Principles of Cultural Competency and the Implications for Western Evaluators Using the Program Evaluation Standards (3rd Edition) in Chinese Cultural Context
Loading...
Authors
Wu, Yongfei
Date
2015-02-11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Keyword
Cross-cultural Evaluation , Cultural Competence , Confucianism , Chinese Cultural Context , Western Evaluators
Alternative Title
Abstract
The importance of cultural competence permeates all phases of evaluation since culture
shapes how evaluators conceptualize questions, collect, analyze, and interpret data, and
report evaluation results. This paper aims at enriching the understanding of Chinese culture
from the perspective of Confucianism for the Western evaluators so that they may work
efficiently in the Chinese cultural context. To avoid a general discussion, the author focuses
on three subsets of the Program Evaluation Standards (3rd Edition), i.e., U4 Explicit Values,
P2 Formal Agreements, and P3 Human Rights and Respect, in order to make an in-depth
analysis of the cultural competence that the Western evaluators are expected to have to work
in the Chinese cultural context. To this end, this paper compares the differences in Chinese
and Western values, legal tradition related to entering into and implementing evaluation
agreements, and the way in which people show respect. Finally, this paper provides some
suggestions for the Western evaluators on how they may enhance their cultural readiness
and achieve success in finishing their evaluation projects in China.