Learning about each other is step one to establishing a meaningful and trusting relationship. Trust cannot be built on superficial conversations that do not explore the roots that build us from the ground up and continue to grow in us everyday. To become culturally skilled means the person must understand the diversity of the world, and use that to understand that no one person is alike. Culture constantly influences who we are, it changes our thoughts, even if we are unaware of it at the time. To be aware of these changes it is important to take the time to remove any biases and stereotypes and get to know the person behind the wall. Despite stereotypes and biases being a dominant factor, becoming culturally skilled requires an understanding
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Before entering into this program, I would have said that dealing with culturally diverse situations might have presented an obstacle for me, because I truly do not encounter them very often. However, after exploring cultural health and the importance of developing competent care strategies, I now can better understand what it means to skillfully communicate in these settings. With that said, doing the research on these skills and actually implementing them in practice are two separate matters. I can say that I feel confident in my ability to confront an individual about the uniqueness of their culture and develop a plan of care based on that, but each step of the communication would prove to be very stressful for me. I pride myself on being compassionate and nonjudgmental, but to offend someone is not something I deal with lightly and it takes practice to shape those skills. Corey, M., & Corey, G., (2014) found that it takes a committed and cautious approach to keep our personal beliefs and biases in check so they do not inhibit the success of the partnership (p. 109). Becoming skilled in cultural communication requires insightfulness and the ability to leave your personal beliefs at the door, in order to make the client your number one …show more content…
For my personal biases, I had trouble coming up with one because I have recently attempted to only adopt positive and optimistic thoughts. However, upon deeper consideration I found that in being a person with no specific religion, I often find it difficult to communicate with people who are heavily religious. In some situations, it does change the tone and direction of the conversation because I do not want to reveal something that may change how that individual views me. I often also find myself being judgmental of certain beliefs if they do not make sense or confuse me. Take for example Mormon religion; going through high school I had a tough time communicating with students who were Mormon because it seemed to create an invisible barrier within the school. I do have several Mormon friends now, but again upon looking at them getting married to someone they hardly know and having children at such a young age; I do have trouble wrapping my head around that. This may inhibit my ability to work effectively because in the back of my mind personal opinions will continue to invade my thoughts. Corey, M., & Corey, G., (2014) stated that it is essential to not focus solely on the differences that divide us, but to also look for the things that make us all alike, and know that “universal experiences can bind people together,” (p. 116). All people experience what it is like to make tough decisions,
Before entering into this program, I would have said that dealing with culturally diverse situations might have presented an obstacle for me, because I truly do not encounter them very often. However, after exploring cultural health and the importance of developing competent care strategies, I now can better understand what it means to skillfully communicate in these settings. With that said, doing the research on these skills and actually implementing them in practice are two separate matters. I can say that I feel confident in my ability to confront an individual about the uniqueness of their culture and develop a plan of care based on that, but each step of the communication would prove to be very stressful for me. I pride myself on being compassionate and nonjudgmental, but to offend someone is not something I deal with lightly and it takes practice to shape those skills. Corey, M., & Corey, G., (2014) found that it takes a committed and cautious approach to keep our personal beliefs and biases in check so they do not inhibit the success of the partnership (p. 109). Becoming skilled in cultural communication requires insightfulness and the ability to leave your personal beliefs at the door, in order to make the client your number one …show more content…
For my personal biases, I had trouble coming up with one because I have recently attempted to only adopt positive and optimistic thoughts. However, upon deeper consideration I found that in being a person with no specific religion, I often find it difficult to communicate with people who are heavily religious. In some situations, it does change the tone and direction of the conversation because I do not want to reveal something that may change how that individual views me. I often also find myself being judgmental of certain beliefs if they do not make sense or confuse me. Take for example Mormon religion; going through high school I had a tough time communicating with students who were Mormon because it seemed to create an invisible barrier within the school. I do have several Mormon friends now, but again upon looking at them getting married to someone they hardly know and having children at such a young age; I do have trouble wrapping my head around that. This may inhibit my ability to work effectively because in the back of my mind personal opinions will continue to invade my thoughts. Corey, M., & Corey, G., (2014) stated that it is essential to not focus solely on the differences that divide us, but to also look for the things that make us all alike, and know that “universal experiences can bind people together,” (p. 116). All people experience what it is like to make tough decisions,