Cultural Humility: History, Poetry, Power and Privilege - Part 2 of 4
Channel: Vivian Chavez
Date: 02/08/2012

"Cultural Humility: People, Principles and Practices," is a new 30-minute documentary by Vivian Chávez, that mixes poetry with music, interviews, archival footage, images of community, nature and dance to explain what "Cultural Humility" is and why we need it. To see the full documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaSHLbS1V4w

The film describes a set of principles that guide the thinking, behavior and actions of individuals and institutions influencing interpersonal relationships as well as systems change. These principles are:
 •  Lifelong learning and critical self-reflection
 •  Recognize and change power imbalances
 •  Institutional accountability
More than a concept, Cultural Humility is a communal reflection to analyze the root causes of suffering and create a broader, more inclusive view of the world.  Originally developed by Doctors Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray-Garcia (1998) to address health disparities and institutional inequities in medicine, Cultural Humility is now used in public health, social work, education, and non-profit management.  It is a daily practice for people to deal with hierarchical relationships, changing organizational policy and building relationships based on trust.  The film tells stories of successes and challenges, and the road in between, when it comes to develop partnerships between community members, practitioners and academics.  It encourages us to realize their own power, privilege and prejudices, and be willing to accept that acquired education and credentials alone are insufficient to address social inequality.  Potential audiences are health and social service professionals, students, providers, organizers and policy makers in public health, social work, medicine, psychology, nursing and education. 

M. Tervalon, J. Murray-Garcia (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural competence: a critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education, Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, Vol. 9, No. 2. (May 1998), pp. 117-125.

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