Engineers can be required to travel across the globe, and interact with a vast array of culturally different people. As such it is important for engineers to be culturally aware and competent. Although the terms are often used interchangeably the meaning of the terms cultural awareness and cultural competency differ to some extent.
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Cultural Awareness: According to Carter, Bishop and Kravits, "Every human being belongs to, and identifies with, many cultures. Everywhere you go, you encounter culture—sometimes one in which you feel at home, sometimes one that is completely unfamiliar and even confusing or disturbing to you. Your family has a culture, your school has a culture, your workplace has a culture, and the community in which you live has a culture." (2011, pg. 3)
[This section is missing while it is verified for credibility] Cultural Competency: {“Cultural competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, agency or among professionals and enable that system, agency or those professionals to work effectively in cross cultural situations” (Cross et al. 1989, cited in NCCC 2006).} (Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, 2006, pg. 2)
{“The ability to identify and challenge one’s own cultural assumptions, one’s values and beliefs. It is about developing empathy and connected knowledge, the ability to see the world through another’s eyes, or at the very least, to recognise that others may view the world through different cultural lenses” (Fitzgerald 2000 cited in Stewart 2006)} (Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, 2006, pg. 3)
Likewise the the terms Culturally aware citizenship and Global citizen are often used interchangeably despite their fundamental differences:
Culturally Aware Citizenship: Too the best of my knowledge, culturally aware citizenship involves a citizenship which is both culturally competent and culturally aware. (This information will need to be verified)
Global Citizenship: Global citizenship is a measure of an individuals awareness and appreciation of a diverse range of cultures, people and environments. According to Griffith University, some key characteristics of Global citizenship include:
The appreciation of, and value and respect for, global multicultural and multilingual diversity. .....................................
The ability to interact and empathise with people from different social, cultural, religious, and linguistic backgrounds, both locally and globally.........
An understanding of how the world operates (socially, culturally, economically, technologically, politically and environmentally) ..............................
(Griffith, pg.2)
Robust Sources: 1. Oxfam (n.d). Global Citizenship| Oxfam Education. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/global-citizenship. 2. Griffith University. (n.d.). Global Citizenship. In Griffith University. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/186903/IoC_Global-Citizenship1.pdf 3. Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria. (2006, December). Cultural Competence. In Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria. Retrieved from http://eccv.org.au/library/doc/CulturalCompetenceGuidelinesandProtocols.pdf 4. Carter, C. J., Bishop, J., & Kravits, S. (2011, December 30). Cultural Awareness and Global Citizenship. In Pearson Higher Education. Retrieved April 30, 2013, from http://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0132850230.pdf
Not so Robust Sources: 5. Tso, A. (2013, March 2). Global Citizenship. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://alisontso.blogspot.com.au/ 6. Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing (n.d.). Cultural Awareness. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www.culturaldiversity.com.au/practice- guides/cultural-awareness 7. Quappe, S. (2007, November 24). Culturosity Article: What is Cultural Awareness?. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www.culturosity.com/articles/whatisculturalawareness.htm#_ftn1