What it means:

The word “Culture” in this context encompasses all dimensions of a person’s being. It includes any and all aspects of our being and our beliefs… all the things that makes us who we are.

This includes our:

• cultural and ethnic heritage & practices

• identities and views related to race, gender, & sexuality

• religious beliefs, political affiliations, & general beliefs

• experiences & wisdom related to our age, our physical/developmental capabilities, and physical & behavioral health conditions.

As human beings, each of us who works at A Better Way can take strength and inspiration from our own perspectives and experiences. We can embrace and appreciate who we are across and beyond the range of facets listed above. We can also take comfort and collective strength from our affinities and affiliations with others with whom we share similarities.

Perhaps our greatest potential collective strength, however, lies in our differences. We are fortunate to be in an area that is rich in cultural diversity. Although cultural diversity can lead to culture clashes, it can also lead to cultural harmonies. Cultural harmony depends on cultural humility.

“Cultural Humility” means that when we engage with others, we open ourselves up to learning with and from them. Rather than seeing clients, coworkers, and colleagues only through the lens of our own cultural experience, we cultivate curiosity to learn about their perspectives. We embrace and appreciate who they are and the historical and cultural context in which they place themselves. And to do this effectively – we commit to ongoing self-reflection, and a stance of “lifelong learning.”

We learn how the other person self-identifies, how they see the world, how they like to be addressed, what their pronouns are, what their service goals are, and what “success” and “well-being” look like though their eyes.

Our practice of Cultural Humility is particularly important in certain situations:

• When our perspectives and experiences differ from another’s

• When there are histories of cultural oppression and injustice

• When we hold a position of relative privilege or power in one or more areas (even if the other person holds a position of relative privilege or power in other areas)

IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. Demonstrating Cultural Humility is not the same as “agreement”:

When we appreciate and honor another person’s perspective, it does not mean that we adopt that perspective for ourselves. Cultural Humility helps us “try on” another person’s point of view so that we can come alongside them on their journey and help them navigate their own path forward. We may continue to hold a different or even contradictory perspective throughout this partnership.

Examples

• If a parent prefers to be addressed as Mr., Mrs., or Ms., we honor that request even if we are accustomed to using first names.

• If a person identifies as male, female, transgender, or otherwise, we honor their gender identity using their stated terms and pronouns even if we would intuitively use others and even if we do not share their constructs regarding gender.

• If a person is deeply connected to their religious faith, we appreciate this as a source of community, wisdom, and strength for them even if we are of a different faith or have no religious faith of our own.

2. Cultural beliefs and customs do not justify all behaviors. Our behaviors and the way we treat one another are partially governed by norms, policies, and laws to which we are all accountable. Appreciating a person’s perspective does not mean we support all behaviors that arise from that perspective. We will not condone or allow abusive or discriminatory behavior even if a person attributes those behaviors to a cultural belief system. In such cases we still seek to understand the person’s point of view, but we will adhere to the policies and laws that are in place to prevent such maltreatment.

3. Cultural Humility is something that each of us must cultivate and exercise within ourselves. As coworkers at A Better Way, we are also accountable to one another, and we should practice mutual accountability from a constructive position of kindness and shared learning.