Course Details

Course Code(s):
BM6061
Available:
Part-Time
Intake:
Spring
Course Start Date:
18th January 2025
Duration:
6 Weeks
Award:
University Certificate of Study
Faculty: Education and Health Sciences
Course Type: Professional/Flexible
Fees: For Information on Fees, see section below.
Application Deadline:

Contact(s):

Name: Susann Huschke
Email: susann.huschke@ul.ie
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Brief Description

This micro-credential aims to support the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes for those involved in cross-cultural and multi-lingual consultations in health and social care, such as interpreters, healthcare professionals, healthcare managers and staff of non-profit/non-government organisations.

Please ensure you enter the Module Code above when applying for this module. Applications without this cannot be processed. You may apply for more than one module under the same application.

The course focuses on encouraging self-reflexivity, intercultural awareness, interpersonal communication, and critical reflections on power inequalities and privilege. Informed by critical migration research, this course presents intercultural awareness and cultural responsiveness as dynamic, reflective, inter-relational processes, rather than a suite of cultural facts to be learned about migrant communities.

Theme 1: Culture, ethnicity, race and identity

  • Introduction to key concepts
  • Differentiating culture, ethnicity, race and identity
  • Self-reflection: what is your cultural, ethnic and racial background?
  • How culture informs perceptions of health, illness, health-seeking behaviour, healthcare treatment and expectations of health and social care service.

Theme 2: From cultural competence to culturally responsive care

  • Definitions of key concepts: cultural competence, cultural humility, cultural safety, culturally
  • responsive care
  • Reflect on own cultural beliefs and values, exploring similarities whilst acknowledging and
  • respecting cultural difference
  • Role play and discussion

Theme 3: Implicit bias

  • Definition and examples
  • White privilege, racist micro-aggressions and ethno-centric attitudes
  • Opportunities to ‘stop and think’ how stereotypes can inform attitudes and behaviours during cross-cultural encounters
  • Tools and practices against implicit bias

Theme 4: Conflict in cross-cultural communication

  • Differences, expectations, conflict
  • Diversity in communication styles, linguistics and culturally informed beliefs underpinning perceptions and expectations of communication
  • Real life scenarios – examples from students’ experience

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Describe their own positionality and recognise their own implicit bias vis-à-vis ethnic, cultural and racial categories that shape intercultural interactions in health and social care settings
  • Critically examine ‘culturally responsive care’, ‘cultural humility’ and ‘cultural safety’ and distinguish these concepts from ‘cultural competence’
  • Critically evaluate health and social care encounters in terms of culturally responsive care
  • Describe and identify best practices for culturally responsive care in their own work settings
  • Demonstrate an appreciation of tools to foster critical self-reflexivity in relation to their own work and positionality
  • Acknowledge the importance of engaging actively in collaboration and cooperation within an intercultural learning environment

ASSESSMENT will consist of: (1) attendance; (2) weekly contributions to reflective exercise and group discussions on Brightspace; (3) a group presentation on a selected case study; (4) a written case reflection drawing on key resources from the course. This is a pass/fail course.

The programme is open to anyone involved in cross-cultural and multi-lingual consultations in health and social care, such as interpreters, healthcare professionals, healthcare managers and staff of non-profit/non-government organisations.

The course involves group work and written assignments which require advanced English language skills. 

Note: For interpreters who aim to obtain the joint Graduate Certificate in Public Service Interpreting with Dublin City University in the future (i.e. a combination of a number of micro-credential courses in addition to this one), non-Native English speakers will need proof of English skills level C1 (IELTS or equivalent). We therefore advise interpreters to work towards this certification in parallel to taking the micro-credential courses.

Entry requirements are established to ensure the learner can engage with the course material and assessments, at a level suitable to their needs, and the academic requirements of the module. By applying to this micro-credential, you are confirming that you have reviewed and understand any such requirements, and that you meet the eligibility criteria for admission. 

Successful completion of this module does not automatically qualify you for entry into a further award. All programme applicants must meet the entry requirements listed if applying for a further award. 

€600 EU / €1,200 Non EU

Please click here for information on funding and scholarships.