Cultural Incompetence

So, I don't want to say too much about cultural competence as it's taught in health care classes here because I'm liable to get myself into trouble, but, man, there are times when I miss the reflexive thinking and dialogue of anthropologists and sociologists.

Talking tonight over dinner about the abysmal presentation we've received thus far, The Partner pulled out that bone that's been stuck in my craw all week by pointing out the most obviously overlooked problem in discussing race and ethnic relations today: cultural competence means being tolerant of intolerance. So true. And so, so rare.

FYI: Our program is in the School of Nursing. In the School of Nursing also dwells, somewhere in the dark recesses of the Laurel Heights campus, the department of Social and Behavioral Sciences chaired by perhaps one of the most forethinking race theorists in the country. He offers a very critical and astute Race, Class and Gender course for doctoral students (also offered this year: Soc 236 Race/Class Factors in Health Care Delivery). It should be made available to master's nursing students, without question.

Where Do You Stand?

Yesterday marked the end of week one for MEPN. We celebrated with team-building activities in Golden Gate Park. One of the more fascinating exercises was that in which an imaginary world map was drawn on the surface of the field -- with China stage left, Europe stage right*. The leader of the group from UCSF's own outdoor program represented Alaska, as a point of reference. The idea was for each student to place him/herself in his or her hometown/city of birth.

I stood alone up in Montana with two Oregonians, and a lone Iowan. No Washington, Idaho or Dakotas. No Wyoming. The middle of the United States was completely unrepresented. The south was sparse. We had a sort of sad international representation, still better than what was going on in the middle. But the coasts -- the coasts. I won't say too much here about my interpretation - talk to some of your sociologist and anthropologist friends for criticality - but it was an interesting exercise in the reality of American education and social (im)mobility.

* You may be asking yourself, "Where was Russia?" No Russians, no Russia, apparently.