This cultural awareness self-assessment is designed to explore your cultural competence. Its primary purpose is to help you consider your skills, knowledge and awareness of yourself as they relate to your interactions with others. The goal of this assessment is to assist you in recognizing how you can more effectively work in and relate to a diverse culture.
The term culture not only includes culture that relates to one’s race, ethnicity and ancestry, but also to the culture-at-large, such as beliefs, common experiences, persons who are hearing impaired and/or visually impaired, members of different faith and spiritual communities, persons of various socio-economic classes and persons with other disabilities. However, this assessment tool focuses on race, ethnicity and ancestry. Always remember that much of the awareness, knowledge and skills you have gained from past relationships and encounters with people who are different from you are transferrable and can help you in future relationships across divides.
To use this tool, read each statement in the Awareness, Knowledge and Skills columns and mark the answer that most closely relates to you. Once complete, you will receive a cultural competency score based on your answers in each section. The more points you have, the more culturally competent you are becoming.
This cultural awareness self-assessment is simply a tool. It is not a test. The rating scale is only there to assist you in identifying areas of strengths and areas that need further development to help you reach your goal of becoming culturally aware and competent. Remember, becoming culturally competent is an ongoing process. Learning occurs on a continuum and over a lifetime.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SHARE YOUR RESPONSES WITH ANYONE UNLESS YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO!
NOTE: While using this assessment, stay connected to your emotions and remind yourself that learning is a journey.
Dr. Harold D. Lewis, Sr., PsyD
Vice President of Biblical Diversity
Converge
“I am because we are, and we are because I am, and we are better together!”