Ethics, Professionalism, and Reflective Practice - Essay Example

ETHICS, PROFESSIONALSIM AND REFLECTIVE PRATICE Describe one model of cultural competence and discuss the potential benefits and limitations of applying the model. Furness (2005) define cultural competence as the skills which are transferable and allow an individual person to work with other cultures from either a similar or different background in a bid to change the attitude, behaviour as well as beliefs and this constitutes an ongoing process of learning. From the 1990’s it can be noted that a sizable number of models dealing with cultural competence have been developed and the majority of them came from practitioners as well as teachers in the US where the concept of cultural competence has been standardised. For instance, there are high chances that if the social workers are conscious about cultural issues there will also be high chances that they will offer competent services that are culture based and are likely to improve the quality of health care to various users of the service provided. Culture is a complex phenomenon and it requires the service providers to view themselves, local communities, their workmates and the settings of their employment from different angles. Social workers are often face difficulties in dealing with different cultural issues (Laird, 2008). Social workers ought to be accommodative to different cultural values of the service users and they must adopt a neutral position when they deal with people from various cultural backgrounds. There is need for them to respect the values of people from all backgrounds in order to be effective in the dispensation of their duties. There is need for the social workers to liberate themselves from cultural conditioning that emanates from professional as well as personal training so that they can develop their own world views based on experience which can help them develop sound interventions when dealing with groups from a diverse cultural background (Sue, 2006). In this assignment, I will focus on the model for cultural competence by Purnell as shown in the appendix. This model is primarily descriptive and it focuses on individuals, families, communities as well as the global community at large. The model is an amalgamation of different theories and it can guide through development of planning strategies, tools for assessment as well as personal interventions. This model was specifically designed to work as a framework that can be used to assess culture used across various disciplines as well as settings of practice. Whilst this model can provide an excellent guide to professionals, social workers may not have ample time to go through it. However, the social workers can gather a lot of information about other people’s cultural backgrounds if they fully know their own culture. Through the use of Purnell’s model, social workers are more responsive and are respectful to other people’s culture, race, class, ethnicity, religion as well as other factors related to diversity in such a way that recognises family, individual as well as community values where dignity for human kind is respected (NASW, 2001p11). Models for cultural competence specifically focus on the profession of nursing. While Purnell’s model is ideal for the purpose of practice, more time and practice are needed to work with the whole model. Purnell’s model is beneficial in that social workers can make progress through unconscious incompetence where they are not aware of lacking knowledge of the other culture to a stage where they progress to conscious competence. This is where they learn more about the culture of the clients and they verify their culture, provision of certain interventions which leads to unconscious competence which caters for clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. (See appendix) One of Purnell model’s benefit is that it is concerned with the micro and macro level. It moves from the outer circle to the center and the spheres inside are made up of global societies, communities, families as well as individual persons. (see appendix). Thus, professionals can become aware of the communities that service users live in. When working in a community with diverse cultural background, culture difference is very important and Purnell’s model provides all the service uses with the opportunity as well as access since it deals with the community at large and the individual. When looking at the communication section of Purnell’s model, there are high chances that professionals will benefit since they are positioned to identify the language spoken by service users and they can set standards for their different needs such as acquiring information in written form that is understood by the service users. Different agencies can also be used to support service users and the interpreters can be used as well if the service users speak a different language from that spoken by the social workers. There are various methods that can be used in order to meet the needs of the people. The South Asian ethnicity is regarded as poor mainly because of limited information that is disseminated in local languages and the families are also reluctant to make themselves available for the services. This is mainly due to the fact that they do fact that some religious as well as cultural practices often isolate individuals who do not speak the same language and those from a different ethnic background which can cause the social care staff to have an uncomfortable experience if they speak a different language from the service users (Butt and Mirza, 1996, p. 66-69). Though Purnell’s model for cultural competence is primarily meant for health workers, it can be noted that all professionals can use it particularly social workers who are dealing with other service users. There are various differences among cultural groups as noted by different authors (Donald and Rattansi 1992; Lago 2006). However, professionals often regard western or white cultures as standard culture (Hall, 1992, p.257). Basically, these models are based on the tenets of western culture but in actual fact, this culture should not be used as a yardstick to measure the standard expectations of how people are supposed to live though it is dominant in many parts of the globe (J.Ryde, 2009). Professionals using Purnell’s model for cultural competence often find themselves in a trap of labelling or dividing service users into different categories. For instance, most parents in Pakistan are of the view that their children’s disability is a result of God’s punishment. Thus, Ismail et al, ( 2005) posits to the effect that there is indifference among the whites with regards to the aspect of disability. There is a tendency by the professionals who use the model of cultural competence to put people into groups such as classifying a particular group as having certain values and norms instead of treating all people as one entity. Laird (2008) suggests that there is a risk of misusing this model where the end result is stereotyping people from different ethnic backgrounds where it will end up being assumed that all people from the same minority group have similar norms and cultural values. The model should be used to cater for all individuals rather than sow the seeds of division. In some instances, people belong to cultures that often overlap and have different assumptions and norms. Other people also have completely different cultures but they socialise using the culture in the area they are operating in. Second generation immigrants often find a completely different culture in areas they are working compared to their home cultures (Ryde (2009). Thus, social workers using Purnell’s model often find themselves in a danger of stereotyping others since they may have a tendency of identifying a service user as having certain values and norms whilst the service users may follow a particular culture at home but change when they are at work as well as when they are socialising with others. People are not only influenced in their behaviour by the values they adopt from their families but through interaction with people from diverse backgrounds they may meet at school or in different communities they operate. Purnell’s model may limit the professionals’ potential of learning about how to become culturally competent given that the model has a lot to offer to them. On the other hand, service users who share the same culture often differ in some ways especially with regards to their level of education, social status as well as economic welfare. Ahmed (1996) gives an account of experiences of child birth by three women from Parkistan who are of Muslim origin. He posits to the effect that though these women are from Parkistan, their perceptions about culture and tradition with regards to pregnancy differ as a result of the backgrounds of their social class as well as access to healthcare. There is a section of religion that is encompassed by Purnell’s model and the professionals using this model can benefit from it in that they can know the religions of different service users. However, the danger is that there are likely chances of differences in religious practices which can limit their level of understanding. For instance, Muslims follow Islam but there are notable differences in the beliefs and identities held in different Mosques. For instance, Sikh males often cut their hair shot and they do not carry knives as the norm with other people from their same religion. The other differences arise from regarding vegetarian diet as a requirement in their religion as well as the aspects of alcohol and tobacco if they are not allowed by their religion (Laird, 2008). Social workers can make assumptions through the use of competence models where they can think that people from a certain cultural background have certain characteristics that are fixed which can lead them to stereotype some of the service users which often leads to racism, albeit unintentionally. Misunderstanding is likely to ensue in such scenario. Thus, cultural competence should not be treated as presumptions about other people’s ethnic values given that it is based on comprehensive understanding of differences that exist between people from different ethnic origins (Laird, 2008). Policy documents have revealed multi cultures in Britain and have underscored the need for training in cultural issues particularly for professionals in the social care field. Those professionals practicing competency from social cultural sensitivity often find themselves deeply absorbed by the king of exotic profiling which often lead them to fail to recognise issues of racial discrimination or social inequality. O’Hagan (2001) has noted that continual attacks on competence from social workers has hampered the efforts by the professionals in accounting for their activities towards delivering services that are culturally sensitive. This partly explains why social workers often fail to provide services that are appropriate (Butt & Mirza, 1999). In most cases, cultural competent services rely on the people in such a profession, their training, skills and values, personal attributes, interests as well as their knowledge about different cultural artefacts. There are high chances of competent practices culturally if the above factors are taken into consideration. Nursing which has some relevance to social work can also benefit where the professions can use creative, sensitive, as well as meaningful practices to suit the generally held values by the clients to help the nurse to deal with difficult situations they may encounter. Where there is no cultural congruence, conflicts are likely to ensue which will be centred on different religious practices and norms. Cultural competence is not an overnight event given that it is an ongoing process. One important thing about cultural competence is that social workers need to be open and interact with people from different ethnic groups to ensure that they grasp the values, beliefs as well as traditions of each individual. Cultural competence is founded on principles of complex understanding of differences that are likely to be encountered among people from different ethnic groups. This is one of the major challenges to professions in the social work field. Bibliography Campinha-Bacote J (1994). The process of cultural competence in health care: A culturally competent model of care, Wyoming, OH: Perfect Printing Press.  Cox, D. (1987) Migration and Welfare: An Australian Perspective, New Hall: Prentice Hall. Furness, S. (2003) ‘Religion, beliefs and culturally competent social work Practice’, Journal of Practice Teaching in Health and Social Care, 5 (1), pp.61 74. Furness, S. (2005) ‘Shifting Sands: Developing cultural competence’, Practice, 17(4), pp.247-256. Furness, S. and Gilligan, P. (2010) Religion, belief and social work Making a Difference Bristol: Policy Press. Gerrish, K., Husband, C. and Mackenzie, J. (1996) Nursing for a Multi Ethnic Society, Buckingham and Philadelphia: Open University Press. Henley, A. and Schott, J. (1999) Culture, Religion and Patient Care in a Multi-Ethnic Society, Age Concern England. Howell, W.S. (1982). The empathic communicator, University of Minnesota: Wadsworth Publishing Company. Husband, C. and Torry, B. (2004) (eds.) Transcultural Healthcare Practice: an Educational Resource for Nurses and Health Care Practitioners. London: Royal College of Nurses. Judy. R (2009) Being White in the helping profession, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London Laird, S.E. (2008) Anti-Oppressive Social Work A guide for developing cultural competence, London: Sage Publications. Purnell,L.D. &Paulanka, B.J. (1998) Transcultural Health Care : A culturally competent approach, Philadelphia: F.A.Davis. Purnell, L. Purnell model for cultural competence.The Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health.Volumes 5. Leininger, M. (1978)Transcultural nursing: Concepts, theories and practice, New York: Wiley. O’Hagan, K. (ed) (2007) Competence on Social Work Practice (2nd Ed) London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. www.cultureandhealth.org (accessed on 15th April) APPENDIX 1 Read More