Jennifer Chin, with adviser Julian Agyeman, conducted research on cultural competency curriculum within accredited planning schools. The results are outlined in this PowerPoint presentation.
2. • Diversifying Suburbs: major shift in the first decade of
the 21st century – more than half of all persons of color
residing in large metropolitan areas are actually living in
the suburbs
• Majority/Minority Shift: the nation will become majority
persons of color and minority white by 2042; as of 2008,
nearly a quarter of all U.S. children had at least one
immigrant parent
(continued)
Planning for the INTERcultural City
3. • Increasing Income Disparity: High-wage workers in
large metropolitan areas earned more than low-wage
workers by a ratio of more than five to one; the stark
income disparity is described as a regional “pulling apart”
• Growing Elder Populations: Large metropolitan areas
are aging faster than the nation overall—in the 2000s,
large metro areas reported a 45% increase in their 55-to-
64 year-old population
The Brookings Institution State of Metropolitan America Report (2010)
Planning for the INTERcultural City
4. Planners have a “special responsibility to plan for
the needs of the disadvantaged and to
promote racial and economic integration.”
Furthermore, those certified “shall urge the
alteration of policies, institutions, and
decisions that oppose such needs.”
AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (2009)
Planning for the INTERcultural City
5. • regulatory and non-regulatory planning
knowledge
• technical planning knowledge
• U.S. mainstream planning theory
• conflict resolution, negotiation, and facilitation
• participatory planning techniques (a little bit)
Planning for the INTERcultural City
Planning programs typically teach:
6. Theory and skills are seldom taught using an explicit
diversity and equity lens—a cultural competency
lens.
If there is an ethical imperative to promote integration
and plan for the needs of the disadvantaged, then
planning schools, individual planners, and
institutions must approach their practice with
an active concern for cultural competency.
Planning for the INTERcultural City
7. Culturally competent planning practice involves:
• proactively acquiring and institutionalizing
cultural knowledge in order to competently manage
the dynamics of difference
• evaluating and improving practice in four
domains:
• cultural awareness/beliefs
• cultural knowledge
• skills
• behavior/practice
(Cross et al, 1989; Lum, 2007; Vasquez, 2009; Rice, 2004: and White, 2004)
Planning for the INTERcultural City
8. We wanted to know:
How are U.S. planning schools addressing
cultural issues in planning curricula?
Are planning schools teaching students about
cultural competency?
Planning for the INTERcultural City
9. • Culture/Cross-Cultural/Multicultural
• Ethnicity/Race
• Gender
• Class/Poverty
• Diversity/Demographics/Immigration/"human settlements"/"ethnic
group interactions"
• Equity
• Courses Focusing on Specific Cultural Groups
• Age (children, elderly)
• Ability/Disability
• Religion
• Sexual Orientation
• Cultural Competence or Cultural Competency
Planning for the INTERcultural City
Curricula were evaluated for these words/terms:
10. • 130 out of 153 courses meeting the criteria were
electives
• Only 23 out of 153 courses meeting the criteria
were graduation requirements
• None of the courses apply a cultural competency
frame to planning theory and practice
Planning for the INTERcultural City
The Results Are Not Good:
11. It can:
• transform knowledge and practice
• improves process and outcomes
• change individual and institutional norms
Planning for the INTERcultural City
The cultural competency frame is a developmental tool
that enables planners to be more intentional and
proactive agents of justice and equity in planning
12. Planning for the INTERcultural City
It can also strengthen our ability to facilitate the development of
more integrated, sustainable communities
Cultural competency is an ongoing
learning process that can help us be
more innovative in our practice
13. Visit the our wiki to access resources on cultural
competency and intercultural planning:
http://sites.tufts.edu/tuftsicp/literature/reading-list/
Planning for the INTERcultural City
Notas del editor
Interculturalism implies that we plan with and not just for our diverse communities and that we actively engage with managing differences in our practice
We conducted research this spring to understand whether the concept of cultural competency, frequently applied in the field of public health, has found its place in planning curricula
I give an overview of what culturally competent planning is, share highlights from our study’s findings, and discuss its implications for the future
The ability to competently plan with and for diverse communities is an increasingly critical skill for planners
But there is a disconnect between the skills and theory that planners are taught and the equity that they are urged to promote
So what types of skills help planners achieve the responsibility of “planning for the needs of the disadvantaged and to promote racial and economic integration”?
These are the areas of professional practice that are emphasized
Cultural competency is a capacity-building model
Cultural competency also demands a more critical and nuanced understanding and awareness of culture—one that rejects the assumption of homogeneity within cultural groups, considers multiple characteristics and types of knowledge, and goes far beyond an awareness of labels and categories like race
Conducted a content analysis of course descriptions of classes offered at 84 graduate planning programs accredited by the U.S. Planning Accreditation Board
Surveyed the presence or absence of culture-related terms in course descriptions
- don’t read the slide text!
Courses touching on any of the diversity-related topics were rarely graduation requirements and none of them applied a cultural competency frame in the teaching of theory or practice
cultural competency is frame that has been applied with success in other related fields, e.g., public health and public administration
Cultural norms, knowledge, skills, and practices influence everything from the design, outreach, attendance, and dynamics at planning meetings to planning outcomes, e.g., the design of public places and land use decisions
There are self assessment tools and audits that many scholars have created that can be used by individuals and institutions
Planners can use these tools and also advocate for assessing cultural practices not just on a personal level but at our places of work
You can view a list of these tools and read more about CC in practice on our wiki:
Cultural norms, knowledge, skills, and practices influence everything from the design, outreach, attendance, and dynamics at planning meetings to planning outcomes, e.g., the design of public places and land use decisions
There are self assessment tools and audits that many scholars have created that can be used by individuals and institutions
Planners can use these tools and also advocate for assessing cultural practices not just on a personal level but at our places of work
You can view a list of these tools and read more about CC in practice on our wiki: