Introduction
As a 911 dispatcher, my understanding of a situation and the response I give depends on the caller’s description. Nevertheless, my beliefs, biases, and prejudices might affect my interpretation of the situation and the action I will take. Implicit bias is mostly at play with every call as my mind may not be aware of the effect of such biases. Although we are trained to understand callers, our rule is always to send out police officers whenever in doubt. The policy allows us to help every citizen while avoiding liability of negligence on our side. Therefore, for 911 dispatchers, biases, prejudices, and beliefs might be a matter of life and death for our callers.
Most of my beliefs emanate from society, including my family, the immediate community, school experiences, and other social settings. In my white neighborhood, black people were treated with suspicion depending on their dress code and mannerisms while white people were dignified in society’s eyes. Hence, I have an implicit bias that affects how I treat calls where an alleged criminal is a black person. For example, a caller told me that a muscular black man was roaming outside her property. She explained that her dog was barking and the man did not seem to be leaving the area. Since she was home alone, she felt threatened and needed protection. Since the black man had not attacked any human or property, there was no reason to worry. However, remembering that most burglars in my neighborhood were black men, I dispatched police officers to the area. Upon arrival, they identified the person and his reason for staying there. He had been waiting for a college mate so they could drive to school together. My prejudices and biases affected my response to this call, whereas the caller’s fears were unjustified.
On another occasion, a woman called claiming that her husband was in range and could harm her. I sent out two police officers to the area to look into the issue. They found that the woman had attacked her husband and was afraid of how he would react. However, he sat down to wait for the police and left the house when the issue was explained. My belief that men are more likely to hurt women when relationships are in problem affected the decision I made. Nevertheless, the man was safe from the attack and left the house.
Although my biases, prejudices, and beliefs influence most of my responses and actions, the callers’ misjudgment is most influential. The caller’s biases, beliefs, and prejudices determine how they describe the situation and hence, my interpretation. For example, the Starbucks 911 call that reported two black men who did not make a purchase was influenced by the caller’s perception and implicit bias against black people.2 Training on diversity and cross-cultural differences is essential in reducing and eliminating these mistakes.
Changes in Attitudes, Knowledge, and Skills due to Diversity/Cross-Cultural Training
Diversity training is crucial in cultivating cultural competence in learners.
The cross-cultural training has created a positive attitude and approach towards every culture. I have studied the histories, dynamics, and features of various cultures, enriching my understanding of the diverse people around me.1 I am more open and respectful of other cultures than I was before the training. The training makes me conscious of the differences between cultures and how these affect our interactions. Diversity training has helped me to engage in ongoing reflection as I relate with people.
Diversity training unveils cultural differences based on individualism vs. collectivism. Developing this skill means that I relate well with cultures that embrace personal interests and those that support a societal approach to living. In addition, I recognize that different cultures have varying acceptance levels of power distribution. Some cultures want a relatively equal power distribution while others accept huge disparities. National cultures also change with some requiring strict orderliness, formal laws and procedures, and consistent structures.1 Other country might appreciate a more liberal and flexible approach. Acceptance and adherence to traditional gender roles are important aspects of diversity training. I understand that cultures are accepting the blurring of the feminine vs. masculine roles while others are sticking with traditional male vs. female responsibilities.1 Of uttermost significance is how various cultures value and use time. Some place a high value on time and spend it productively while to others time may not be so important. Understanding these cultural differences has helped me to connect with people from all backgrounds in meaningful but diverse ways.
A Common Definition of Cultural Competence
Cultural competence includes policies, behaviors, and attitudes that work together continually for the effective and appropriate functioning of a system, program, agency, or individual under diverse cultural settings.3 It ensures that people understand, respect, and appreciate differences and similarities among cultures between and within groups. Cultural competence leads to changes in skills, attitudes, and knowledge that enable people to fit into every culture without biases. It begins with an understanding of one’s culture and opening up to other cultures. After learning the similarities and differences between these cultures, the learner appreciates and embraces them to improve relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
References
Baranova L. International educational trends in cross-cultural training. Comparative Professional Pedagogy. 2018; 8(2):148-52.
Galeano R, Spann B, Galeano K, Agarwal N. Weak ties to the narrative rescue: Starbucks arrest controversy case study.
Greene-Moton E, Minkler M. Cultural competence or cultural humility? Moving beyond the debate. Health Promotion Practice. 2020; 21(1):142-5.