Utilizing Technology to Reach Diverse Audiences

By Terrence Wolfork

In a recent webinar entitled “Utilizing Technology to Reach Diverse Audiences”, presenters Anne Adrian, Terrence Wolfork, and Yolanda Surrency, promoted the use of smartphones as just one way that Cooperative Extension could extend its reach to reach Hispanic audiences. Hispanics are the fastest growing demographic in America, currently accounting for approximately 17% of all Americans with a future projection to reach 24% by 2025. While their ownership of desktop computers (72 percent Hispanic, 83 percent White), is lower than Whites; their ownership of smartphone, (49 percent Hispanic, 46 percent White) is more than Whites according to a Pew Research Study. The same study also states that Hispanics assess the internet at a higher percentage than Whites (76 percent to 60 percent), and use social media sites at a higher percentage than Whites (68 percent to 66 percent). So if you have a desire to expand Cooperative Extension’s reach, here is just one tip on how to utilize technology to reach the Hispanic audience.

• Enhance your outreach efforts through the use of social media. Social Media is not just another communication technique. The traditional Extension communication technique is one way, resource intensive, and subject matter expert focused. Social Media offers Cooperative Extension the ability to enhance client participation and to disseminate information quickly to a growing Hispanic audience who may not know what Cooperative Extension is. Like any communications technique however, social media is not a one size fit all, but rather the focus of Cooperative Extension should be to utilize the social media application that their clients are using.
   
  As stated, 68 percent of Hispanics use social media sites; however this category differs across language demographics of Hispanics. English is the dominant characteristic in usage of social media sites with 60 percent of Hispanics saying they use English mainly. This leaves an opportunity for Cooperative Extension to reach the additional 40 percent of Hispanics by hiring a bilingual specialist/agent to assist in new communications techniques to not only the Hispanic audiences, but to our existing Cooperative Extension personnel as well. Cooperative Extension has to change focus from the workshop being taught to one of focusing on the learner. This constructivism mode of learning can be replicated to not one particular demographic, but to any demographic allowing new Extension programs to be more flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of the clientele.

This is just one tip on how Cooperative Extension can utilize technology, specifically social media, to reach the Hispanic audience. Post some of your thoughts in the comment section below. Our next blog will focus on another technology and communication technique to reach the Hispanic audience.

Cultural Humility as a Tool for Change

by Dionardo Pizana

In an article that appears in the Journal for Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, authors Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray-Garcia advocate that the work of individuals, and the support they receive from their institutions around issues of inclusion, equity and social justice, suggest people should support the development of cultural humility rather than cultural competence when working across differences.  The authors define cultural humility as “a lifelong process and commitment to self-evaluation and critique, to redressing the power imbalances in the caretaker-patient dynamic, and to developing mutullay beneficial and non-paternalistic relationships and partnerships with communities on behalf of individuals and underrepresented populations.” Components that support the development and sustainabilty of cultural humility include:

* Prioritizing self-reflection and a lifelong learner model in one’s personal and professional lives – It is imperative that there be a simultaneous process of self-reflection and ongoing self-appraisal as it relates to addressing one’s own culture and how that impacts a person’s ability to work authentically across differences.


* Recognizing and challenging power imbalances for respectful partnerships — while working to establish and maintain respect is essential in all healthy and productive relationships, the root of effective practices is in acknowledging and challenging the power imbalances inherent in our practitioner/client dynamics.

* A movement from the “expert” model to the “student” model – Individuals with power need to be flexible enough and humble enough to “say that they do not know when they truly do not know,” and become students with their clients to better understand when one’s culture is at play and when other issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia, classism or other larger issues are impacting one’s health.

 * Community-based direction and advocacy – Practitioners of cultural humility work toward optimal health in their communities addressing the physical, mental and social well-being of their communities.  They work toward being nonpaternalistic, mutually engaged and mutually respectfull and build on the assests and adaptive strengths of communities - including those who are too often disenfranchised. 

* Institutional accountability — organizations need to model these principles as well (from micro, to mezzo and macro practice)

Although this model and way of being was developed within a medical community and framework, I believe that it can be applied in many of our personal and professional settings.  Questions that may help us to reflect on the concept of cultural humility in our personal and professional lives, include:

 -          How does the notion of cultural humility connect with your work in building authentic and sustained relationships across differences?

-           What is my professional responsibilty to build the skills and approaches connected to operating with cultural humility and what is the cost to me personally or to those that I work with if I don’t operate from a place of cultural humility? 


-          How does/could operating with cultural humility strengthen or support my work with diverse communities? 


Post some of your thoughts in the comment section.

 A video providing further information on cultural humility can be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaSHLbS1V4w