Cultural competence versus cultural chauvinism: implications for social work.

In the name of cultural competence, some individuals and groups promote a perspective that only members of the same ethnic, racial, or cultural group are qualified to serve individuals from the particular group. Do social workers accept that premise? Do we collectively agree with this? Is this belief in consonant with our knowledge about culturally competent practice? We argue that this perspective is cultural chauvinism and that it threatens to undermine social work practice and the delivery of HIV/AIDS services. We need to debate this perspective and be clear about what we advocate for and what the consequences of our actions will be. Cultural chauvinism should not be mistaken for cultural competence. Cultural competence challenges all of us to develop and deliver individualized social services within a culturally appropriate context. Cultural competence does not mean that only black people can serve black people, that only Latinos can serve Latinos, or that only gay people can serve gay people. The major criterion should be the cultural competence of the provider. Cultural competence requires more than an understanding of a person's racial, ethnic, or cultural identity; it involves assessing the interactive influence of multiple factors. Patricia Hill Collins, head of African American Studies, University of Cincinnati, developed a matrix of domination to examine the interplay of social class, gender, and sexual orientation in conjunction with racial, ethnic, or cultural identity (Anderson & Collins, 2001). Social workers must acknowledge and understand these variables and use them to assess who we are and what we do in our interactions with those we serve. In the 1980s we learned that a social worker belonging to a particular racial, ethnic, or cultural group did not ensure that the worker would be sensitive to the needs of that group. Clearly, a man who has sex with men, yet does not self-identify as gay, will have to address major personal issues to effectively serve the gay community affected by HIV/AIDS. Is he the best person to serve this community? Equally, many lesbians have been the unsung heroines of HIV/AIDS in this country. Surely, none of us would say lesbians should not be on the frontline caring for gay men--or would we? Efforts to combat HIV/AIDS are falling apart with the balkanization and fragmentation of services. The theme of the 1999 HIV/AIDS: The Social Work Response conference was: Is the Ribbon Unraveling? Finding Common Threads for Unity. At that time AIDS services were becoming increasingly fragmented; at the same time there was a growing sense that the camaraderie of the mid-1980s was being replaced by self-preservation efforts of special interest groups, including gay men, women, African Americans, and Latinos. As the AIDS pandemic continues to spread rapidly among communities of color, this polarization presents a formidable barrier to successful service delivery. This fragmentation continues in a society that increasingly believes that AIDS is conquered. Why, all we have to do is take the "cocktail," isn't that right? Few realize that the cocktail may include as many as 70 pills daily, taken on a precise schedule. And access to these medications is not universally ensured. If the AIDS community fails to unite, funding for HIV/AIDS services will be in danger. Reauthorization efforts are underway for the Abandoned Infants Act, which funds services for HIV-affected and -infected children. Children of color are the primary beneficiaries of this legislation. Will social workers advocate for these infants who are unable to speak on their own behalf? A broad coalition of social workers is needed to lobby for the continued financial support and expansion of HIV/AIDS services. This is a crucial time for the social work profession's response to the challenge of HIV/AIDS in the United States and abroad. The AIDS pandemic is spreading globally at the same time that international leaders, policymakers, and members of our local communities are growing weary of calls for continued or renewed attention to the effect of HIV on the social fabric. …