Cultural Considerations in Forensic Science in the United States Suzanna K. Taylor Department of Criminal Justice University of North Alabama Florence, Alabama, United States staylor@una.edu Wayne P. Bergeron Department of Criminal Justice University of North Alabama Florence, Alabama, United States wpbergeron@una.edu “You are your culture, you live your culture, and you express your culture whether you intend to or not.” (Lindsey, Roberts, & Campbelljones’, 2005) Abstract— Does the cultural context of any criminal justice element, ranging from the crime victim to the forensic science expert, have any impact on the pursuit of justice? Is forensic science completely free of cultural adulteration? Two dimensions of the cultural consideration variable this paper focuses on are (1), what areas of forensic analysis need to be considered to prevent, or at least, diminish cultural offenses in processing crime scenes and forensic evidence, and (2) the need of forensic science professionals and organizations to adopt a consistent scientific culture in processing and analyzing evidence (particularly in DNA analysis). While many empirical sources have addressed individual criminal justice elements in the context of cultural considerations, the writers found an empirical research void that holistically addresses the spectrum of crime scene investigation and the pursuit of justice in terms of cultural considerations in forensic science. The goal of this paper is to provide the reader with an overview of culture, in general, and how culture impacts the pursuit of justice in the context of crime scene investigation and forensic science, both negatively and positively. Keywords- forensic science; culture; Cultural Profienciency; Contemporary America; I. INTRODUCTION: WHY IS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING SO CRITICAL IN FORENSIC SCIENCE? “As individuals, we are ultimately the result of our culture, that system of values, beliefs, behaviors, and norms that provide us with the world view that we share with others that are similar to or like us within society. It is through this cultural lens that we perceive and interpret the world around us.” (Bergeron, 2013) 1 . It is no different within forensic science; as a result the writers use two foundations to set the parameters of cultural considerations in forensic science. The first addresses the “five principles of cultural proficiency”, which are discussed by Lindsey, Roberts, & Campbellj ones’ (2005) in the book, The Culturally Proficient School: An Implementation Guide for School Leaders. According to Lindsey, Roberts, & Campbelljones (2005), the five principles of cultural proficiency are that culture affects people’s lives, culture serves people, culture is divided between personal identities and group identities, cultural diversity is broad and important, and, finally, culture is made up of individual and group values (Lindsey, Roberts, & Campbelljones, 2005) 2 . In addition to these five principles, the writers also use the “Cultural Proficiency Continuum”, illustrated by Lindsey, Roberts, & Campbelljones, Cross (1989) 3 , and Lindsey, Nuri, Robins, & Terrell (1999) 4 . The six degrees of the “Cultural Proficiency Continuum” (Figure 1.1), going from the left to the right, include: Cultural Destructiveness, Cultural Incapacity, Cultural Blindness, Cultural Precompetence, Cultural Competence, and, finally, Cultural Proficiency (Bergeron, 2012, p. 31) 4 . In order to summarize the six continuum steps, the following definitions are given to each step:  Cultural Destructiveness: Attitudes, beliefs, or actions that try to negate or disparage cultures that are not one’s own. In the context of forensic science, an example of cultural destructiveness would be unethical behavior of law enforcement personnel such as not collecting or sending evidence items to be tested or forensic science personnel determining which pieces of evidence to examine or not examine due to preconceived bias against an individual or group.  Cultural Incapacity: Elevating one’s own culture as being superior to the culture of others. An example can be seen in the fairly common occurrence of “Cop Culture”, where law enforcement officers become increasingly separated and distant from the citizens they serve. In some cases this can become so extreme that officers begin to suspect and distrust anyone who is not a sworn officer.