For your response posts, address the following:
After reading your peer’s posts, what are additional ways that an understanding of cultural fluency can benefit self-awareness in the situation that your peer identified?
After reading the situations your peer shared, how would you respond in a similar situation? Or, share an example in the media that describes a similar situation where knowledge of cultural fluency was helpful or would have been helpful.
1. Zanetta Devane posted Mar 22, 2024 12:05 AM
Understanding cultural fluency has benefited my self-awareness by enabling me to recognize my personal biases and assumptions about other cultures. I can be empathetic towards other experiences and perspectives by understanding their culture norms and values. It allows me to love and respect the difference between others. It helps me effectively communicate with others of diverse backgrounds. I can foster meaningful relationships with others because I understand the lingo.
In my current career, I use cultural fluency in the workplace. My division consists of sixty individuals from diverse backgrounds, we all communicate differently. We have a common goal to achieve the mission of our organization; however, we do always agree. I have been able to diffuse disagreements because of my cultural fluency. My culture tends to speak with their hands and tends to be overly exaggerated. I stopped in the middle of a disagreement and said we are saying the same thing differently. Traveling to various countries with my job has allowed me to understand the importance of cultural fluency. When traveling in the Middle East, a male coworker with extensive knowledge of the culture is always sent with our group to help us navigate the vast difference.
Cultural fluency is key in situations that involve interaction with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. It helps navigate social interactions, build bridges, and fosters a sense of global community (Wisner, Wendy).
Reference
Wisner, Wendy. (May 26, 2023). Cultural Awareness—How to Be More Culturally Aware & Improve Your Relationships. https://www.verywellmind.com/
2. Sapati Bernard posted Mar 19, 2024 9:51 PM
What are some ways that your knowledge of cultural fluency can benefit your self-awareness?
Being born in Hawaii and raised in a traditional Samoan home, I spoke primarily Samoan until l went to kindergarten. It hasn’t always been easy, but I think the experience of being raised in a counter-cultural home (counter to the main-stream American way) helped me be more culturally fluent as an adult. I was painfully aware of the differences between me and the other kids, and because of this can quickly identify when people are uncomfortable in social situations. I try to use this experience to welcome others into the group, or help give the quiet ones a voice. Do I always do this perfectly? Not at all. But noticing other cultures forces us to be aware of our own, as we are keenly aware of our differences. Culture shock for example can show up as a strong feeling of dislike or disdain or discomfort when faced with aspects of another culture that challenge our way of thinking. I’ve learned not to judge myself for having these thoughts, but to move through them knowing they will pass, and knowing the discomfort or whatever emotion is rising in me, is probably teaching me something important.
In what kinds of situations could you use your knowledge of cultural fluency and self-awareness?
For example, different cultures have different concepts of time and time management. How could cultural fluency and self-awareness help you navigate situations where you and your friend, colleague, or instructor view time or time management differently?
I could write a book on this. Let me talk to you about the difference between my lovely wife and I… with her permission, I feel comfortable to share that we have had our share of experiences going head to head as aspects of our different cultures clash. I’m Samoan, dark, from a lower class family, my wife is white as they come, very English ancestry, from an upper middle class family… We are about as opposite as they come in every single way. As a result, my marriage presents me with opportunities to be culturally fluent often. For example, when we were first dating, I met her grandmother, a proper lady. In my culture it’s considered respectful to lower your eyes when speaking to an elder. In my wife’s family, it’s considered shady to avoid eye contact. It’s taken time, but I’ve learned to take on some elements of my wife’s family culture- making good eye contact, holding conversations about certain topics that I couldn’t imagine myself going into so much depth over prior to marrying her (ie, the weather lol). And vice versa. She’s learned to communicate and adopt certain behaviors when my family is around, that will help her connect with in my culture with more ease. Cultural fluency helps me in so many ways. Helps me in my marriage, helps me when I travel the world, or speak with others. It helps me to be a student of the world.
