A historical perspective of cultural competence

Abstract

Knowing the origins of a concept can help to explain its form. Knowing the history of the struggle to get concepts such as cultural competence acknowledged can help us to understand some of the future difficulties that there may be in more widespread acceptance. This article discusses the development of cultural competence in the US and explains how both the civil rights movement and changes in immigration to the US were key. More recently, secular trends to individual responsibility have changed the lens through which cultural competence is viewed.

Citation

McKenzie, K. (2008), "A historical perspective of cultural competence", Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 5-8. https://doi.org/10.1108/17570980200800002