Cultural Humility

1. Cultural Humillity- is being aware of social power and balance with no exspectations, learning of your own bias so you cantreat others according to their cultural limitations. I do not believe one is more than the other in how you see others or your treatment of them I believe they are both equal as they are both important to how you see and treat others within their cultural society.

2. Cultural competence refers to the ability of individuals or organizations to understand, respect, and effectively engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds (National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center for Systems of Care, 2009). It involves gaining knowledge about different cultures, developing cultural sensitivity, and maintaining the skills to adapt communication and methods to be inclusive and respectful.

Cultural humility is a related idea but highlights a different approach. It involves an endless process of self-reflection and self-critique, where individuals own and challenge their cultural biases and power dynamics. Cultural humility recognizes that no one can be fully competent in every aspect of every culture, and it encourages a lifelong commitment to learning and understanding diverse perspectives (Wright, P., 2019). Cultural competence provides a framework for developing the familiarity and skills to interact effectively with various groups. In contrast, cultural humility urges constant learning and reflection, acknowledging the passionate nature of culture and the significance of humility in cultural exchanges.

Both cultural competence and cultural humility are crucial in promoting effective cross-cultural interactions. Cultural competence provides a foundation of knowledge and skills, while cultural humility encourages an open-minded attitude. Merging the two can lead to more accurate connections with people from other cultures. Cultural competence sets the scene for initial learning, while cultural humility ensures that individuals remain available to understand and adapt over time. Striking a balance between competence and humility is critical to enabling genuine cultural understanding and effective communication in various settings.

Your Student & Class,

Billie J. Self.

Question For The Class: Can you provide examples of concerns where cultural competence isolated may not be good, and cultural humility evolves critically?