Measuring cultural competence in emergency management and homeland security higher education programs

ABSTRACT

With the evolving demographics of our communities and recent disasters directly impacting socially vulnerable populations, cultural competency has increased in importance. Emergency management and homeland security scholars have outlined various interpersonal and technical knowledge, skills, and abilities for the discipline; yet lacking in this discussion is cultural competency. By increasing cultural competency knowledge, skills, and abilities in emergency management higher education, we increase our graduates to be more credible, empathetic, relatable, and trustworthy, and less inclined to negatively apply biases, stereotypes, and pre-conceived notions. Using results of a national survey to U.S. Emergency Management and Homeland Security Higher Education programs, we apply Cross’ cultural competence continuum to provide a contextual landscape of the inclusion of these knowledge, skills, and abilities in related courses within the curriculum. We conclude with lessons learned and recommendations for program directors who want to move forward on the continuum.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural competence
• emergency management education
• homeland security education
• higher education

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brittany Haupt

Brittany "Brie" Haupt is a recent graduate of the University of Central Florida's Public Affairs Doctoral program. Her research includes cultural competence, crisis communication, community resilience, and competency-based education with publications in Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Affairs Education, Disaster Prevention and Management, Journal of Emergency Management, Frontiers in Communication, and Risk, Crises, and Hazards in Public Policy. In 2017, she was honored by becoming a Founders’ Fellow with the American Society of Public Administration and participating in the 2017 International Scholars Program in Chennai, India.

Claire Connolly Knox

Claire Connolly Knox is an Associate Professor and the Emergency Management & Homeland Security Program Director in the School of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida. Her research interests include environmental vulnerability and disaster response, environmental policy, Habermas’ critical theory, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Dr. Knox has received multiple awards for the advancement of emergency management higher education including the 2015 Florida Emergency Preparedness Association’s Gary Arnold and the UCF Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award.