It would be best if you did not confuse racism with prejudice. Prejudice is universal. In other words, no one is entirely free of prejudice, and a person of color can have negative prejudices toward White people. In many cases, prejudices are based on stereotypes (and stereotypes are based on prejudices). A stereotype is a simplified assumption based on prior experiences or beliefs about a group. What elevates racial prejudice to racism, however, is the social and institutional power that allows one
group to carry out systematic discrimination using the significant institutions of society. Because, in the U.S., these institutions were created and are still primarily controlled by White people, racism refers specifically to a system that advantages Whiteness and oppresses people of color and Indigenous people. Research has found that people who believe they are not racist are often much more prejudiced than they think.
COUNSELING WITH CULTURAL HUMILITY
The concept of cultural humility was first discussed in the medical world to understand better and address health inequities and disparities (Tervalon & Murray-García, 1998). However, the concept has evolved to include ideas related to creating a broader version of cultural competence. Cultural humility has several definitions. The overall defining premise of cultural humility is that humble individuals “have an accurate view of self” and “can maintain a stance that is other-oriented rather than self-focused, characterized by respect for others and a lack of superiority” (Hook et Self-Reflection and Self-Critique Practicing cultural humility requires counselors to practice self-reflection and self-critique. Self-reflection and critique are to understand and become aware of one’s own “cultural worldview, biases, and blind spots” (Hook, 2014, p. 279). Self-reflection and self-critique are ongoing, lifelong processes that allow counselors to continually refine their understanding of themselves and their actions and reactions within counseling contexts and to broaden and deepen their cultural knowledge through introspection (Foronda et al., 2016). Self-reflection and self-critique are best incorporated into practice on a reflexive basis. The ongoing process of self-reflection should result in an automatic process or reflection as an integral part of the practice. Minimally, every client interaction should be followed by self-reflection. Journaling regarding reviews and critiques may assist the counselor in developing an understanding of self and others in the contexts of cultural aspects of privilege, oppression, and marginalization (Schuessler, Wilder, & Byrd, 2012). Respectful Partnerships Developing respectful partnerships is key to counseling with cultural humility and, more generally, to developing a relationship within the counseling setting that allows work to begin and to continue productively. Respectful partnerships include discussing and addressing different topics such as race, socioeconomic class, gender, sexual identity, and disability. These discussions are uncomfortable for many; they bring up feelings, often passionate, associated with “isms,” group identification, prejudice, quotas, and affirmative action. Nevertheless, these differences between counselor and client are a presence in the room and, when ignored, can interfere with an honest and open exchange. Counselors often attempt to take the emphasis off race, class, gender, and other areas of difference by denying the effect these aspects of diversity have on clients (e.g., “The only race I know is the human race”) or by trying to show that they understand the client’s experience because they, too, are a member of an oppressed group. For example, the African American client may not feel that the counselor, as a bisexual Jewish woman, understands subtle racial insults from personal experiences. Some counselors imply that because they do not discriminate against oppressed groups, no individual or societal problems exist associated with race,
al., 2013, pp. 353–354). Four essential elements of cultural humility are as follows: ● Self-reflection and self-critique ● Respectful partnerships ● Lifelong learning ● Institutional accountability (i.e., addressing and changing power imbalances and institutional practices that are not respectful to a diversity of clients and uphold current patterns of oppression) Through ongoing self-reflection and critique, the counselor develops a better understanding of the dynamics within and outside the counseling arena and how these dynamics affect the client’s life, life, and the interactions between counselor and client. An awareness of the self is central to cultural humility, in which a person is informed about how they see other people. Awareness may stem from self-reflective questions such as the following: ● Which parts of my identity am I aware of? Which are most salient? ● Which parts of my identity are privileged and/or marginalized? ● How does my sense of identity shift based on context and settings? ● What are the parts onto which people project? Moreover, which parts are received well, and by whom? ● What might be my own blind spots and biases? class, LGBTQ status, or disability; this attitude negates the experience the client may have in the larger society, where they experience various degrees of marginalization based on their intersecting identities (Minarik, 2017). Cultural humility enables counselors to consider potential power imbalances in their relationships with patients, and potentially other members of staff, which could affect patient outcomes and experiences. These power imbalances may occur as a result of professional status and knowledge, which can place counselors in a position of power compared with their patients. Some counselors, for example, may believe that they “know best” and regard patients as lacking knowledge. Findings reveal that cultural humility improves the engagement process when the therapist explores cultural discussion once initiated by the clients, and it also repairs a ruptured therapeutic relationship when the client views the therapist as culturally humbled. These findings address the importance and utility of the cultural humility framework to engage and retain first-generation college students in counseling (Rovitto, 2022).
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