ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the dialogue by utilizing a personal narrative as an introduction to the topic and to suggest practice-based recommendations for the application of principles that recognize difference as a social manifestation of unequal human experiences and oppressive power relations. Historically, cultural competence evolved as a summary of guidelines that enumerated characteristics of specific racial and ethnic groups. Consequently, African-Americans, Latinx, Asians, etc. were conceptualized as homogeneous social aggregates where each group had distinct ways of being in the world. Furthermore, competence also refers to understanding inequality based on class, gender, sexual orientation, and religion in addition to race and ethnicity. Advocacy to democratize and address issues of unequal power relations, marginalization, and social justice becomes an integral part of the application of practices based on competence. Questions of diversity, multiculturalism, and cultural competence are issues that have acquired very strong political content.
