CHCECE001: Develop Cultural competence - Research Local - Service Culture - Assessment Answer

Develop Cultural competence Assignment

Assignment Task

Question 1.Name and describe two regulations from the education and care services national regulations that deal with the need to cater for different cultural requirements in an early education care setting.

141 Additional information for application for determination of equivalent qualification

(2). If the qualification was awarded, or the educational institution was attended, in acountry other than Australia, the applicant must, at the request of the NationalAuthority, give the National Authority a certification of the Australian QualificationFramework level of the qualification from—

(c) an overseas qualification unit, or other unit responsible for recognisingoverseas qualifications, of the State or Territory where the applicant resides.

The above provision in the laws governing the education and care services in the national regulations caters for the individuals that have a different cultural background in the earlier place of learning outside Australia. The law allows inclusion of people with a different cultural background as long as they have met the overseas qualification criteria.

143 Certification of documents

The documents set out in regulations 140 and 141 that are required to be providedwith the application or otherwise to the National Authority must be certified as acopy of the original by—

(d) a person accredited as a translator who is employed by an Australian overseasdiplomatic mission; or

(e) a person accredited as a translator and interpreter by the NationalAccreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Limited A.C.N. 008596 996.

The law above as stipulated in the education and care services in the National regulations recognizes the presence of different cultures and language diversity. The members of different language groups are availed the opportunity to participate as their documents are verified through the aid of a translator. This allows their inclusion in the system in spite of their different language owing to the cultural diversity.

Question 2.

b). Cultural safety: This is described as the presence of a freely existing environment where different cultures coexist in harmony, with access to the various amenities availed to all irrespective of their cultural affiliations. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander coexist irrespective of their cultural differences. Amenities such as education, health care, shared knowledge and other basic needs are freely accessible to all. The cultural affiliation of an individual does not limit their ability to enjoy or access the required services.

c). 5 strategies that can be used to promote a culturally safe environment.

- Improvement of the health and well-being status of the people irrespective of their cultural affiliation.

- Improvement of the delivery of basic amenities to the people so that all have access and rights to obtaining the services.

- Acknowledging and accepting the differences among the different cultural affiliations so as to strengthen acceptance and free lifestyle where all are comfortable with their cultural affiliations.

- Empowerment of the different people on basis of their cultural beliefs to participate in all interactions and social endeavors.

- Availing support to the people to enable them undertake their culturally significant tasks as their cultural affiliations may require of them.

Question 3.

For the following two quality areas from the National Quality Standards, list two practices that an educator could use in their work to assist in providing a culturally safe environment.

a). Educational program and Practice.

- Assisting a child to be a confident and involved learner through close engagement in classwork and availing equal opportunities to the learners in the class. The educator should accord adequate attention to all the learners under his or her regard at all times through the learning process.

- Creating a sense of wellbeing and a strong sense of identity in the learners through their involvement in class activities with the rest of the culturally diverse children. An educator should give equal opportunities and the assurance that each and every learner`s identity matters.

b). Relationships with Children

- An educator should cultivate a parental attitude towards the children so as to serve as a role model in correcting and nurturing the children through the learning engagement. This would make it easy for the children to relate with the educator, being assured of safety and protection during their learning.

- An educator needs to be very attentive to the children`s behaviours so as to identify any change of behavior in a child and act appropriately. Such changes that may imply sickness, loneliness or low esteem should be easily identified and addressed to ensure that the children are at ease during their learning session.

Question 4.

Culturally safe work practices

The concept of cultural safety originated in New Zealand and can be defined as the effective and efficient nursing practice of an individual or family from another culture. It is determined by the recipient of the service. An unsafe cultural practice, on the other hand, is an action that assaults or demeans the cultural identity of the recipient of the service. Some of the widely accepted culturally safe work practices include:

• Respect for culture and the ways of life of the receivers of the service.
• Ensuring there is no assault or demeaning of a person's identity
• Treating the clients with dignity
• Provision of culturally appropriate services in an enabling environment
• Formulation of clearly defines strategies to self-determination and empowerment.
• Provision of the fundamental rights such education, medical care, employment, etc
• Freedom to develop, maintain and promote own institutional structures, traditions, distinctive customs, procedures and practices

The empowerment of the Aboriginal population, if combined with education, training and education can lead to innovative services which would help to address the numerous challenges that face the minority group. They should be active participants on the matters that concern them.

Question 5.

Cultural Celebrations

1. Initiation ceremony among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island

The initiation ceremony among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia is known as Bora. It takes place during adolescence. Through this process, the boys acquire the status of men. The ceremony involves the learning of traditional sacred songs, stories, dances, and traditional folklore.

The candidates are prepared for their adult roles, and special skills and knowledge are passed unto them. A permanent symbol is drawn on their bodies to signify that they have been initiated to adult life. This may involve the plucking of a tooth, the removal of a part of a finger or the piercing of the ears or nose.

1. CoastFest among the Darkinjung people

This three-day music event is usually held on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It features Kids Festival and Activities, Dance Workshops and Performance, Drama, Theatre and Circus, Poetry and Story–telling, Fire Event and Festival finale among other celebrations. The festival is meant to promote non-mainstream, contemporary and alternative genres. It is also a celebration of the customary heritage of the central coastal people. They showcase their songs, dance, crafts as well as demonstrate their skills, beliefs, and customs.

My most effective ways of sharing information with pre-school or school age children would be:

• Displaying information in community languages
• Speaking clearly and repeating the information.
• Use of pictures, diagrams, and photographs to help communicate with the children
• Role playing

The protocols followed

Observing the appropriate rules while working with Aboriginal people is critical for establishing positive and respectful relationships. This is because the Aboriginal people are not only the owners but also the custodians of their culture and knowledge. Having this in mind, I approached and consulted the elders since they are the most respected members of the communities. Their experiences are valuable in upholding the Aboriginal identity.

c). Protocols used when seeking the information.

In seeking the information regarding the cultural celebrations, I engaged close friends seeking to learn more about their culture and sharing my cultural beliefs with them. The inquiry was made in the spirit of embracing diversity and learning each other`s cultural activities.

Question 6.

Impact of British colonization on Aboriginal people

Colonialism distorted the social infrastructures and cultural patterns of the Australian Aboriginal people. Once disrupted, all kinds of other imbalances were bound to occur. For instance, the European settlement disrupted the essential conditions which maintained good health and long life among the Aboriginal peoples. These conditions which range from material to non-material factors included proper nutrition, income, adequate shelter, companionship and healthy environment.

Disease

The outbreak of illnesses was one of the consequences of British settlement. They included measles, smallpox, influenza, and smallpox. These infectious diseases spread very quickly, killing many people because the Aboriginal people had not developed natural immunity against them. The once healthy population now became one of the sickest and poorest minority group in Australia. There was also the emergence and transmission of venereal disease, which reduced the fertility and birth rates of the Aboriginals.

Aboriginal Land Rights

British settlement resulted in the reduction of land. It was easy to drive the Aboriginal people away from their land because of their nomadic lifestyle, and their land was given to the white settlers. The European livestock spread widely over vast areas and this also restricted the nomadic lifestyle of Aboriginal people As a consequence, they had to depend on the European settlers for food and livelihood.This displacement of Aboriginal peoples away from their land resulted in a drastic decline in their population. Many were killed in violent clashes as they fought for their land rights. Others died from malnourishment. The inability to access clean water and healthy food made them susceptible to diseases.These repercussions of Aboriginal dispossession have continued for generations

Stolen Generation

After the 1930s, a policy of assimilation emerged. This was designed to integrate the indigenous Aboriginal people into modern white society. The Aboriginal were being forced to disregard their cultures compelled to live like the Australias, holding their beliefs and values. This policy somewhat led to the dilution of traditional Aboriginal culture. As a result of this policy, many children were forcibly separated from their parents and taken to foster homes. These children and their generations have now become known as the Stolen Generation

Alcohol

The British colonialists introduced alcohol to the Indigenous people of Australia. Unfortunately, its misuse among these people has been a contributing factor to many social and health problems, such as loss of income, violence; social disorder; child neglect, family breakdown, high levels of criminal activities, etc. Besides, the Indigenous people of Australians experience more harms associated with alcohol use, such as deaths and hospitalizations, compared to the rest of the Australians

Question 7.

Services must provide documentation to families about the services that are available to them.

a). If there was a family that did not read English, they can access the information, an accredited translator may be appointed to translate the documentation to the families regarding the documentation. The translation may be undertaken by a person appointed under the legislation, employed by an Australian overseas diplomatic mission or through a person accredited as a translator and interpreter by the National Accreditation Authority for translators and interpreters limited.

b). Imagine your community has a large Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Steps that your service could take to make sure that your information is culturally acceptable and easily understood by this community.

- Use of a nominated supervisor to oversee the service delivery process and to handle all concerns from the parents as well as other concerned parties.

- Maintenance of a consistent staff record that should highlight the important identification details as well as qualification details of the staff members.

- Maintenance of an attendance record maintained by the day care educator which should clearly indicate the children in attendance and the times during which they were in attendance in a period.

c). Two interpreter resources in Adelaide Australia.

- Interpreting and Translating Centre.

GPO Box 292 Adelaide SA 5001

Tel: +61 1800280 203

• Oncall Interpreters and Translators.

Level 8, 118 King William Street

Adelaide, SA 5000

Tel: +61 884 105 111

Question 8

Cultural Concepts that an educator should be aware of when dealing with Aboriginal people

Aboriginal English

Aboriginal English is a dialect which reflects Aboriginal language and culture. It has evolved as an effective way of communication among the community members. It is used by may Aboriginal people as a mean of expressing their identity. Aboriginal English consists of patterns of Standard Australian English words, sounds and grammar of Aboriginal languages. An educator should, therefore, be aware of the potential language barriers and should always ask for confirmation or clarification in case of any misunderstanding.

Family and Community

The family and community structures of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people differ from those that exists in Western society. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lay great emphasis on the extended family structure and the relationships within the community. A person's family does not necessarily refer to their blood relatives only, but may also include a larger group of individuals based on their relationship with those people. Kinship defines the roles and responsibilities of the people as well as how they relate to each other. Kinship also determines behavioral patterns and social relationships. An educator should thus be sensitive to the kinship systems and rules that exist and how they impact on their interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Terms associated with Aboriginal culture and community

Educators must be aware of some terms related to the Aboriginal community and their explanation. For example, For Aboriginal people, the term community means inter-relatedness of family, location, country and shared experiences, and not limited to a particular geographic area.

Cultural heritage

Cultural heritage is the entire way of life of human beings and is passed from generations to others. The Aboriginal people have diverse and complex cultural heritage, and it encompasses their knowledge, performances (music, songs and dances), visual arts and rituals. These people have the right to control the use of their culture and heritage. Consultation on the use of their cultural material is, therefore, essential.

Question 9.

Stereotypes about the Aboriginal and Torres Islander people of Australia

Stereotypes are inaccurate, and incomplete beliefs that are held by individuals about other people. Cultural Stereotypes distort further and understanding of that particular culture.

There are many stereotypes circulating within the Australian society about the Aboriginal and Torres. They include:

• They lack structure, complex laws, and social organization,
• They are ancient and racially alike
• They are more prone to alcoholism compared to the rest of the Australian
• They are lazy, mystical and unsophisticated
• They are violent, emotional, criminal and mindlessly cruel