Cultural Competence: A Lifelong Journey to Cultural Proficiency / Edition 1

by Ronnie Leavitt

Overview

In today’s multicultural society, cultural competence will play an increased role in the physical therapists’ daily routine from the classroom to the clinic. As key phrases will be heard more and more in the health care community: knowledge, awareness, attitude, skills, a text that can take cultural competence learning to the next level is essential.

Cultural Competence: A Lifelong Journey to Cultural Proficiency provides a comprehensive, theoretical and practical approach to increasing knowledge and awareness, improving attitudes, and providing the necessary skills for practicing cultural competence each day.

Dr. Ronnie Leavitt, along with a group of contributors with a range of backgrounds, both in physical therapy and the social sciences, provides an evidence-based text looking to explore practical applications in a wide array of settings. Cultural Competence addresses cultural competence by discussing the special considerations one needs to learn about rather than specific population groups. Also discussed is how different theorists describe cultural competence, as well as methods of measuring cultural competence and government policies regarding cultural competence.

Chapter Topics include:
• Relationship between poverty and health
• Health disparities between populations
• Cross-cultural communications
• Health beliefs and behaviors associated with disability and rehabilitation
• Community-based rehabilitation and how to address cultural competence in developing nations
• Service learning and cultural competence

Cultural Competence: A Lifelong Journey to Cultural Proficiency is the ideal text for physical therapy students and clinicians, occupational therapy students and clinicians, and other rehabilitation professionals looking to begin a journey toward understanding how to take into account a patient’s cultural background in the classroom or clinic.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781556428760
Publisher:	SLACK, Incorporated
Publication date:	02/01/2010
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Ronnie Leavitt has been instrumental in bringing the socio-cultural and public health perspective to the profession of physical therapy. Dr. Leavitt began her career as a physical therapist at Harlem Hospital (1968) where she quickly learned that her “life of privilege” is not universal. In 1971, she embarked on the first of her many trips to developing nations that further reinforced her thirst for exploring different ways of life and cultural perspectives.   

Dr. Leavitt pursued her graduate work in public health and medical anthropology. These areas of study matched her interests in people from diverse cultures, global health, and social justice. Her doctoral dissertation, Health Beliefs and Behaviors of Families With Disabled Children in Rural Jamaica, led to the beginning of her expertise in cultural competence and international rehabilitation. During the early 1980s, these areas were rather new to most physical therapists.    

Highlights of Dr. Leavitt’s professional accomplishments include being a co-founder of the Cross-Cultural and International Special Interest Group (CCISIG) of the APTA and Physical Therapy Overseas (PTO), a component of Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO). She has published extensively regarding cultural competence and international rehabilitation, has had professional presentations throughout the U.S. and internationally, and has volunteered as a physical therapist in developing nations. Dr. Leavitt has been honored to receive recognition for her work by both lay and professional groups, including the APTA CCISIG and the APTA Department of Minority and International Affairs.   

Dr. Leavitt was a faculty member in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Connecticut from 1979 to 2009. She has recently retired and is continuing to pursue clinical, academic, and volunteer experiences.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

About the Editor ix

Contributing Authors xi

Preface xiii

Chapter 1 Introduction to Cultural Competence Ronnie Leavitt 1

Chapter 2 Understanding the Nature of Culture Christine A. Loveland 19

Chapter 3 The Historical Development of Theory, Models, and Assessment Tools Ronnie Leavitt 31

Chapter 4 Exploring Cultural Diversity: Eliciting a Client's Ethnography Ronnie Leavitt 51

Chapter 5 Disability Across Cultures Ronnie Leavitt Susan E. Roush 77

Chapter 6 Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Status, Health Care, and Physical Therapy Kristin Lefebvre Jill Black Lattanzi 99

Chapter 7 Poverty and Health: Social Status Differences in Leading Health Indicators Rebecca Reviere Valerie R. Stackman 121

Chapter 8 Understanding Racism Joseph W. Smey 137

Chapter 9 Cross-Cultural Communication Helen L. Masin 159

Chapter 10 Developing Cultural Competence Through Service Learning Pamela J. Reynolds 187

Chapter 11 Physical Therapy and Cultural Competence in the Global Community: Moving from a Bio-Medical to a Social Justice Model Ronnie Leavitt 203

Chapter 12 The Practice of Cultural Competence in the 21st Century Ronnie Leavitt 227

Appendix A Resources for Additional Information on Cultures Outside of the United States 247

Appendix B Resources for Physical Therapists Interested in Global Health 249

Appendix C Resources for Establishing a Culturally Competent Practice 251

Index 257

Editorial Reviews

Cultural competence is a complex concept, and the authors provide a loose framework for cultural competence while presenting sufficient structure to allow the reader/practitioner to find their own level of understanding.  This book is very relevant to physical therapy as it provides an opportunity for practitioners to examine their own cultural competence…On the whole, this book provides reasonable value for money for either individual purchase or as part of a departmental library.”

- Patricia Smith, Physiotherapy

From the Publisher