Given the large homogeneous workforce of predominately White, middle-class female K–12 educators combined with the rising population of diverse students in the United States and the disproportionate achievement gap of students of color compared to their White peers, I sought to discover how new millennial educators defined and used empathy to build their own cultural competencies as well as discover how these teachers used empathy to strengthen the teacherstudent relationships across cultural differences. Using the conceptual frameworks of Paulo Freire’s (1970) pedagogy and Wang et al.’s (2003) definition of ethno-cultural empathy, I conducted a critical narrative inquiry of five first-year teachers who did not share the racial or ethnic background of the majority of their students of color. From the participants’ stories, six major themes surfaced: (a) the role of empathy in the teacher-student relationships, (b) the struggle between empathy and sympathy, (c) their contrasting views on empathy and content, (d) the relationship between empathy and cultural competency, (e) the importance of empathy related to trauma, and (f) the personal limitations of empathy. I present a proposal for a new theoretical framework resulting from the symbiotic relationship of ethno-cultural empathy and critical pedagogy, called Critical Empathy, as well as recommendations for teacher formation institutions to prioritize an empathy formation that focuses on critical empathy development, self-awareness, administrative management, and self-care strategies.

This study assessed 40 factors often cited in literature to determine the extent that Hispanic superintendents perceive them as influential when accessing the superintendency. Eight Hispanic superintendents in Texas participated in this qualitative study, which was based on interviews as well as written responses to a survey. This study found that the factors considered most influential to these superintendents were their ability to communicate, self-perception/self-efficacy, and level of overall preparedness. These findings contrast with previous research indicating that race or ethnicity, mentoring, and career path are most influential. The study also identified factors related to race and ethnicity that most influenced a Hispanic's ability to access the superintendency, albeit to a lesser degree. These factors were the ability to serve as a Hispanic role model to students, ability to increase Hispanic students' academic performance, and the ability to speak a second language. Moreover, through analysis of a large number of survey responses the study examined the extent to which a superintendent's race or ethnicity is significant to addressing the needs of Hispanics. To assure this question a comparative analysis of Hispanics' and non-Hispanics competencies and organizational outcome was conducted. The results indicate that superintendents, in general, regardless of race or ethnicity, can acquire knowledge about the Hispanic culture, develop cultural competence, and produce outcomes that affect Hispanics. A Hispanic, however, who possesses the ability to speak Spanish and has authentic cultural experiences, can potentially provide unique competencies in serving Hispanics. Cultural competence with Hispanics, however, does not supersede the importance of a superintendent's overall effectiveness and ability to meet the needs of all students. Whereas other studies have addressed the significance of cultural competency in other institutions that serve the public, such as the healthcare industry, this study addressed cultural competency in public education. Progressive definitions of cultural competency included the extent to which outcomes met constituent needs for measuring cultural competency. The overall findings in this study suggest a need to develop preparation programs that result in culturally competent leaders, a need to revise state required certification requirements to reflect a need for cultural competence, and a need to revise locally-developed job postings/descriptions to indicate that the superintendent must provide culturally competent leadership.

Using an emergent design, this study developed a program approach for young people in the child headed households of Zambia. Phase I dealt with prior ethnography, Phase II focused on independent living services, and Phase III concerned translation to Zambia. A total of 36 participants from Richmond, consisting of 20 Richmond Department of Social Services workers and youth and 16 Africans, were recruited. Three major themes emerged: feasibility, content, and quality. Lessons learned about translational research highlight the need for uniformity in a cultural screen’s composition. This might enhance the richness of perspectives on young people. Lessons for the Department of Social Services include a need to focus on tracking young people exiting services. This might involve exit interviews with young people and guidance with life decisions. There were lessons about decisions regarding local and expert knowledge in the translation process. This often becomes difficult when there are no assurances of participant uniformity. Paying attention to issues of local and expert knowledge would eliminate decision barriers that might arise during the translational process. Implications for social work education suggest that an emphasis on cultural competency might help students at the BSW and MSW levels to become better managers of adolescents. Implications for practice and policy include enhancing access to education and health for all young people. This process might be facilitated by the enactment of polices that highlight education and health for all young people at national and state levels. The following are crucial considerations for practice with young people: recruiting and training appropriate staff, promoting civic education, collaborating with young people, strengthening community involvement, strengthening agency collaboration, and developing targeted services. Implications for further research include: exploring what areas to consider when making a paradigm jump, considering cultural principles as bridges for making that jump, examining the implications for translational research as opposed to diffusion of innovation, determining what types of research samples would eliminate some of the gender issues that emerge with focus groups, recruiting more young people as participants, and conducting a study that focuses on lived experiences of young people.

O puerpério é considerado uma fase de modificações biossocioculturais que, muitas vezes, não são compreendidas pela mulher, o que exige maior atenção dos profissionais, dos familiares e das redes de contato envolvidos em seu cuidado. A literatura e a prática profissional mostram que as crenças sobre o cuidado da puérpera têm relevância em seu cotidiano e, muitas vezes, se sobrepõem às orientações recebidas na instituição de saúde. Diante desta situação, este estudo teve como objetivo: explorar as práticas de cuidado adotadas no pós-parto pela mulher usuária de uma Unidade Básica de Saúde da cidade de Rio Claro, SP. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo, que teve como referencial teórico o Modelo de Competência Cultural de Purnell e cujos dados foram tratados pelo Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo (DSC). A pesquisa foi aprovada por Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa e atendeu à Resolução 196/96. Os dados foram coletados em 2011, por meio de entrevistas realizadas com 20 puérperas entre o 30º e 45º dias de pós-parto. Identificou-se a condição sociodemográfica e familiar das entrevistadas, além de sua vivência no puerpério. Os dados mostraram que as puérperas eram jovens, apresentavam baixo índice de tabagismo, etilismo e drogadição, com renda média em torno de 3 salários mínimos. Os relatos obtidos originaram 21 DSC, cujos conteúdos mostraram a influência de crenças sobre as práticas de cuidado no puerpério; crenças que foram transmitidas intergerações pelos cuidadores de sua rede familiar e cultural. Os profissionais de saúde se fizeram presentes por meio de orientações de práticas, com enfoque no biológico, oferecidas de maneira verticalizada e, por vezes, fragmentada e divergente, o que demonstrou sua dificuldade em acompanhar as influências culturais envolvidas no processo. Por conta disso, as práticas de cuidado no puerpério sofreram maior influência das crenças e dos padrões da cultura da mulher, como também das informações obtidas na internet, que preencheram lacunas e apontaram caminhos para a mulher seguir com maior segurança nesta fase do ciclo gravídico-puerperal. Diante dos achados, propõem-se o estabelecimento de estratégias para incorporação da bagagem cultural da mulher à assistência prestada pelo profissional de saúde, de modo a prover o cuidado culturalmente competente; a programação de grupos voltados à educação em saúde, focados na vivência do puerpério, para a mulher e sua rede de contato; a implementação da Estratégia Saúde da Família; e a inclusão do egresso de curso de Obstetrícia nos programas de saúde dos municípios, para agregar este novo profissional no cuidado da mulher e de seu recém-nascido. / Puerperium is considered a phase with biological, social and cultural changes often not correctly understood by women, the main reason why requires special attention from professionals, and caregivers networks involved on the care. Literature and professional practice shows that beliefs about postpartum care has a strong relevance in a womans routine and often overlaps guidance received at the health institutions. From this perspective, this study had as objective to explore practices adopted in postpartum by women served in the Basic Health Unit in a city of Rio Claro state of São Paulo (Brazil). This is a qualitative study and followed Purnell Cultural Competence Model as a theoretical approach and whose data was treated by the Collective Subject Speech (CSS). The data was approved by Ethics in Research Committee and complied with Resolution 196/96. The data was collected in 2011 through interviews with 20 women in the puerperium between 30 and 45 days of postpartum. We identified social and demographic conditions from each interviewed as well as from her family, besides their experiences at the puerperal period. The data showed that women in the puerperium were young, had low smoking rates, alcoholism or drugs addictions, and on average had an income that was equivalent to 3 minimum salaries. The reports had originated 21 CSS, and the contents showed the stronger beliefs influence on postpartum care practices; beliefs that were passed by intergenerational family and cultural caregivers. Health professionals demonstrated their presence through guidelines with practices with a biological focus and offered in a vertical manner, and sometimes divergent and fragmented, which demonstrated difficulty in following the cultural influences involved in the process. For this reason, puerperal care practices had suffered greatly due to the influence of beliefs and cultural woman patterns, as well as information obtained from the Internet. The Internet filled gaps and provided greater security methods to follow at pregnancy stage, childbirth as well as at puerperium. Upon reviewing the results, it is suggested that the following take place to incorporate the cultures of women to the experiences of the health care professionals to provide a culturally competent care; programming groups on health education focused on the puerperium experience for women and her caregivers; the implementation of Family Health Program, and the inclusion of Midwifery in the health programs to allow this new professional to take care the woman and her newborn.

xiv, 168 p. : ill. (some col.) / The call for multicultural awareness is a somewhat recent phenomenon. Institutions of higher education in the United States have developed multicultural general education courses to address rapidly changing demographics, and growing globalization trends in the U.S. Essential outcomes include developing culturally competent citizens. Key questions revolve around how institutions have implemented multicultural courses and whether the approaches actually impact student cultural awareness, or increase cultural competency. There is little evidence that shows a relationship between participating in these undergraduate courses and a greater capacity to engage across cultural differences. One of the cornerstones of cultural competency is the capacity to understand one's own cultural context. Some multicultural education programs implement self-reflective processes to develop increased levels of self-awareness as a foundation for the development of diversity knowledge and cultural competency. This study investigates an approach utilizing arts engagement to foster greater self-awareness as a potential stage in the development of cultural competency. / Committee in charge: Kathleen Scalise， Chair； Paul Yovanoff， Member； Linda M. Forrest， Member； Karen Sprague， Outside Member

Social workers have no clear professional guidelines about the application of culturally competent mental health service delivery. Without culturally competent mental health service delivery, clients from diverse cultures do not access needed mental health services and they experience less effective therapy treatment outcomes and overall disparity of service delivery throughout the therapeutic process. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to better understand how community-based social workers are delivering culturally competent services to clients. The theoretical framework for the study was multiculturalism and the primary research questions addressed how associate clinical social workers who provide in-home mental health services in Los Angeles deliver culturally competent services to their clients. Through 8 interviews with associate clinical social workers, this descriptive case study revealed that without clear direction on what culturally competent services are, or how to deliver them, social workers are using a combination of personal experience and personal culture, educational and practice knowledge, and in some cases no attention to culture, to meet the mental health needs of their clients. This study emphasized the need for an industry wide understanding of the term cultural competency, so it could serve as the frame of reference by which practice professional skill level could be assessed, practice protocols measured, and could lead to social change through greater access to counseling services for clients.

The Affordable Care Act expanded insurance coverage to the general population; however, expanding insurance coverage to immigrants might not be sufficient to improve utilization of annual physical preventive exams. This study evaluated adult Michigan immigrants' individual demographics, perceptions, and behaviors, as well as the collective cultural and system characteristics that might act as barriers to the utilization of annual physical preventive exams. Ken Wilber's integral operating system model for medicine conceptual framework was used to create a comprehensive map of factors and bring more clarity and understanding to the barriers to annual physical preventive exam. The quantitative survey was the best approach for this study because of the large numbers of explanatory independent variables identified in the literature review. Snowball sampling was used to increase the credibility of this research by involving different immigrant communities and reaching large numbers of immigrants. Descriptive results indicate immigrants' barriers revolve around difficulty accessing health care and the cultural competency of the health care provider. Logistic regression analysis found that immigrants who are stressed and worried, self-employed, and middle class are less likely to utilize annual physical preventive exams. This study could be a force for social change by promoting healthy behaviors and encouraging immigrants to use annual physical preventive exam to reduce the occurrence of chronic conditions and increase life satisfaction in the community.

Effective nursing care can be threatened when nurses are not culturally attuned with their patients. Associate degree nursing (ADN) students receive information about diverse ethnicities in the nursing curriculum, but it may not be sufficient to provide the expertise necessary to care for patients of various cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the 2nd year ADN students' levels of cultural competence and their perceptions of self-efficacy in working with Caucasian, African American, Native American, Hispanic, and Asian ethnicities. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to determine if a relationship existed between the students' reported cultural competencies and their self-efficacy scores while providing care to patients of these diverse cultures. The process of cultural competence in the delivery of health care services was used as the theoretical framework for this study. A volunteer convenience sample of 64 2nd-year ADN students completed the Nurse Cultural Competence Scale and the Cultural Self-Efficacy Scale. The Pearson-Product Moment correlation revealed a significant negative, moderate relationship between self-efficacy and the students' perceptions of cultural competence. A project was designed to enhance skills and knowledge to improve the students' cultural competency while caring for patients of Asian, Native American, and Hispanic cultures because minimal familiarity of those cultures contributed most to the negative correlation. Research on methods to improve cultural competence among health care professionals should be continued. Positive social change will occur as nursing students gain proficiency in their abilities to provide culturally appropriate care to patients of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

The aim of this study has been to analyze how society is constructed in the workbook Möte med människor från andra kulturer, a popular material within the “cultural competency” industry. The analysis has largely been carried out from the perspective of a pedagogy against oppression as it has been outlined by Kevin Kumashiro. I have found that the material combines discursive movements, which in complex and hybrid ways deconstruct, decenter, recenter and reproduce stereotypes and norms, through its normative language and pedagogy. A language constructing culture as cleanly demarcated, static and homogenous. Cultures are made mutually exclusive and cultural patterns dominant within Sweden are placed in a dichotomous relationship with the “immigrant” other, naturalizing the privileges of the former and the marginalization of the latter. The material attempts to structure a reflexive process encouraging the reader to develop a critical self-awareness. However, the material, more often than not, fails to move this beyond an individual level, other than to inscribe a static and excluding notion of “Swedish” culture and identity onto the reader. The material teems with critical potential but I argue that its ambition is mired by normative language and staging. This is not to say that it cannot encourage critical awareness, but inarguably, its ability to do so has been lessened.

<p> </p><p>The aim of this study has been to analyze how society is constructed in the workbook <em>Möte med människor från andra <em>kulturer</em>, a popular material within the “cultural competency” industry. The analysis has largely been carried out from the perspective of a pedagogy against oppression as it has been outlined by Kevin Kumashiro. </em></p><p>I have found that the material combines discursive movements, which in complex and hybrid ways deconstruct, decenter, recenter and reproduce stereotypes and norms, through its normative language and pedagogy. A language constructing culture as cleanly demarcated, static and homogenous. Cultures are made mutually exclusive and cultural patterns dominant within Sweden are placed in a dichotomous relationship with the “immigrant” other, naturalizing the privileges of the former and the marginalization of the latter.</p><p>The material attempts to structure a reflexive process encouraging the reader to develop a critical self-awareness. However, the material, more often than not, fails to move this beyond an individual level, other than to inscribe a static and excluding notion of “Swedish” culture and identity onto the reader. The material teems with critical potential but I argue that its ambition is mired by normative language and staging. This is not to say that it cannot encourage critical awareness, but inarguably, its ability to do so has been lessened.</p><p> </p>