Examines the application of principles of cultural competence to empowerment practice, described as culturally competent empowerment practice. Cultural competence is the capacity to function effectively in the context of cultural differences and involves awareness and acceptance of differences, awareness of one’s own cultural values, understanding of the dynamics of difference and how behaviors and intentions can be misinterpreted, specific knowledge of different cultures, and ability to understand another’s worldview. Social work and related organizations can use the empowering process to foster cultural competence; that is, empowering practices such as participatory decision-making can support efforts to achieve organizational cultural competence. While top-down bureaucratic approaches to valuing and adapting to diversity are likely to increase practitioners’ sense of loss of control, an approach that involves empowering the practitioners will benefit the clients as well: empowered, culturally competent practitioners can help instill clients with a strong sense of self-capability as they make the transition to a new culture. At the root of empowerment is the ability to revisit and reshape understandings: a powerful tool for both practitioners working with a diverse client base and newcomers seeking to adapt successfully to a new country.
