Cultural Self-Assessment - Essay Example

Cultural Self-Assessment. The modern world is increasingly becoming ha global village. It is easier to transact business orinteract with people from different parts of the world today than before, thanks to technological advancement. As students we are today learning far are away from home and this means we have to leave our families to stay with other people who are totally stranger. It is an opportunity to experience cultural shocks and exchange of information which helps shape us as global citizens who are not only multicultural but also culturally competent. This calls for a great deal of cultural competence and one crucial element of diversity competence training is self-awareness. In this paper I will be looking at cultural self –awareness and the role it plays diversity competence. Every individual’s cultural background is very unique and important as it actually moulds our societal outlook. Various factors of cultural background come into play to influence the overall outcome of individuals in terms of cultural competence and outlook on society. The kind of setting out was brought up in is very influential in shaping their outlook on society. The environmental we grow up and live in, social-economic background, parental influence, culture and educational attainment are important factors within cultural background that roll into play to shape our outlook on society. Religion is another very important factor of cultural background shaping what we become in life as well as the outlook we take on society. The schools we go to, the neighbourhoods and the church we go to during childhood all influence what we became later in life. I personally was born and raised in Kuwait and indeed having left my home country to study abroad has actually taught me a lot in terms of cultural diversity. As a freshman in college I have to interact with fellow students from different parts of the world and a lot of cultural exchange takes place. I have learnt to appreciate the importance of cultural diversity and this is because I now realise that the world has a myriad of cultures and therefore expecting to live, work with or learn with just your own culture in the modern world is tantamount to cultural incompetence. Cultural competence training for me is therefore a very important aspect especially considering that I am a student in effect a future leader. Appreciating others, respecting their cultural identities, learning from them and embracing cultural diversity is what I want to achieve. I therefore value cultural competence and it is for the same reason that I want to be highly culturally self aware. Family background for me is very important in understanding myself and appreciating cultural diversity. While growing up for instance, as a family in Kuwait we were lucky to be brought up by both parents and therefore we had enough parental guidance as young growing children. As a family we lived in one house one things I learnt from our parents is the importance for respecting one another. Respect for others was paramount and my parents could not compromise this hence we grew up respecting and loving one another as brothers and sisters. This respect that I learnt from my parents has never gone away and if anything it continues to shape my outlook of society. As an individual I always strive to be respectful and mindful of not only my life but my colleagues also. I value good relationships with other as I consider them my brother & sisters and more importantly I know we can never live as I islands. We need one another an as such must really be there for one another. As children in the family our parents taught what was expected of us by society. There were gendered roles where by the jobs for girls and those for boys were very clearly known. Another thing which conspicuous in the way we were brought up was interaction between boys and girls. As boys we stayed with our father while girl stayed with our mother. This is a clear show of how factors within the background of culture influence and mould what we become as well as our outlook on society. In our family for instance we grew up knowing that boys and girls do not stay together and therefore this is something we highly respected. There was no time we violated this rule as any violation would attract severe punishment from our parents. In terms of teachings about life our father would teach us while our mother taught the girls. Worth noting is the fact is that the teachings given to girls were different from what was taught to boys. My father taught me not just how to be a man but also to be a good man and respected in the society. He told me that to be respected in the society as an individual you must also show respect for others, the authorities and live by the society’s standards. I therefore grew up knowing the importance of being respectful to other people. My father wanted me to grow up as a hardworking individual so as to be successful in life. As I grew up therefore, I knew very well that my success in life was solely dependent on my hard work. Education is another very important factor of cultural background that plays a very crucial role in shaping our outlook on society. The kind school one attends, the kind of education received as well as support is important in determining what we become as individuals in our later lives as well as the outlook we form on society. My parents insisted on quality education and hence we taken to good schools. I personally went to a boy only school and I believe my educational background has really shaped the way I perceive and interpret society today. Going to a school for boys only served the reinforce the separation between boys and girls which had already cultivated at home where by girls stayed with mum while boys stayed with dad. There is no doubt what I am today is largely influenced by my cultural background. Religion is a very important element of cultural background that influences and moulds our outlook on society. Kuwait is an Islamic country and therefore our family was strictly followed Islamic teachings of the Quran. We were encouraged to follow the Islamic teachings and attend the Mosque as Muslims. My outlook of society is therefore largely influenced by Islamic teachings and the Quran is especially when it comes to matters of religion. Probably if was born elsewhere I would be a Christian, Hindu or another relation with different cultural beliefs and perspectives of society. For this reason I think cultural competence is very important as it helps as understand other cultures, appreciate diversity and know how to deal with others from different cultures without stereotypes. If anything my experience from interactions with others from different cultures tells me that there is strength in diversity. The society therefore by itself moulds what we become and how we end up perceiving it. All aspects of cultural background are dictated by the society moral standards and expectations communities and individuals. What I was taught by my parents for instance is different from what someone else was taught by his/her parents. It all is influenced by the culture in which one is born, raised and lives. In order to appreciate cultural diversity and become culturally competence which is a very important in the modern life one must therefore be self-aware. Self-awareness helps understand what your couture is i.e. what is good and what is bad as per the expectations of your society as well as other societies. Self-awareness also helps understand the perspective of other people from other cultures, respect their options and appreciate diversity. In conclusion therefore cultural self-awareness is very crucial in the understanding of cultural competence training. By understanding the factors in your cultural background that shape and mould your outlook of society, it becomes easier to learn and understand other cultures. Cultural competence on the other hand is the understanding of how culture backgrounds differ and differently influence people’s outlook of society. Society has its own expectations on individuals and communities in terms of moral standards. It is important to appreciate that these standards differ from society to society and what is a big issue for persons from one society may not as big for others from a different society. Cultural self-awareness helps an individual differentiate this, appreciate and interact well with other cultures. Reference. 1. National Center for Cultural Competence. (2006). The Role of Self-Assessment in Achieving Cultural Competence. The Cultural Competence Exchange. Issue 4, Fall/Winter. Read More