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Cultural Intelligence for Clinical Social Work Practice

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Abstract

The concept of cultural competence has long been promoted as a key educational practice priority in the profession of social work. However, assuming uniformity in a given culture and its values and beliefs without allowing for within-group diversity and the consideration of the intercultural interaction is problematic. This article delineates the dynamics of tapping into “cultural intelligence”, which uses a different approach to understanding cultural diversity and cross-cultural interactions by focusing on the interactional field that operates in cross-cultural clinical encounters.

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  1. Howard University School of Social Work, 601 Howard Place, Washington, D.C., 20059, USA

    Janice Berry Edwards

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  1. Janice Berry Edwards
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Correspondence to Janice Berry Edwards.

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Edwards, J.B. Cultural Intelligence for Clinical Social Work Practice. Clin Soc Work J 44, 211–220 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-015-0543-4

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