Page 124 - JSOM Fall 2022

of organizational politics and power structures that must the world or orient oneself and one’s praxis (application of
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be considered. Sociocultural knowledge is primarily “lo­ KSAs). 7,12–14 Cultural competency training, for example, too
cated” in Tier 3. often becomes a “cultural cookbook” – a way of stereotyping
a community down to a fixed set of beliefs, values, and ways
Many civilian health and performance professionals contracted to engage with its members that are distilled into a checklist
to work as embedded practitioners are formally trained in the of what to do and not to do. 13–16 This has very little utility
first tier of competencies and hired based on requisite degrees in dynamic social groups. For this reason, we argue for an
and certifications intended to represent foundational knowl­ expanded approach to equipping embedded professionals to
edge. Some professionals are offered military­oriented training engage with social environments rather than specific instal­
opportunities to acquire Tier 2 knowledge prior to, or upon lations, branches, career fields, or military culture in general.
initial onboarding to work with specific programs or initia­
tives. Working within communities as an integrated embedded Why Is Sociocultural Knowledge Important?
practitioner, rather than simply as a co­located professional, The importance of sociocultural knowledge and understand­
requires an overlay of professional knowledge (Tier 1) and so­ ing culture is hardly a new concept for the US military, which
ciocultural knowledge of the community (Tiers 2 and 3) to has demonstrated cycles of interest in the subject (as well as in
integrate service delivery (Figure 1). Despite being in uniform, anthropologists themselves) for over seventy years. 17–21 Former
even newer military health and performance professionals will Secretary of Defense James Mattis highlighted the need for this
have to learn how to integrate into a variety of operational knowledge stating:
cultures and contexts that differ from that of the MTF and the
medical context/community. For this reason, professions that “If Marines want to be prepared for the next fight, they
primarily work with communities may incorporate the addi­ are going to have to prepare themselves to adjust rapidly
tional tiers into their formal training. Embedded practitioners to whatever culture they are going into. We are always
fall into the category of community­engaged professions such operating in other people’s cultures. We’ve got to be able
as social workers, community health workers, community or­ to adapt to those cultures and make certain that we do
ganizers, sociologists, and anthropologists who are expected not create problems.” 22
to operationalize sociocultural knowledge to various extents
in order to do their jobs. For the purpose of this article and The kind of preparation Mattis is referring to far exceeds the
due to the authors’ experience in anthropology and commu­ “area studies’’ approach to “cultural competence training” of­
nity health, this article highlights a more anthropological lens ten associated with preparing professionals to cross cultural
of acquiring sociocultural knowledge. boundaries. Preparing to adjust to different cultures rapidly
requires training that focuses on what Fosher and Macken­
What Is Sociocultural Knowledge? zie have referred to as “culture general” or the approach to
Sociocultural knowledge incorporates a vast array of inter­ advancing generalizable culture concepts and skills that are
related and nuanced rules and practices, both written and transferable across contexts to learn, understand, and apply
unwritten, which govern activity and interaction between sub­ sociocultural knowledge. 5,22 It is one thing, for example, to
jects in a given social context (primarily Tier 3). These rules learn how a service branch organizes their ranks and desig­
can often be experienced unevenly and carry different mean­ nates these ranks with associated symbols, customs, and cour­
ings depending on who one is talking to. Thus, sociocultural tesies. It is another to understand how rank governs social
knowledge allows an individual to understand appropriate interactions and the explicit as well as implicit rules of being
behavior in one space, with one set of people, and to also un­ members within that social organization or hierarchy. It is one
derstand why that same behavior would be inappropriate in a thing to know what a rank is, for example, but the real value
different space, with a different group of people. comes in knowing what that rank means in a variety of social
contexts.
Sociocultural knowledge is not limited to rules of behavior but
must also include an understanding of systems of hierarchy Mattis’ statement applies as much to embedded professionals
both visible (rank) and invisible (authority), group dynamics (both civilian and military) preparing to work within a unit
and intergroup dynamics, impacts of the built environment on community as it can to servicemembers preparing to interact
social interactions, and a multitude of other considerations. with coalition forces, adversaries, and civilians from different
Which of these considerations are most impactful can vary cultures. Somewhat like servicemembers entering another cul­
from place to place and time to time and can make sociocul­ ture, embedded work requires embedded professionals to en­
tural knowledge feel elusive. However, recognizing what to gage with and integrate their work into communities that have
look for and understanding how to utilize that knowledge are their own multidimensional and dynamic cultures. The frus­
possible with training and practice. tration that emerges from teaching “military culture” or “mil­
itary cultural competence training” for civilians in particular is
Each community has its own social environment that is made that these efforts often rely on broad comparisons between the
visible through sociocultural practices. Understanding the ele­ military and civilians or between service branches and do not
ments of the social environment and how they are interrelated teach cultural competence. In other words, they do not prepare
can be thought of as “social­cultural knowledge” or what is professionals to develop “the ability to quickly and accurately
commonly referred to as “culture.” Current views of culture, comprehend, then appropriately and effectively act, in a cul-
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especially by fields that do not explicitly study culture, often turally complex environment to achieve the desired effect.”
oversimplify the concept. Although a variety of worthwhile Instead, learners are often trained to rely on static tropes, or
cultural competence models exist, they are often framed as cultures as a “checklist” of dos and don’ts that do not prepare
a tool to employ or as a means of culturally signaling good them to gain and continue to develop a nuanced understanding
intent to others rather than as a lens through which to view of the community and operational context in question.

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