Cultural Humility | Juliana Mosley, Ph.D. | TEDxWestChester

Summary

The speaker explores the concept of cultural humility through personal experiences, contrasting it with cultural competency. They recount a pivotal moment learning Chinese and the significance of bowing, curtsying, and the 'namaste' greeting. Emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning and self-evaluation, they advocate for a society that values diversity and unity, using examples of recent tragedies to highlight humanity's collective strength.

Takeaways

• 🌏 Bowing, curtsying, and saying 'Namaste' are cultural gestures that convey humility and respect across different cultures.
• 🧍‍♀️ The physical act of bowing or curtseying requires strength, symbolizing that cultural humility is grounded in self-awareness.
• 🤔 Americans often struggle with the concept of humbling themselves, which contrasts with the cultural humility found in other societies.
• 🏫 The speaker's high school experience in Chinatown was a pivotal moment in understanding and practicing cultural humility.
• 🗣️ Speaking a foreign language, like Chinese, can be a profound way to connect with and show respect for another culture.
• 👩‍⚕️ Cultural humility was developed by doctors in 1998 as a concept to go beyond cultural competency in serving patients.
• 📚 Cultural competency focuses on learned knowledge, whereas cultural humility is a lifelong learning process that includes self-reflection.
• 🤝 Cultural humility seeks to challenge power imbalances and value the experiences and cultures of others.
• 💡 The speaker's mistake of assuming a man's dish was made by his wife illustrates the importance of continuous self-evaluation.
• 🌐 In times of crisis, such as natural disasters, cultural humility is evident as people come together regardless of their differences.
• 🌟 The concept of forming a pearl is used as a metaphor for how cultural humility can create something beautiful from diversity and cooperation.

Q & A

What are the three gestures mentioned in the script that are used to show respect in different cultures?

The three gestures mentioned are the bow, the curtsy, and the namaste. The bow is used in East Asian countries like China, Japan, and Thailand. The curtsy is appropriate for meeting the Queen of England or at the end of a dance performance. The namaste is used in Hindu culture and at the end of yoga classes.

What does the speaker suggest is the physical requirement for performing a bow or a curtsy?

The speaker suggests that performing a bow or a curtsy requires physical strength in one's back and knees.

What is the concept of 'cultural humility' as discussed in the script?

Cultural humility is a concept developed by doctors Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray Garcia in 1998. It is a process-oriented approach that goes beyond cultural competency, focusing on self-awareness and the continuous learning and self-evaluation of one's own cultural identity while valuing and respecting the cultures and experiences of others.

How does the speaker describe their personal experience with cultural humility during their senior year of high school?

The speaker describes their experience in 1992 when they were studying Chinese at the Indiana Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Humanities. They visited Chinatown in Chicago and were excited to use Mandarin with native speakers. However, when they tried to order food, the waitress ran off, which led to a moment of cultural humility when the entire kitchen staff came out to hear the speaker speak Mandarin, impressed that an outsider had learned their language.

What is the difference between cultural competency and cultural humility according to the speaker?

Cultural competency is about acquiring knowledge and skills to manage cross-cultural relationships, but it can have shortcomings as it focuses on what you learn rather than evaluating personal experiences. Cultural humility, on the other hand, is a lifelong learning process that involves critical self-evaluation and considering one's own identities while valuing the contributions of others.

What is the significance of the speaker's experience with the waitress in the Chinese restaurant?

The experience is significant because it was a moment of cultural humility where the speaker, as an outsider and a black person, was able to communicate in Chinese, which was unexpected for the restaurant staff. This experience highlighted the importance of cultural immersion and the impact it can have on both the learner and the native speakers of a culture.

What does the speaker suggest as the three things to consider when embracing cultural humility?

The speaker suggests considering learning as a lifelong process, shifting and challenging power imbalances, and advocating and partnering with others to promote equity and make humanity the most important identity.

How does the speaker use the analogy of a pearl to explain cultural humility?

The speaker uses the analogy of a pearl to explain how cultural humility can lead to the creation of something beautiful. In the analogy, a granule of sand (representing an outsider) gets coated by the oyster (representing the host culture) with nacre, which not only makes the sand feel secure but also stops the irritation. This process symbolizes learning to coexist, sharing power, and creating something of value together.

What is the role of self-advocacy in cultural competency versus cultural humility?

In cultural competency, self-advocacy might involve using personal connections to elevate one's own career. In contrast, cultural humility encourages partnerships and advocacy for others, recognizing that we live in a diverse world and need everyone's participation to create a more equitable society.

How does the speaker connect recent natural disasters and tragedies to the concept of cultural humility?

The speaker connects these events by highlighting how people came together to help each other regardless of their differences during times of crisis. This体现了 the human aspect that transcends race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, and religion, which is in line with the concept of cultural humility that values shared humanity.