Cultural Awareness Helpline: Cultural Awareness Community

The Five Essential Elements of Cultural Competence serve as standards by which one develops healthy individual values/behaviors and organizational policies/practices. These five action verbs lead educators to the shift in thinking represented by the Continuum.

The essential elements are the standards for culturally competent values, behaviors, policies, and practices:

• Assessing Cultural Knowledge – Being aware of what you know about your and others’ cultures, about how you react to others’ cultures, and what you need to do to be effective in cross-cultural situations.
• Valuing Diversity – Making the effort to be inclusive of people whose viewpoints and experiences are different from yours and will enrich conversations decision-making, and problem-solving.
• Managing the Dynamics of Difference – Viewing conflict as a natural and normal process that has cultural contexts that can be understood and can be supportive in creative problem-solving.
• Adapting to Diversity – Having the will to learn about others and the ability to use others’ cultural experiences and backgrounds in educational settings.
• Institutionalizing Cultural Knowledge – Making learning about cultural groups and their experiences and perspectives as an integral part of your ongoing learning.