Cultural Humility

Expanding the Mind–Body–Environment Connection to Enhance the Development of Cultural Humility

“…Interest in the development of cultural humility has risen in the past 25 years resulting in an extensive body of literature to support understanding, planning, implementing, evaluating, and refining care across diverse populations. Cultural humility, a paradigm introduced in the late 1990’s as an alternative to the mainstream model of cultural competence, has three primary tenets (a) a lifelong commitment to self-reflection and self-critique, (b) identifying and leveling power differentials, and (c) building mutually beneficial, high-quality partnerships [ 1 , 2 ]. Cultural humility is based on the simultaneous process of discernment of self and others, an awareness of the power dynamics that underlie interactions and contexts, and an ability and willingness to attune to and learn from the lived experience of diverse individuals and communities.…”

“…Honoring individuals and communities as experts in their own experience requires healthcare providers to be self-aware, open-minded, and open-hearted, blending the roles of teacher and learner. Healthcare providers who practice cultural humility demonstrate intellectual, attitudinal, and behavioral flexibility to interact in a non-judgmental way with individuals who have widely different values, beliefs, worldviews, and healthcare practices than their own [ 3 ] Western healthcare providers are often educated to think of themselves as experts, which can lead to misinterpreting or dismissing teachings that offer an alternate set of values or beliefs [ 1 ] Moreover, building partnerships where health professionals value the expertise of the client and community in their own decisions often runs contrary to how professionalism is taught and role modeled in healthcare education and practice today [ 1 , 4 ].…”

“…Much of the research and literature promoting care of diverse individuals in the healthcare environment has emerged from the United States, and has been conceptualized, carried out, and evaluated predominantly by Western-educated, biomedical practitioners. These influential cultures share a focus on individualism, a belief system based on the separation and autonomy of individuals [ 1 ]. An individualistic perspective may not recognize how individualism undermines the social fabric of a community, the interdependence of individuals with each other, and the natural environment in which they live and interact [ 1 ].…”

“…These influential cultures share a focus on individualism, a belief system based on the separation and autonomy of individuals [ 1 ]. An individualistic perspective may not recognize how individualism undermines the social fabric of a community, the interdependence of individuals with each other, and the natural environment in which they live and interact [ 1 ]. In contrast, individuals and populations that come from a collectivist perspective perceive themselves as intrinsically part of a group and emphasize interdependence over independence, affiliation over confrontation, and cooperation over competition Collectivism recognizes the group, and not the individual, as the basic unit of survival.…”

“…Both individualism and collectivism have equal, albeit different, merits. However, of pivotal importance is the understanding that each of these perspectives relies on different mechanisms and values in decision-making [ 1 ]. These differences manifest themselves in matters such as gender roles, positions of authority, sense of self and personal space, communication, relationship to time, relationship to others, learning styles, and spiritual practice.…”