Planning Management: On cultural competence
Given the reality of the multicultural society we must operate in, it then is perhaps prudent for some sort of cultural competency to be included as part of the core set of skills afforded to planners. Some of the arguments involved against cultural competence skills has been that is is a normative skill which doesn’t necessarily fit in with the institutional structures which planners operate in, or that is is divorced from the technical realities. Whilst there are grounds for such arguments, one could conversely reply that by focusing on a purely reductionist and technical argument, the sum of the interactions become lost in the process i.e. we fail to acknowledge the bigger picture.
A look at any population projections would reveal a trend towards diversity rather than towards homogeneity. Sweeping generalisations aside, this reflects a need for a planner’s ability to communicate effectively at the client/professional (whether working in the public sector or private) interface with those that do not necessarily share the same cultural or even ethnic background as the planner. Failure to do so, produces results that are divorced from the realities on the ground. Without going into a tirade on the topic, it always seems to me that no matter how understanding we perceive ourselves as being, we are ultimately affected by the presentation of cultures within any media (as in plural of medium, not referring merely to ‘the media’, at risk of sounding rather snarky and obnoxious).
Afterall, humans categorize - not out of any active desire to discriminate, but rather that we need to in order to cope with the wealth of information available. Of course, the corollary being, that with such categorization we form ‘ingroups’ and ‘outgroups’ (‘us’ and ‘them’). And the psychology of group dynamics tells us that there is a trend towards ingroup favourism and outgroup devaluation (we are good, they are bad). So, the pragmatist in me can see how it can be argued that any attempt to understand a different group as almost counter-intuitive.
I suppose I am in an interesting position, being a Hong Kong Chinese (Former British Colonials unite!) living in New Zealand - it sort of allows me to take an outsider’s approach to New Zealand issues (it can however be seen as a liability, as sometimes I have difficulty in understanding - as great a sport as it is - the nation’s obsession with Rugby in both its forms). Of course, that doesn’t necessarily afford me greater authority than my native-born colleagues, far from it, but I surmise that at least I can have one more perspective to look at things.
As a quick tool of sort for engendring a new cultural perspective for planners, we as a class was given an exercise whereby we picked a situation in which as a result of interacting with another person, a challenge arose. I was initially a little hesitant, and while it didn’t offer me some spiritual epiphany in which I can finally come to appreciate my every last one of my fellow man, it did force me to reconsider my previous judgements. Here’s the template:
[As you can see, it isn’t terribly sophisticated (sorry Dory!), but that is perhaps the beauty of it - it is simple and straight forward and can be done in a few minutes.]
Completed some time after the challenge (after residual feelings subsides), it offered me a chance to coolly and rationally (and with the luxury of hindsight) to look back at what happened. I personally think the ‘similarities’ and ‘differences’ section is perhaps the most effective in forcing one’s self into the shoes of others. Once perceived differences are removed, we begin to understand and even associate with others, ‘walk a mile in my shoes’ as some would say (perhaps not a mile, but at least a good city block).
P.S. For those interested, try the Harvard Implicit Test, which offers a chance to gauge your own subconscious implicit associations. Clicky here! N.B. I have found, that at times, it could seem more like a game with the pressing of the button and the rush of time-constraints and whatnot. And the mini-exercise above helped me (perhaps not comprehend but atleast) to understand some of the ‘issues’ encountered during group work for one of my studio projects - here’s looking at you Jimmy! ( I did not upload my completed template so that those that wish to use it can, and those the fact I don’t want to name and shame. *coughJimmycough*).
