ECE 390: Equity and Justice in ECE Cultural Competence Self-Assessment and Racial Autobiography

ECE
390: Equity and Justice in ECE
Cultural
CompetenceSelf-Assessment
and Racial Autobiography

This
survey is developmental. In relation to each dimension of cultural competence,
assess your cross-cultural knowledge as it currently exists. Use the following key to assess your level of
competence for each of the statements.

U

Unfamiliar

The
information is totally new to me.

AW

Awareness

I have heard
about it, but I do not know its full scope, such as its principle components,
applications, and modifications.

K

Knowledge

I know enough
about this to write or talk about it. I know what it is, but I am not ready
to use it. I need practice and feedback.

AP

Application

I am ready to
apply or have applied this information in my own work and/or life.

F

Facilitation

I am ready to
work with other people to help them learn this. I feel confident enough to
demonstrate and/or teach this to others, yet I know that my learning is a
lifelong process.

Respond
to the following questions using the key above.

Where I
Am Now

Where I
Want to Be

Competencies

I am awareoftheproblem
oflanguage,
images,and
situations that suggest that
most members ofa racialor ethnicgroup arethe
same (e.g.,“All
Asians aregoodatmath”).

Isubstitute factual
and meaningful information
for ethnicclichés. For example,Iavoid
usingterms and
adjectives that reinforceracial
andethnic stereotypes.

Itrytoaddress
stereotypical
statements whenIhearthem
used byothers.

I avoid patronizingand tokenism of any racial
orethnicgroup
(e.g.,
“Oneofmy best
friends is Black”).

Iunderstand
thehistoriesofoppressed
groups(Native American, African American,Latino/Chicano, Asian/Pacific American)in
the UnitedStates.

Ithoughtfullyviewbooks and
films to see if all groupsarefairlyrepresented.

I am awareofhowmymembership
in differentgroups
influences the
powerthat Ipossess,
andIamawareofhow
to constructivelyuse
that power.

Iunderstand
racial identitydevelopment.I know
howto evaluatepersonal
attitudes, emotions, and actions
around myown
racism and prejudices.

ForWhiteindividuals:Iam
conscious of myWhite racial
identityand its relationship to racial
oppression
in the United States.Ithink criticallyabout what it means
to beWhitein this country.

ForIndividuals of
Color:Iam conscious ofmyracial
identitydevelopment
and its relationship to racial
oppression
in the United States.Ithink criticallyabout what it means
to beofColorin this country.

Iunderstand
theconceptoflevels
of curriculum reform
(contributions/additive, transformation,
social action;
seeChapter 8).

Moule, J. (2012). Cultural
competence: Primer for educators instructor resources. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Cengage Learning.
Racial Autobiography
Respond to each question below. Let the
questions guide but not limit your thinking.

Jot down any other memories or ideas that
seem relevant to you.
Family
Are your parents the same race? Same ethnic group? Are your brothers and sisters? What about your extended family — uncles,
aunts, etc.?

Where did your parents grow up? What exposure did they have to racial groups
other than their own? (Have you ever
talked with them about this?)

What ideas did they grow up with, regarding race
relations? (Again, do you know? Have you ever talked with them about
this? Why or why not?)

Do you think of yourself as white? (If you’re not white, do you think of yourself
as black, or Asian-American, etc.?) or
just as “human”? Do you think
of yourself as a member of an ethnic group?
What is its importance to you?

Neighborhood
What is the racial makeup of the neighborhood you grew up
in?

What was your first awareness of race? — that there are
different “races” and that you are one.

What was your first encounter with another race? Describe the situation.

What messages do you recall getting from your parents
about race? from others when you were
little?

Elementary
and Middle School
What was the racial makeup of your elementary
school? Of its teachers?

Cultural influences:
TV, advertising, novels, music, movies, etc. What color God was presented to you? Angels?
Santa Claus? The Tooth fairy? Toys?

What holidays were celebrated?

What was the racial makeup of organizations you were
in? Scouts, soccer team, church, etc.?

High
School and Community
What was the racial makeup of your high school? Of its teachers?

Was there interracial dating? Any racial slurs? Any conflict with members of another race?

What else was important about your high-school years —
maybe something that didn’t happen in high school but during that time?

What is the racial makeup of your home town? Your metropolitan area?

What of your experiences there, in summer camp, summer
jobs, etc.?

Singleton & Linton.
(2006). Courageous conversations.
Retrieved from:.indiana.edu/~pbisin/uploads/files/67.pdf”>http://www.indiana.edu/~pbisin/uploads/files/67.pdf

Reflection

Describe what you learned about yourself as you
completed the Racial Autobiography.

Describe what you learned about your own cultural
competence. What areas would you need to improve on?

What do you plan to do for growth, development, and
change?