When the terms culture and competence are combined into a unified concept several
definitions emerge. Cross et al. (1989) define cultural competency as a “set of cultural
behaviors and attitudes integrated into the practice methods of a system, agency, or its
professionals that enables them to work effectively in cross cultural situations”. Cross
et al. also see cultural competency as a developmental process occurring along a
negative-positive continuum consisting of six possibilities starting from one end
(negative) and building toward the other end (positive)