Cultural Humility

Cultural Humility

“Recognition and respect for others’ cultural priorities and practices is facilitated…by initial and ongoing processes that engender self-knowledge.”

“Cultural humility incorporates a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and critique, to redressing the power imbalances in the physician-patient dynamic, and to developing mutually beneficial and non-paternalistic partnerships with communities on behalf of individuals and defined populations.”

--Melanie Tervalon, MD, MPH, and Jann Murray-Garcia,MD, MPH, “Cultural Humility vs. Cultural Competence: A Critical Distinction in Defining Physician Training Outcomes in Multicultural Education” 

Other cultural humility resources from the Internet include:
 

PBS’s Race: The Power of an Illusion
 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Selected resources for learning more about cultural humility that are available in our library include:

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Making CLAS Happen; Six Areas for Action, a guide to help organizations provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services. 

The Unnatural Causes DVD, available from our library, explores many issues related to health equity. The Unnatural Causes website also has many resources available to accompany the DVD. 

Adams M, Blumenfeld WJ, Castandeda R, et al. eds. (2000). Readings for Diversty and Social Justice:  An Anthology on Racism, Antisemitism, Sexism, Heterssexism, Ableism, and Classism.  New York: Routledge.

Adams M, Bell L,Griffin P (2007). Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice. New York: Routledge.