Week 1: What Is Culture?
Welcome to HUMN 4009: Cultural Humility and Diversity. Throughout this course, you will journey into the past experiences, beliefs, and values that have shaped you and examine them in light of new understandings. You will also practice openness and curiosity as you work toward being culturally humble in your life and work.
This week, we start with the concept of culture. Every person is introduced to their own unique cultural norms—the established ways of believing, being, and behaving—from their earliest years. This process, called primary socialization, is performed first by caregivers, then larger extended family and friends, then the schools and places of worship they may attend. And, in more current times, media content and the frequency of exposure also play a pivotal role.
Like the air we breathe, exposure to our particular culture is a round-the-clock yet invisible experience, so ever-present that we are rarely even conscious of it.
But we must awaken to our own unique cultural process before we can fully recognize and appreciate the cultures of others. For this reason, the first week of this course is about coming to an increased awareness of your own unique culture. Or, in other words, examining the invisible.
• Define diversity
• Describe the difference between cultural competency and cultural humility
• Illustrate the importance of cultural humility for professionals
• Identify cultural beliefs and values
• Analyze personal culture in terms of socialization
• Record diversity or homogeneity of surroundings
Sample Solution