ABSTRACT
As the emergency and crisis management profession evolved from the civil defense era to a recognized profession with certifications and professional standards, so did the discipline. This chapter provides a brief history of the emergency and crisis management discipline and profession as it relates to cultural competence. This chapter elaborates upon cultural competency, ethics, and social vulnerabilities in the emergency and crisis management context, with a focus on Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Included are theoretical, administration, and policy literatures, which provide undergraduate and graduate students with a deeper conceptual understanding. Lastly, this chapter discusses ethical considerations and integration into the emergency and crisis management profession.
