Work and Diversity: Understanding Personal Cultural Competence and the Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

This article discusses the concept of diversity and its importance in the workplace. It also covers personal cultural competence, biases, and stereotypes. The author explores the impact of diversity on different communities, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The article concludes with strategies to develop personal goals to achieve cultural competence.

Running head: WORK AND DIVERSITY 1
Name
Course
Lecturer
Date

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Personal cultural competence
Diversity
Question 1
The concept of diversity is very crucial element when it comes to the workplace. It encompasses
acceptance and respects as well. This concept means the acceptance of the uniqueness that exists
between different people and communities as well as appreciating and recognizing these
individual differences. Diversity can range from race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religious
beliefs to social economic status. The acceptance and respect to diversity mean acknowledging
one another way of living and celebrating them. Diversity includes some other important aspects
like cultural awareness, cultural safety and cultural competence. Cultural awareness enables one
to understand the cultural values, beliefs and perceptions they have been brought up in together
with acknowledging other peoples culture too.
According to (william, 1999) “an environment that is spiritual, socially and emotionally safe, as
well as physically 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.” On the other cultural competences in respect to
diversity is the ability to respect and respond to health-related beliefs and practices of other
people. It’s applicable to workplace diversity in that an employee is equipped with skills to work
within an environment with different values and customs different from personal ones. A good
example of the type of workplace diversity that is common in the dental profession is the
diversification in terms of religion, race, priory, disability, age and gender. As a practitioner, I
can attribute respect to workplace diversity by acknowledging that religion and race is part of

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diversity and every religion and race should be respected in equal measures. No religion should
be better than the other nor should I favour some patients belonging to a certain race while
neglecting other from a different race.
Biases and stereotypes perception is very common in diversity topic and background. The
stereotype is a bad perception or a wrong idea that people have generated about what something
or someone is like. Biases mean unfair inclination for or against an individual or group. A good
example of a personal stereotype that is linked with my profession is that I used to think that a
scientist and a good health care practitioner are old aged with white air. This made me feel
uncomfortable while being attended to by a young dentist or nurse at to some extent made me
lack confidence when seeking for job opportunities at my young age. This stereotype originated
from the stories that we used to be told on how wisdom and knowledge are linked to old age.
(Murnaghan , 2017)
Question 2
People in my community
I am a dental assistant working in mod bury southern Australia. This means that southern
Australia is my current workplace community. It’s a city located at the end of Adelaide Oban. Its
main activities are the agricultural production of tea, trading evidence by structures like tea tree
plaza shopping complex and social amenities like a hospital where I work in to cater for the
larger population residing here. Southern Australia is a region comprising of people from over
200 culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds. According to (Government of
southern australia, 2011), data from a census conducted indicated that most people within this
regions speak other languages apart from English, for instance, aboriginal language and a good

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number of people in this region are immigrants from England, Greece, Italy and Saudi Arabia.
Moreover, people in my regions belong to about 100 regions with Christianity having the largest
percentage.
Both my local community and my workplace are a good example of groups that value diversity.
A good example of how the mod bury local community values diversity is shown by how for the
many historical years, this city has been able to accommodate people from over 100 religions
and many languages speaking groups without wars and issues arising from differences within
these people. Considering the case in my workplace, the organization takes care of diversity in
that it ensures cultural competence by providing training session whereby dentists and other
healthcare professionals are aware and able to provide as well as responding to the sensibilities
of patients who have different cultures from those of the dentist like me. (ADEA, 2015)
There are several factors that affect different areas in my local community. These include the
political, social, economic and cultural diversity.
1. Political diversity
Just like any other regions In Australia, elections are conducted after some period of time. In my
local community and workplace, every member has their political stand and affiliation and
therefore we must differ in terms of interest. Through the code of conduct, it’s not advisable to
have a discussion with our patients on political matters or rather hold such discussion in offices
on the same, however, with the growing twitter generation, at workplace one can engage and
read other local community members political views and stand. Through this political diversity
enables people in the workplace share ideas, discuss, bring people with similar political interest

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together and the respect to political diversity enables people with different views to still work
together as a dentist and other professionals despite their political stands. (Cannon, 2016)
2. Social diversity
It’s the acceptance and respect to the difference in terms of race, religion, social economic status,
sexual orientation and gender by the people within an organization or a certain local community
like the one I work in southern Australia( mod bury). People in this region have respect and
acknowledge all individuals are the same despite the race, gender and other social related aspects
of diversification. This makes working in this region comfortable for everybody.
3. Economic diversity
We cannot be equal in terms of income and levels of wealth. Some people in mod bury and my
workplaces are richer than others. Some live at rich houses while other are middle-level incomes.
This does not negatively affect workplace environment since everyone is entitled to same
services and fairness when it comes to allocation of resources as well.
4. Cultural diversity
People within a local community like mod bury exhibit different norms and beliefs. This has
been extended to my workplaces. These beliefs sometimes have a negative impact on my
profession as a dentist. For instance, some tribes do not believe in medicinal drugs and thereby
our existence as dentists are null unto them, however, respect to cultural diversity allows us to
accept them and keep on offering our services to the rest of the community members.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

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The Australian aboriginal people: They settled on the bridges between Asia and Australia.
Major issues and significant events
1. National sorry day
This is an event held on every 26th of May each year in Australia. It’s an annual event to
commemorate and remember all those who have been affected by government policies and
forcedly removed to their areas of habitat like the aboriginals thereby resulting in a stolen
generation.
2. 1967 referendum
It’s an event held on every 27th may annually to remember the day Australians had to vote
overwhelmingly to change the constitution in order to include the aboriginal group of people in
the census process which could allow the commonwealth to come up with laws made for the
aboriginal people.
3. Apology day
It’s an event held on every 13th day of February each year to remember the day the Australians
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd moved a motion that saw the aboriginals being apologized by for
being oppressed by the past laws, policies and practices of the new Australian generation.
(United nations, 2018)
Factors affecting the aboriginal community today
1. Social factors

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These include factors like grief and loss, the impact they have out of their stolen generation and
the removal of their children, the unresolved trauma they bear for the unfavourable policies that
were subjected to them, they were separated from their culture and issues that identified them
and physical health related problems
2. Political factors
These include issues like policies that led to being neglected, violence exposed to them and
withdrawal of their system of leadership.
3. Economic factors
The aboriginals have been neglected and exposed to the lowest level of financial status in
Australia. This explains the reason why they live in poverty, homeless and crime cases
increasing among them.
The impact of Australian’s on the aboriginals
The current Australians culture, systems and structure has greatly impacted the day to day life for
the aboriginals. The British colonization has negatively affected these group way of living since
the time of colonization. Their culture has been forcefully swept away; their spiritual beliefs
have also been undermined. The British colonization has seen the introduction of new forms of
leadership, dictatorship and introduction of new systems. This has led to the formulation of new
policies that negatively have affected the aboriginals, for instance, they have led to the loss of
land. Lastly, the new culture, systems and structure have led to traumatization on the aboriginals’
community.
Question 3

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Possible needs of diverse groups
One of the needy diverse groups is the refugees. Their needs include the following
 Health and nutrition
 Shelter and education
Resources to cater for the health and nutrition for the refugees can be from the government
where the refugees are residing, non-governmental agencies like the UN, Red Cross, well-
wishers and money lending institutions. After provision of these resources from the above-
mentioned bodies, I can, therefore, organize for quality food, safe and secured tents be
constructed for the refugees at a safe place and medical attention be considered by stationing
healthcare facilities and educational centres for them and their people.
Question 4
Personal goals to develop personal cultural competence
1. Practice strategic planning that incorporated diversity as a resource
2. Ensure I get involved in communal activities in my region (SAMHSA, 2012)
Strategies to achieve my goals
 To ensure strategically plan an incorporated diversity as a resource I will use existing
planning models and develop a supportive relationship with other people from other
communities.
 To get involved in communal activities in my region, I must attend most events, listen to
announcements and read as many notices as possible for updates.

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Impact of achieving my goals
1. I can mingle and work with anyone from any community for example, as a dentist; I can
mingle well with my boss who may be from a different race, religion or gender.
2. It will make me appreciate the interest of others and consider others instead of self.

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References
ADEA. (2015, June 12). the voice of dental education. Retrieved July 16, 2018, from ADEA, go dental
organization: http://www.adea.org/GoDental/Dentistry_101/Need_for_diversity.aspx
Cannon, K. (2016). respect political diversity in the workplace. political diversity, 11.
The government of southern Australia. (2011). statistics; south australis diversity. Modbury SA:
Department of the premier and cabinet.
Murnaghan, I. (2017). Age Stereotypes in the Health Sector. A health career, 14.
SAMHSA. (2012). Cultural Competence. samhsa, 3.
United Nations. (2018). Significant dates and events for Aboriginal peoples. western Australia
Association for mental health, 5.
Williams, R. (1999). what does it mean for our work practice? Australian and New Zealand. cultural
safety, 213-214.