What is Cultural Humility?

Key ideas: Cultural Competency vs. Cultural Humility

Cultural competency

Cultural competency aims for effective, informed interaction by:

• Learning about other cultures
• Managing/control biases
• Adapting behaviors and communication to others’ backgrounds

Potential risk of cultural competency

It can unintentionally encourage overgeneralizations—treating groups as if they’re all the same—rather than recognizing individuals’ uniqueness.

Cultural humility

Cultural humility reframes this as an ongoing mindset because:

• It’s unrealistic to learn “everything” about every culture or become fully bias-free.
• It emphasizes awareness, respect, and continual self-reflection.

Wellness/self-care & personal growth strategies (practicing cultural humility)

• Practice ongoing self-awareness
  • Reflect on how your own biases may affect how you treat or understand others.
• Respect others without assuming “one correct” view
  • Acknowledge values and beliefs that may differ from your own.
• Notice power imbalances
  • Be aware of social power dynamics and how they shape interactions.
• Accept that you won’t know everything (and that’s okay)
  • Treat learning as a lifelong process, not a finish line.
• Make room for vulnerability
  • Admit when you’re wrong or when you don’t know; discomfort is part of growth.
• Recognize no culture is superior
  • Build humility through equal respect for all cultures.
• Learn while staying humble about understanding
  • Learn about other cultures while remembering perfect understanding is impossible.
• Invite dialogue and accountability
  • Ask trusted people for open discussions.
  • Hold each other accountable as you both learn.

Framing / mental takeaway

• Cultural competency = a goal
• Cultural humility = a mindset focused on continuous reflection, minimizing bias impact, and supporting equity and inclusion.

Presenters/Sources

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