CULTURAL SENSITIVITY
Cultural sensitivity, also sometimes referred to as cross-cultural sensitivity or simply cultural awareness, is the knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of other cultures and others’ cultural identities. It is related to cultural competence (the skills needed for effective communication with people of other cultures, which includes cross cultural competence), and sometimes regarded as the precursor to the achievement of cultural competence, but is a more widely used term than cultural competence. On the individual level, cultural sensitivity enables travellers and workers to successfully navigate a different culture with which they are interacting.
Cultural awareness and sensitivity helps to overcome one’s personal ethnocentrism, mainly by learning about other cultures and how various modes and expectations may differ from one’s own in various areas, from ethical, religious and social attitudes to body language and other nonverbal communications. Cultural sensitivity is just one dimension of cultural competence, and has an impact on ethnocentrism and other factors related to culture. The results of developing cultural sensitivity are positive: communication is improved, leading to more effective interaction between the people concerned, and improved outcome or interventions for the client or customer. It is taught in many workplaces, as it is an essential skill for managing and building teams in a multicultural society.
LGBTQIA:
The initialism LGBTQIA stands for lesbian,gay,bisexual, transexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual. This particular group of individuals has faced numerous obstacles and has historical events to highlight the inequalities they face, such as the Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall riots became a symbol for the gay liberation movement when police attempted a raid at the Stonewall Inn in NYC to arrest the gay and lesbian patrons and the gay community fought back. Numerous systemic oppressions historically and currently target LGBTQIA individuals.
Race:
Race is a sensitive aspect of cultural competency training that requires professionals to be able to identify, acknowledge and value cultural differences. Training on this aspect of cultural competence teaches professionals that to ignore racial differences is a form of microagression that can help exacerbate racial inequalities. In order to begin to understand intercultural communications, one must understand the historical and social context under which different cultural groups operate. For example, the history related to the cultural genocide of indigenous peoples in North America, understanding the said group’s value system, their ways of learning, and logic is essential in being able to understand how certain aspects of their culture may be similar or different from our own. Such distinction must be approached with respect and without ascribing superiority or inferiority to the difference, that is, in a cultural sensitivity fashion.
Religion
Religious differences can play a role in how professionals interact and communicate with others. Religiosity refers to the nature and extent of public and private religious activity, including belief in God, prayer, and place of worship attendance. Religiosity is usually linked to formal religious traditions (such as Christianity) , institutions (such as mosques), sacred texts (such as The Book of Mormon), and a definitive moral code (such as the Decalogue). Spirituality can be an important part of religion but can also exist independent of extant faith traditions, involving a variety of more individual subjective beliefs and activities related to the sacred. In this aspect of cultural competence training professionals should learn how to have religious competence. Religious competence refers to skills, practices, and orientations that recognize, explore, and harness patient religiosity to facilitate diagnosis, recovery, and healing. Religious competence involves the learning and deployment of generic competencies, including active listening and a nonjudgmental stance. It is also an overarching orientation, providing a safe place for discussion of religious issues and identities received in a humble, respectful, and empathetic manner.
Nationality
In terms of nationality, particularly for people who are immigrants, the recent increase in global migration make them an increasingly common demographic everywhere. Though they will have varying cultures as well. It is important for those who are trained to understand both similarities and differences between themselves, and the individual they are helping. With this knowledge, it makes the process of aiding the individual more efficient and successful. Both the past nation the individual has come from, and their journey of immigration as an experience, can shape their mentality. To have specialists with specific nationalities help explain some differences is a helpful strategy
