Why is understanding cultural awareness so important?

What is Cultural Awareness and Understanding?

Cultural awareness is the knowledge and understanding of our own cultural identity and cultural norms, as well as the recognition of cultures that are different from our own. Being aware of a variety of cultures, enhances our ability to communicate with others. It can also help reduce misconceptions and false judgements about someone’s culture. Cultural awareness benefits everyone, from within professional teams, the influence on service-users and in wider society. This blog aims to highlight some advantages of cultural awareness; some examples of cultural differences and how to develop your cultural understanding.

Cultural Norms and Expectations

Each culture has expectations of socially appropriate behaviours. At times, what one person experiences as a cultural norm, may appear rude or unusual to others, and may conflict with their cultural expectations. For example, in the UK, we generally expect people to make eye contact when having a conversation. When people do not make eye contact, we may infer that they are uninterested in what we have to say or are simply being rude.

However, in some cultures eye contact is seen as impolite. For example, for some in Malaysia, extended eye contact can be seen as rude. In other cultures, extended eye contact can be seen as aggressive or disrespectful. By understanding the variation of norms across cultures, we can ensure that we do not make inappropriate assumptions based on people’s actions, that may be interpreted differently within their own culture.

Similarly, cultural norms around physical touch can vary. For example, in many Western countries, handshaking is a polite way to introduce yourself to others. However, this is not always the case. In some cultures, handshaking is simply not the norm, people will introduce themselves with other forms of body language such as bowing or kissing on the cheeks. Furthermore, in some cultures, physical touch in general may be seen as inappropriate; these are generally known as non-contact cultures. For example, some Muslim women, will not make physical contact with men outside of their family, and vice versa.

Some cultural differences can be even more subtle, such as norms around silence and directness. In areas like the UK and North America, silence is often seen as uncomfortable, and people may overcompensate to fill silences in interactions. However, in some cultures, such as with many Chinese cultures, silence can be seen as positive, and can be used to express agreement. Research has also found that in English culture, indirectness in speech is seen as more polite, as if gives the listener choice in interpreting the information, whereas in Polish and Russian cultures directness in speech is preferred as there is more clarity.  Being aware of these differences, will help an individual make more informed decisions around a person’s intentions and being aware of not offending others.

Advantages of Cultural Awareness 

Now that we have discussed how expectations can vary across cultures, we can explore the benefits of cultural awareness in these situations.

Firstly, being aware of cultural norms from a range of cultures can help reduce preconceptions about people from cultures that are different from our own, and help broaden our interactions with a variety of people. Taking the time to learn about people’s cultural norms, will allow you to empathise with people from different backgrounds, helping you develop your interpersonal skills and gain appreciation and respect for a variety of cultures.

Taking time to interpret the intention behind an individual’s actions can also help an individual become more patient and understanding when interacting with others. Therefore, cultural understanding is a bidirectional process; as you become more aware of different cultural expectations, there are more opportunities for inter-cultural communication, which in turn promotes and facilitates even further understanding.

Cultural awareness can be beneficial in both a professional and personal setting. Here at SASH, a focus on cultural understanding, means we will can adapt the support we offer, to ensure we empower our service-users in a way in which they feel the most comfortable and understood. Furthermore, cultural understanding also benefits staff; if there is a shared emphasis on welcoming and understanding different cultures in the workplace, this in turn will promote an inclusive work environment, where people feel comfortable to contribute a range of ideas and challenge issues. This will further benefit service users, as a more diverse, understanding and culturally aware workforce, will be equipped to support our clients that come from a range of backgrounds and life experiences. Therefore, cultural awareness benefits everyone, in all components of life.

How can you be more culturally aware?

Now that we have covered the benefits of cultural awareness, lets cover how to develop cultural awareness in a professional and personal setting.

Firstly, take the time to understand and learn about your own culture and cultural expectations. When reflecting on our own expectations, and how your culture influences your behaviours and your identity, you can start to appreciate other people’s cultures and how they place value on different facets to yourself. It can also help you identify your biases or misconceptions about other cultural groups.

Another way to develop your cultural awareness, is by communicating with others from different backgrounds to your own. Asking someone about a cultural preference or asking them to learn more about an aspect of their culture, can be beneficial to helping support and further understand their identity. Do not hold back from communicating with others with different beliefs or cultural norms from yourself. As long as you are respectful, it is okay to ask the people around you.

Be open-minded, and take time to think about what a person’s actions mean. When we do not take the time to think things through, we often rely on cognitive shortcuts, which often stem from our unconscious biases. Practicing thinking with an open mind, and thinking of how cultural expectations may vary, can allow you to recognise preconceptions you may hold and help to facilitate more communication.

Inform yourself on religious holidays, watch documentaries and read books around cultural customs. Being aware of different cultural celebrations that take place across the year, not only opens up your own mind to other cultures and identities, but allows  the people around who celebrate, foster an environment, where they can share information and feel that their culture can be celebrated. It also makes you aware how to accommodate for different needs during these celebrations, such as due to changes in diet or taking time off. Similarly, watching films and reading around different cultures will help broaden your perspectives, and encourage you think outside of your own preconceptions when it comes to cultures you may not know a lot about.

Those are just a few of the ways you can develop your own cultural awareness, and find ways to practice it in your daily life.