Cultural Humility and Ethical Practice

Course overview

It can be persuasively argued that ethical service delivery is impossible without a working knowledge and understanding of a person's or group's culture and background. If we fail to acknowledge the influence of the lived-experience of culture on the work that we do, we limit our ability to build rapport as well as effectively and ethically work with our clients. The term cultural competence is used to describe a set of values, principles, and skills that address an understanding of, and respect for, our diverse client populations. Cultural humility, as conceptualized, can be viewed as an evolution or actualization of cultural competence. Cultural humility is a life-long journey for understanding and developing a process-oriented approach to ethical service delivery. As a practice, it encourages the ability to maintain an interpersonal stance that is other-oriented. Further, it demands an acknowledgment of our own cultural identity and views about difference, as well as the discipline to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of our client populations. It is central to ethical practice with individuals with intersecting racial, ethnic, sexual, and other cultural affiliations.