The Ethics of Cultural Competence Training with Reference to Faith Practices and Spirituality

The concept of cultural competence in medical care and behavioral health care is expanding exponentially to include awareness and skills not only relating to traditionally-framed cultural differences but also to such things as gender-complex diversity, workplace violence, HR compliance, use of inclusive language, proper use of AI, encouragement toward L2 (Second Language) learning, and so much more. The concept also takes on overtly subjective dimensions when it stretches beyond gaining knowledge and awareness to promoting intense forms of self-examination of one’s perceptions, values and truth-conceptions, alongside the expected measurements for it (e.g. Loftin et al., 2013). Competence has even become linked to such matters as social justice, with a view to promoting equitable access to medical care and behavioral health care. Add to that individualization for (sub-) cultures (e.g. Purnell, 2013) and the concept’s proportions have become behemoth.