Cultural sensitivity

A common critique of cultural sensitivity is that it relies too much on Political Correctness, or the idea of using language to avoid creating offense. The term, now co-opted as a critique of itself, was researched by Kat Chow who described that "The phrase [Political Correctness] has gone from wisdom to weapon." Cultural sensitivity has become a political topic with its necessity being debated.

Awareness and understanding of other cultures is a key factor of cultural sensitivity. Cultural Competence relies on the ability of both parties involved to have a pleasant and successful interaction. The term "cultural competence" is often used to describe those skills acquired to embody cultural sensitivity, particularly in the workplace. Cultural sensitivity requires flexibility.[10] Louise Rasmussen and Winston Sieck[11] led studies consisting of members of the U.S. Military that identified 12 Core Aspects (consisting of four subgroups) of successful cross-cultural interactions.[12] These aspects rely on the subjects of the study being able to remain diplomatic and learn from intercultural interactions.

The 12 Core Aspects Include:[11]

1. A diplomatic stance
   1. Maintaining a Mission Orientation
   2. Understanding Self in Social Context
   3. Managing Attitude Towards Culture
2. Cultural Learning
   1. Self-Directed Learning of Cultures
   2. Developing Reliable Information Sources
   3. Learning New Cultures Efficiently
3. Cultural Reasoning
   1. Coping with Cultural Surprises
   2. Developing Cultural Explanations of Behavior
   3. Cultural Perspective Taking
4. Intercultural Interaction
   1. Intercultural Communication Planning
   2. Disciplined Self Presentation
   3. Reflection and Feedback

Cultural sensitivity training in health care providers can improve the satisfaction and health outcomes of patients from different minority groups.[16] Because standard measures for diagnosis and prognosis relate to established norms, cultural sensitivity is essential. A person's norms are defined by their culture, and these may differ significantly from the treating medical professional. Language barriers, beliefs, and trust are just a few of the factors to consider when treating patients of other cultural groups.[17] Understanding cultural beliefs regarding health and care can give healthcare professionals a better idea of how to proceed with providing care.[18]

It is important to understand the concept behind the buzzword in the healthcare setting, as cultural sensitivity can increase nurses' appreciation of and communication with other professionals as well as patients.[6] Part of providing culturally sensitive care is to develop cultural competence as an ongoing process. Nurses and employers should be committed to educating themselves about different patients' beliefs, values, and perspectives.[19]

In a study on narrative theory in therapy, Cynthia C. Morris concluded that culture in made up of the collected stories of a group of people.[20] In the practice of therapy, understanding a patient's point of view is vital to the clinician. Cultural Sensitivity allows for a clinician to get a more well-rounded understanding of where the client is coming from, why they may think about things in a certain way, or their approach to thought in general. Culturally Sensitive Therapy approaches psychotherapy by emphasizing how the clinician understands the client's race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, religion and any other aspects that relate to culture and identity.[21] Culturally sensitive therapists will help their patients feel more seen and understood, while those without cultural sensitivity may turn away patients from the practice of therapy altogether.

Tourism is a major opportunity to experience and interact with other cultures. It is therefore one of the most vital times to be culturally sensitive. There are major faux pas to be aware of regarding the locals. Ensuring awareness of table manners, common phrases, local dress, etiquette at holy sites, and other immersions into the culture are great ways to be sensitive to the destination and engage with it.[27]

Tourism to areas with Indigenous people requires more awareness and cultural sensitivity. Many of these areas have been colonized and turned into tourist attractions that put on display the culture that is being erased. These kinds of attractions lead to stereotyping that negatively impacts the culture rather than exposing others to it. These displays can often turn the culture into an exotic aesthetic that leads to inauthentic portrayals of the culture and furthers stereotypes. This cultural insensitivity happens when cultural practices and products are sold by another cultural group without consent.[28] Due to this, culturally sensitive tourism is an up and coming industry that aims to engage with a culture rather than exoticized.

Milton Bennett was the first to create a model or framework designed to help comprehension of various stages of intercultural sensitivity.[4] This became known as the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS),[29] otherwise referred to as the Bennett scale. This scale has been adapting and developing since 1986[30] and is included in The International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication (2017).[31]

Bennett developed the framework of the model to show the intercultural sensitivity a person may experience. Intercultural sensitivity is defined as an individual's ability to develop emotion towards understanding and appreciating cultural differences that promotes appropriate and effective behavior in intercultural communication”[32].[33]

According to Bennett, “As one’s perceptual organization of cultural difference becomes more complex, one’s experience of culture becomes more sophisticated and the potential for exercising competence in intercultural relations increases." By recognizing how cultural difference is being experienced, predictions about the effectiveness of intercultural communication can be made.[34]

Bennett describes a continuum, which moves from ethnocentrism to "ethnorelativism". The model includes six stages of experiencing difference.

The six stages explained in the model include:[35]

• Denial - when people fail to recognize distinctions among cultures or consider them to be irrelevant
• Defense - people perceive other cultures in a competitive way, or in an us-against-them way
• Minimization - people assume that their distinct cultural worldview is shared by others, or when they perceive their culture's values as fundamental or universal human values that apply to everyone.
• Acceptance - recognize that different beliefs and values are shaped by culture,
• Adaptation - when people are able to adopt the perspective of another culture,
• Integration - someone's identity or sense of self evolves to incorporate the values, beliefs, perspectives, and behaviors of other cultures.

The Community Tool Box was developed by the University of Kansas' Center for Community Health and Development, a designated World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Community Health and Development.[36] The Centre's idea of "Building Culturally Competent Organizations," is a guide for diversity and inclusion training in the workplace. The Tool Box refers to three levels leading up to the fourth, the end goal:

1. cultural knowledge
2. cultural awareness
3. cultural sensitivity
4. cultural competence

Each step builds on the previous one, with the final one, cultural competence, being the stage where the organization has effectively enabled better outcomes in a multicultural workforce.[7][37]