When it comes to areas of cultural competence, I would identify myself as being on the lower end of the continuum. When considering my understanding and perspective on the controversial issue I chose for this course—the prevalence and implications of racism in American education—I realize that there is a great deal that I still need to learn. My own personal experiences with race and ethnicity, combined with my limited understanding of history and sociology, have created an incomplete picture when it comes to comprehending the systemic challenges faced by minority students in schools today.
For instance, due to my relative privilege as a white individual in America (Lipsitz, 1998), I am not always aware or conscious of racial dynamics at play around me. This can lead to me making assumptions about people’s backgrounds or cultures which are inaccurate or offensive. On top of this, I do not possess enough knowledge about education policy and its related impacts on minority students (Ferguson & Losen, 2018). Furthermore, while I may be aware that certain practices may be biased against certain individuals based on their race/ethnicity/gender identity/etc., without further research into civil rights law regarding educational institutions and how they are held accountable for non-discrimination policies (Huang et al., 2020), I am often unable to recognize these instances or advocate for change effectively.
Discuss your own placement on the cultural competence continuum in relation to the controversial issue you chose to write about in this course.
In order for me tto increase my placement on the cultural competence continuum in relation to racism within education specifically requires extensive study into both local school systems as well as federal acts such as Title IX (Baker et al., 2014). It also involves dedicating time towards gaining more empathy through listening intently and respectfully debating various viewpoints from other stakeholders like educators who work inside schools navigating these issues each day (Gorski & Sternberg-Elhaggan, 2017) . Additionally self-reflection is necessary in order determine hidden biases others might have but we don’t even recognize exist within ourselves (Klineberg & Petrocelli, 2017). If all these components are addressed mindfully then it can open up opportunities for real progress when approaching initiatives like anti-racism campaigns within American education contexts.
Overall while currently identifying low on the cultural competency continuum is concerning there are measures one can take so they can become more informed citizens ready tackle complicated topics like race relations head-on productively rather than avoiding them altogether due fear or lack confidence speaking accurately about them. By researching thoroughly thru various academic resources from credible sources coupled with regular conversations involving varying perspectives among stakeholders plus honest self reflections over any prejudices we may hold unknowingly then together this process can help us make meaningful strides toward creating a nation where all our children regardless what background they come from receive quality educational experience every child deserves without having face added obstacles due their skin color..