Cultural sensitivity

Most countries' populations include minority groups comprising indigenous peoples, subcultures, and immigrants who approach life from a different perspective and mindset than that of the dominant culture.

Workplaces, educational institutions, media, and organizations of all types are becoming more mindful of being culturally sensitive to all stakeholders and the population at large.

The training is usually aimed at the dominant culture, but in multicultural societies may also be taught to migrants to teach them about other minority groups.

[1] It includes "the willingness, ability and sensitivity required to understand people with different backgrounds", and the acceptance of diversity.

In 2008, cultural sensitivity was found to be a widely used term in a literature search of global databases, both popular and scholarly.

Based on this literature, cultural sensitivity is defined as "employing one's knowledge, consideration, understanding, [and] respect, and tailoring [it] after realizing awareness of self and others, and encountering a diverse group or individual".

Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, advocated cultural sensitivity as an essential value in the modern world:[9]Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where people are becoming more and more closely interconnected.Certain factors that affect cultural sensitivity include religion, ethnicity, race, national origin, language, or gender.

Language barriers, beliefs, and trust are just a few of the factors to consider when treating patients of other cultural groups.

[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.

[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.

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.

Being able to determine these in terms of thoughts, behavior beliefs, and expressions among others makes it possible to solve problems meaningfully and act in a manner that is acceptable to all stakeholders.

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.

Milton Bennett was the first to create a model or framework designed to help comprehension of various stages of intercultural sensitivity.

[35] 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: 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.