To begin this week’s assignment, download the Cultural Self-Inventory from this week’s resources and answer all the questions to complete your own cultural self-inventory. 

Then, prepare a written response to the following: 

• Document your strengths in cultural competencies.
• Explain any specific stereotypes, prejudices, or biases you identified.
• Utilize the area of social work practice that you are passionate about (identified in MSW-5001) to complete a Culturagram on that population. Discuss the issues of culture on the population you have chosen. Utilizing your answers to the cultural self-assessment, explain what you would have to do to become culturally competent in working with them. Include your culturagram within your Word document.  

Support your assignment with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included.

Length: 3-4 pages, not including title and reference pages. Submit your self-inventory with your assignment.

Cultural Self-Inventory

Adapted from: Miley, K. (1998). Generalist Social Work Practice: An Empowering Approach. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Personal Identity

What are your ethnic identities?

Of which other cultural groups are you a member?

Which cultural memberships are most influential in the way you define yourself?

What characteristics or behaviors do you display that indicate the influences of these cultural identities?

What values are associated with these cultural memberships?

Do you feel positively or negatively about these identities?

Have you ever experienced discrimination based on your cultural memberships?

What privileges do your cultural memberships afford you?

Spiritual Beliefs

What are your spiritual beliefs?

What led you to these beliefs?

How important are spiritual beliefs in your daily life?

How do these beliefs influence the way you perceive others who hold different beliefs?

Knowledge of Others

What other cultural groups are present in your community?

What do you know about the beliefs, values, and customs of members of these other cultural groups?

What is the source of this knowledge?

Have your interactions with people from these cultures reinforced or altered this knowledge base?

What stereotypes or prejudices do you hold about other cultural groups?

What is the source of your bias?

What are you doing to increase your knowledge about people who are culturally different from you?

Cross-Cultural Skills

Are you currently involved in relationships or activities in which you have ongoing interactions with people from other cultures?

What is your comfort level while interacting with people who are culturally different from you?

Are you able to talk with people who are culturally different from you about these differences?

What languages do you speak other than your own primary language?

What words, phrases, or nonverbal behaviors do you know that have different meanings in different cultures?

Cultural Competence Self-assessment Awareness Checklist

This self-assessment tool is designed to explore individual cultural competence. Its purpose is to help you to consider your awareness in your
interactions with others. Its goal is to assist you to recognize what you can do to become more effective in working and living in a diverse
environment.

Read each entry in the section below and place a check mark in the appropriate column.

This is simply a tool and not a test. Remember that cultural competence is a process, and that learning occurs on a continuum and over a life
time. You will not be asked to show anyone your answers unless you choose to do so. While you complete this assessment, stay in touch with
your emotions and remind yourself that learning is a journey.

Awareness

Sometimes/ Fairly Often/ Always/
Never Occasionally Pretty Well Very Well

Value Diversity
I view human difference as positive and a cause for celebration.

Know myself
I have a clear sense of my own ethnic, cultural, and racial identity.

Share my culture
I am aware that in order to learn more about others I need to
understand and be prepared to share my own culture.

Be aware of areas of discomfort
I am aware of my discomfort when I encounter differences in race,
color, religion, sexual orientation, language, and ethnicity.

Check my assumptions
I am aware of the assumptions that I hold about people of cultures
different from my own.

Challenge my stereotypes
I am aware of my stereotypes as they arise and have developed
personal strategies for reducing the harm they cause.

Sometimes/ Fairly Often/ Always/
Never Occasionally Pretty Well Very Well

Reflect on how my culture informs
my judgment

I am aware of how my cultural perspective influences my judgment
about what are “appropriate,” “normal,” or “superior” behaviors,
values, and communication styles.

Accept ambiguity

I accept that in cross-cultural situations there can be uncertainty
and that uncertainty can make me anxious. It can also mean that I
do not respond quickly and take the time needed to get more
information.

Be curious
I take any opportunity to put myself I place where I can learn about
differences and create relationships.

Aware of my privilege if I am White

If I am a White person working with a person of color, I understand
that I will likely be perceived as a person with power and racial
privilege, and that I any not be seen as “unbiased” or as an ally.

Reflection

At the end of each section add up the number of times you have checked that column
Multiple the number of times you have checked the columns by:

Never – 1
Sometimes/Occasionally – 2
Fairly Often/Pretty Well – 3
Always/Very Well – 4

The more points you have, the more culturally competent you are becoming.

Source: http://static.diversityteam.org/files/414/cultural-competence-self-assessment-checklist ?1342126927

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