Cultural Humility and Interpersonal Communication

Vocabulary flashcards covering cultural humility, cultural competence, cultural dimensions theory, interpersonal communication principles, and common communication misconceptions.

Humility

The quality of thinking you are not better than other people, rooted in accurate self-awareness rather than self-deprecation.

Cultural Competence

The ability to interact effectively with people of various cultural, racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, religious, and social groups by learning about patterns of behavior, beliefs, language, values, and customs.

Cultural Humility

A personal lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique whereby the individual not only learns about another's culture, but starts with an examination of their own beliefs and cultural identities, while recognizing power imbalances, seeking to fix them, and developing partnerships with advocates.

World View

A mental model of reality; a comprehensive framework of ideas and attitudes about the world, ourselves, and life, functioning as a system of beliefs and personally customized theories about how the world works.

Cultural Dimensions Theory

A framework comprising Power Distance, Individualism vs Collectivism, Avoidance Index, Masculinity vs Femininity, Long Term vs Short Term Orientation, and Indulgence vs Restraint.

Power Distance

A cultural dimension where less powerful members of a society accept that power is distributed unequally.

Individualism vs Collectivism

A cultural dimension contrasting a focus on the self versus a focus on the group ('I vs WE').

Avoidance Index

A measure of a society's tolerance for ambiguity.

Long Term vs Short Term Orientation

A cultural dimension focusing on the connection of the past with current and future events.

Indulgence

A societal orientation that allows relatively free gratification of basic and human desires.

Restraint

A societal orientation that controls gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms.

Institutional Accountability

The requirement that organizations internally encourage, support, and develop processes reflecting cultural humility.

Interpersonal Communication

The process of exchanging information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and nonverbal messages between two or more people.

Nonverbal Communication

The process of sending and receiving messages without using spoken or written words, such as facial expressions, body language, posture, gestures, eye contact, personal space, and appearance.

Inoculation Approach

A method used to make people's attitudes, beliefs, or defenses resistant to change by exposing them to a weak version of a counter-argument or challenge ahead of time to build mental resilience.

Communication Competence

The ability to use language effectively, correctly, and appropriately in different social settings and contexts.

Communication Effectiveness

The ability to transmit information, ideas, and emotions so that the receiver clearly understands the message and a shared goal is achieved.

Selective Perception

A person's view, evaluation, or mental image of themselves, including their physical traits, personality, and abilities.

Cultural Chauvinism

The unreasonable, aggressive belief that one's own culture, tradition, or ethnic group is superior to all others.

Tolerance

The willingness to accept and respect behaviors, beliefs, or differences that differ from your own, even if you do not agree with them.

Minimalization

A cognitive stage or social attitude where cultural, racial, or individual differences are downplayed or marginalized in favor of emphasizing universal human similarities.

Understanding

The mental process of comprehending a concept, or an informal agreement and empathetic relationship between people.

Fallibility

The tendency or likelihood of being wrong, making mistakes, or failing to work as expected, characterized by human limitations and being prone to error or misjudgment.

Equality

The state of being equal, where everyone has the same rights, treatment, and opportunities regardless of their background, race, or gender.

Reciprocity

A mutual exchange or relationship where two people, groups, or countries give each other similar advantages, privileges, or treatment, reinforced by a strong social urge to return a favor or kindness.

Value Nonviolence

The active commitment to abstain from physical, psychological, and verbal harm, choosing instead to resolve conflicts and confront issues through peaceful means.

Skilled Disagreement

The ability to express a differing viewpoint respectfully, critically, and constructively without attacking the other person.

Transactional Model of Communication

The communication model that explains how to resolve conflicts.

Communication is a Cure-All

The misconception that when two people talk enough, their problem will automatically disappear.

Meanings are in Words

The misconception that words carry an absolute, fixed meaning.

More Communication is Always Better

The misconception that communicating more is always beneficial, ignoring that excessive communication can cause information overload, frustration, or accidental tension.

Communication is Simple

The misconception that because humans talk every day, communication is an effortless mechanism.

Effective Communication is an Innate Skill

The misconception that some people are simply born good communicators while others are not, overlooking that it is actually a learned behavior.