Policy implementation surrounding social workers and transracial foster families could include foster care placement stability. If policy was implemented that required foster parents to support their foster child’s racial identity on a weekly basis, then that could increase the bond between foster child and foster parent. Policy implementation in this way could minimize the disagreements between the foster child and foster parent and have an increased likelihood of placement stability.

The Masters in Social Work (MSW) program at California State University of San Bernardino utilizes a substantial portion of lecture hours bringing attention to areas in which racial disparities exist, as well as the negative impact that these racial disparities have on certain cultures and communities. This project focuses on the disparities involving African-American families in the public child welfare system and how cultural competence trainings may impact this overrepresentation. This research project consists of the exploration of past research relevant to this project, which pertains to cultural competence, the overrepresentation of African-American, and trainings on cultural competence. In addition, a 5-point Likert-scale survey focused on the need and effectiveness of cultural competency trainings from a student’s perspective, was completed by CSUSB MSW students. The data was then analyzed using SPSS statistics software employing tests that included frequencies, ANOVA, and a t-test. This project hypothesized that perspectives on cultural competence and cultural competence trainings differed along racial lines, and that there was no significant difference in response based on year in MSW program. Only the latter was support according to the data. This could also be interpreted to mean that students are not receiving much curriculum on cultural competence, which the curriculum is not meaningful enough to change their perceptions, or that students enter the program with fairly favorable perceptions of the importance of cultural competency.

Ontario is a culturally diversified society. Its population composition has changed drastically in the past few decades to include large numbers of individuals with cultural norms differing from that of the majority. This poses challenges to public health, such as HIV prevention. Identifying practices that promote social inclusion in these communities is an important step toward the maintenance of cultural diversity and elimination of social exclusion. Culturally competent health promotion is one example of socially inclusive practices. Cultural competence refers to practices that take into consideration the cultural and linguistic nuances of a specific community or group. This thesis will be guided by the research questions: (1) What are the main health promotion practices of Community-based AIDS Service Organizations (CBAOs)? (2) How do the activities of these organizations promote social inclusion? This thesis uses qualitative methodology to study the CBAO as the unit of analysis. Data were collected from operators at three ethno-cultural CBAOs in Ontario: South Asian; Black, African, and Caribbean; and Portuguese. CBAOs are organizations within the community that provide HIV prevention resources, as well as support for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the community. The practices demonstrated at CBAOS in these communities illustrate three related mechanisms present that promote social inclusion: (a) community networking, (b) community knowledge and involvement, and (c) community-specific resources. These mechanisms can be used to inform practices at other community-based organizations in Ontario.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative multiple site case study was to explore Hutterite colony teacher/principals’ understandings related to their teaching and principal roles in a cross-cultural context. A constructivist epistemology framed an examination of issues and experiences of teacher/principals, drawing out patterns and trends regarding influences on their cultural understandings, focusing attention on their interactions with students and colony members, and illuminating their attitudes towards their previous and emergent work environment. The study investigated four teacher/principals’ understandings of how their cultural identity impacted their work, the understandings of the teacher/principals regarding similarities and differences between their culture and Hutterite colony culture, and their utilization of their knowledge of Hutterite culture to maintain positive student relations. Four Hutterite colony schools comprised the research sites. The teacher/principals, two females and two males, shared 28 years of colony school experience. This multiple site case study utilized qualitative techniques: data were gathered from four teacher/principals through pre-interviews, semi-structured interviews, on-site observations, and the examination of administrative processes. From the data, sense-making capacity, order-making ability, and intuition, also referred to as recognition-producing capability, four broad themes emerged: (a) the idiosyncratic effects of personality and cross-cultural connections, (b) the catalytic effect of similarities and differences, (c) the emphasis on the primacy of teaching, and (d) the tension between the roles of teacher/principal and principal/teacher. The study’s findings add to the existing theory and research on being a teacher and a principal in a cross-cultural context, specifically a monocultural setting. Policy makers, educational leaders, principals, and teachers may well reflect on the roles of life experience, personal origin and interests, belief system, educational and administrative skills, world view, temperament, and personal and professional commitment when considering school appointments. The study increases the understanding of the role and the effects of a non-Hutterite teacher and principal on Hutterite students. Ideas for further research generated from this study include a multiple site case study of Hutterite teachers, a qualitative analysis between non-Hutterite teachers and Hutterite teachers, and a mixed methods study in a colony-rich region. Within the professional domain, understanding how pre-service teachers and working teachers are prepared for teaching in diverse classrooms would be beneficial. What is being done, and what could be done, in the preparation and delivery of professional development for presently serving colony teachers are questions meriting further consideration.

Ontario is a culturally diversified society. Its population composition has changed drastically in the past few decades to include large numbers of individuals with cultural norms differing from that of the majority. This poses challenges to public health, such as HIV prevention. Identifying practices that promote social inclusion in these communities is an important step toward the maintenance of cultural diversity and elimination of social exclusion. Culturally competent health promotion is one example of socially inclusive practices. Cultural competence refers to practices that take into consideration the cultural and linguistic nuances of a specific community or group. This thesis will be guided by the research questions: (1) What are the main health promotion practices of Community-based AIDS Service Organizations (CBAOs)? (2) How do the activities of these organizations promote social inclusion? This thesis uses qualitative methodology to study the CBAO as the unit of analysis. Data were collected from operators at three ethno-cultural CBAOs in Ontario: South Asian; Black, African, and Caribbean; and Portuguese. CBAOs are organizations within the community that provide HIV prevention resources, as well as support for persons living with HIV/AIDS in the community. The practices demonstrated at CBAOS in these communities illustrate three related mechanisms present that promote social inclusion: (a) community networking, (b) community knowledge and involvement, and (c) community-specific resources. These mechanisms can be used to inform practices at other community-based organizations in Ontario.

Several studies have shown that the Swedish labour market for different reasons is characterized by ethnical discrimination and that people who have another cultural background than Swedish are being excluded. Most studies done within this area have been focused on why it is harder for immigrants to enter the labour market and identifying the contributing mechanisms for this phenomenon. Instead the aim of this study was to see how the immigrants view their own cultural identity and background and how they perceive that their cultural competences are being valued when they apply for a job. To examine this, the following problematic was used: How does a person who has been brought up with both the Swedish culture and another culture look at using this as a cultural competence when they apply for a job. Two different theories were then applied to analyze the problematic, Erving Goffman´s theory about Stigma and Norbert Elias theory about the Established and the Outsiders. To carry out the study, a qualitative method with interviews was used and 8 people from 6 different cultural backgrounds participated. The results show that if the knowledge that had emerged from a persons cultural background turned out to benefit that person in his or her work situation than that person was more likely to see cultural background as a competence. Although if the condition was the opposite then there was no need to see it or to use it as a competence. Therefore cultural competence seems to be useful in specific situations and in interaction with certain people or groups of people rather than being viewed as an overall, general competence. To accentuate cultural competence also proved to be difficult due to the stereotyped conceptions about immigrants that exist in society. The conclusion of this study is that emphasizing cultural competence can sometimes benefit a person although there is always a risk that it could lead to increased stigmatization.

<p>Several studies have shown that the Swedish labour market for different reasons is characterized by ethnical discrimination and that people who have another cultural background than Swedish are being excluded. Most studies done within this area have been focused on why it is harder for immigrants to enter the labour market and identifying the contributing mechanisms for this phenomenon. Instead the aim of this study was to see how the immigrants view their own cultural identity and background and how they perceive that their cultural competences are being valued when they apply for a job. To examine this, the following problematic was used: How does a person who has been brought up with both the Swedish culture and another culture look at using this as a cultural competence when they apply for a job. Two different theories were then applied to analyze the problematic, Erving Goffman´s theory about Stigma and Norbert Elias theory about the Established and the Outsiders. To carry out the study, a qualitative method with interviews was used and 8 people from 6 different cultural backgrounds participated. The results show that if the knowledge that had emerged from a persons cultural background turned out to benefit that person in his or her work situation than that person was more likely to see cultural background as a competence. Although if the condition was the opposite then there was no need to see it or to use it as a competence. Therefore cultural competence seems to be useful in specific situations and in interaction with certain people or groups of people rather than being viewed as an overall, general competence. To accentuate cultural competence also proved to be difficult due to the stereotyped conceptions about immigrants that exist in society. The conclusion of this study is that emphasizing cultural competence can sometimes benefit a person although there is always a risk that it could lead to increased stigmatization.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2010. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-257). Also available on the World Wide Web.