Diverse people Flashcards
Work with diverse people
Culture and differences in values and beliefs can affect a range of areas in the work environment including:
(7 examples)
Communication; Understanding; Language; Trust; Conflict; Inclusiveness; Isolation
What is culture made up of?
7 examples
Values and attitudes; Pronunciations/intonations; Idioms and expressions; Pragmatic aspects of language; Social behaviours; Non-verbal communication; Cultural rules/scripts.
Visible aspects of culture:
7 examples
Called “Way of life”
Clothing; Rituals; Language; Behaviours and manners; Gestures; Food and drink; Music
Invisible aspects of culture:
6 examples
Called “World view”:
Beliefs and values; Opinions, attitudes and philosophies; Attitudes to privacy and personal space; Approach to cleanliness; The concepts of friendship; Cultural identity
What are cultural scripts?
Sets of guidelines or unspoken rules shared by people from the same or similar cultural backgrounds.
A script tells people what to expect, what to do, and how to behave in different situations.
There are particular scripts for different behaviours and occasions, and as such, misunderstandings can occur when people do not share or understand the script used in a particular culture.
How can you learn a different culture’s script?
By asking questions and observation.
Being culturally aware means you have the capacity to:
relate to cultural differences positively, constructively and with sensitivity.
recognise and Appreciate differences.
Improve your cultural awareness by taking time to:
3
Investigate, understand and appreciate the dimensions that contribute to how we relate to someone. These are often not immediately apparent.
European arrival in 1788 meant aboriginals:
5 examples
Were decimated by European diseases and violence;
Became dependent on unhealthy diets and exposed to alcohol;
Had their children forcibly removed;
Experienced many health problems and had difficulty accessing healthcare ;
Had no right to vote until 1967;
Factors negatively affecting delivery of healthcare to Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders:
(3 [4, 3, 4] examples)
Location:
rural and remote
transient population
poor access to primary health care
lack of transportation and accommodation to/at
appointments
Disadvantaged socio-economic status:
poor housing
high risk for co-morbidities (occurence of multiple
diseases at once)
financial stress
Educationally disadvantaged:
poor access to information
poor uptake of health initiatives
low vaccination rates
high rate of communicable diseasesCultural differences which can impact on the delivery of healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can include:
Distrust of government and hospitals/authority. (may
view hospitals as a place of death);
Respect and trust (great emphasis on shame, trust and
confidentiality. Building a relationship is often key to
providing suitable care);
Elders often possess specific skills, attributes and
knowledge. They uphold the law and make
community decisions. It is vital that protocol is
observed when approaching a community about
health services. Elders should always be consulted!
Death and Sorry business (a continuous cycle which
impacts greatly on families and communities.
The mourning process may take days to weeks,
depending on the community. It is not appropriate for
outsiders to enter communities at this time. If
already there, you may pay respect to the family with
consent/if previously arranged.
Any printed material with ATSI on it must warn that
deceased persons may be pictured, to avoid offence.
Death is dealt with differently in every Indigenous
Community. Speaking with your Aboriginal health
worker will help this process
Queensland Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander healthy life expectancy:
average to 62 years of age in good health.
almost 12 years less than the healthy life expectancy of a non-Indigenous Queenslander.
Losses felt by refugees:
9 examples
Confidence; Self esteem; Identity; Power; Trust; Finances; Family and friends; Job and status
May have separation anxiety
Self reflection is the starting point for cultural capability. It involves: (3 examples) It can encourage: (5 examples)
Self-reflection involves:
Establishing identity and identifying ways in which we
can improve self and social awareness;
Exploring and acknowledging own beliefs and
behaviours;
Recognising preconceived ideas that can
subconsciously influence us
Self reflection can encourage:
Knowing why you react a certain way; Being open about our limitations; Finding alternatives when things don't go to plan; Help prevent jumping to conclusions; Improved social awareness
Ways to use reflection/what can you use reflection to do?:
7 suggestions
Strengthen understanding of cultural diversity (why
people behave as they do);
Acknowledge differences/similarities between cultures;
Consider factors that influence how people act;
Be culturally responsive;
Value diversity;
Reflect on how and why you did things that
way (use a journal) and acknowledge areas for improvement;
Be aware of own culture/history impacting others, and
confront biases.
5 areas to develop for cultural capability:
4 Cs
Self-Reflection (examining our own culture and beliefs);
Cultural Understanding (being sensitive to cultural
differences)
Context (consider age, social/economic status etc, that
might influence an outcome or behaviour)
Communication (sensitivity in verbal and non-verbal
communication; make adjustments where needed)
Collaboration (respect and trust those you work with,
involve others to reach an agreement, compromise
where necessary)
Valuing diversity means:
Acknowledging and respecting the culture, religious background and previous experiences of all people, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity or beliefs.
10 examples of diversity:
Ethnicity/race; Language/dialect; Customs (cultural norms, beliefs and values); Religion; Family structure/kinship; Personal history and experience; Gender/transgender/intersex; Generational; Disability/special needs; Sexual orientation/identity
4 examples of how cultural diversity impacts the workplace:
Cultural: Having a diverse workforce means
organisations have access to fresh ideas, work habits,
and behaviours
Social: Allows an understanding of community needs
including linguistic, spiritual and dietary backgrounds
Political: Changes in policies and legislation which both
protect and engage diverse people in the workplace
Economic: An increase of skilled migrants applying for
positions can strengthen the position, skills and
efficiency of an organisation
(Organisations that value and capitalise on workplace diversity have productive and fulfilling workplaces that assist them to attract and retain employees. This leads to savings in recruitment and training costs as well as maintaining corporate knowledge and expertise. It also reduces the high costs associated with workplace exclusion such
as increased turnover, absenteeism and reduced productivity. )
If you come across difficult situations involving cultural differences:
Think about treating other people with the same regard
as you wish to be treated and be involved in
understanding differing needs
Some (16) ways organisations and health care workers can be inclusive of diversity in the workplace:
Respect and encourage diversity;
Educate staff on cultural capability;
Train staff in cultural competency;
Promote culturally sensitive modes of interaction
between colleagues;
Celebrate a range of festivals and special events;
Encourage suggestions and ideas;
Engage and value contribution;
Provide literacy and language training for employees;
Apply equal employment opportunities;
Include access and equity in job applications;
Use communication that is sensitive to culture, and be patient with ESL folk.
Embrace and utilise multilingual staff;
Provide disability access (ramps etc);
Consider religious obligations when rostering, and be
aware of holidays that coincide with important
religious or cultural events;
Understand the need for co-workers to be away from
work due to cultural or family obligations;
Understand any inability to engage in certain tasks or
activities due to cultural considerations
Multiculturalism:
The 4 fundamental principles of multiculturalism:
Recognises, appreciates and respects the beliefs and
values of diversity;
Supports the rights of all people to express their culture
All individuals should have the greatest possible
opportunity to contribute to, and participate in all
environments
All individuals and institutions should respect and make
provision for the culture, language and religion of
others within an Australian legal and institutional
framework where English is the common language
Everyone should have the right to access government
departmental information
Organisations should embrace and make use of the
diverse abilities of their staff
Staff contribution to building workplace relationships and culturally inclusive workplace practice can include:
Attending cultural competency education and training;
Using appropriate communication;
Buddying with staff of similar diversity;
Treating each other with dignity and respect;
Making time to help staff feel comfortable in a new
environment;
Linking new staff to organisational resources
(interpreter services etc);
Being positive and valuing colleagues skills and
abilities;
Being supportive;
Reporting discrimination and harassment;
Being fair and non-judgmental
8 requirements of a culturally competent organisation:
Quality resources to build staff cultural competency;
Implement strategies to develop a workforce that
reflects the diversity in the general population;
Provide leadership and support partnerships with key
stakeholders to support service provision to culturally
and linguistically diverse communities;
Build the cross cultural capabilities of their staff (through
orientation and other training);
Work to improve data collection and analysis for
culturally and linguistically diverse communities;
Engage with culturally and linguistically diverse
communities in the development of services;
Recognise and respond to specific disadvantaged
populations (refugees, islanders, etc);
High quality and accessible interpreter services and
translated information available to consumers from
culturally and linguistically diverse communities;
Cultural competence is driven by:
Our will and actions to build understanding between people, to be respectful and open to different cultural perspectives, strengthen cultural security and work towards equality in opportunity.
Cultural safety:
“…more or less an environment which is safe for people; where there is no assault, challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are and what they need. It is about shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge and experience, of learning together with dignity, and truly listening”
Cultural safety addresses:
9 points
Respect for culture, knowledge, experience and
obligations;
Provision of basic human rights (education, housing,
medical services, employment and environmental
health services);
Treatment with dignity;
Provision of a culturally appropriate service
delivery/environment;
Clearly defined pathways to empowerment and self
determination;
Freedom from assault on identity;
Recognition of more than one set of principles/more
than one way of doing things;
Commitment to the theory and practice of cultural safety
by personnel and trained staff;
Rejection of the myth that all people of a certain culture
or race are ‘the same’
Equal employment opportunity (EEO) ensures :
How? for whom? why?
Ensures that workplaces are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, hiring and dismissal.
This means having workplace rules, policies, practices and behaviours that are fair and do not disadvantage people because they belong to particular groups.
EEO groups are people affected by past or continuing disadvantage or discrimination in employment.
EEO is designed to eliminate discrimination and to achieve a diverse and skilled workforce
