Lucretia Berry • September 12, 2024
This summer, our family visited the Masai Mara to witness the great migration of the wildebeest. While our goal was to also see lions, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes, elephants, and more in their naturally wild habitat, I was even more excited to connect with the people of Kenya.
Connecting with people who do life over seven thousand miles from Davidson, NC, on a different continent, breathing different air, speaking English a little differently than we do, and engaging in different cultural practices meant that we’d get to expand our cultural competence through our intercultural experiences. One of our lessons in cultural competence came when we encountered differences that challenged our expectations.
A Lesson in Cultural Competence
At its core, cultural competence is the ability to interact with people from different backgrounds in a respectful, curious, and empathetic way. It’s about understanding that our way of doing things is not the only way and being open to learning from others. One moment during our trip that brought this lesson home was when we noticed a cultural difference in how tips were distributed.
We intended for our tip to be equally shared between our male and female travel guides, but we suspected that the female guide might receive a smaller amount or none at all. Instead of jumping to conclusions and judging the male guide as immoral or unfair, we took a step back and considered the cultural context. Perhaps, in his view, men—often seen as financially responsible for families—should receive a larger share. We didn’t know for sure, but rather than making assumptions, we stayed curious and respectful of the difference.
At the same time, we wanted to ensure that our female guide received a fair tip that reflected the respect and gratitude we felt for her work. So, we adjusted our approach. We took some funds from our souvenir budget and gave her a separate tip directly, balancing our desire to honor her with our commitment to cultural understanding. This experience reminded us that navigating cultural differences often requires flexibility, empathy, and a non-judgmental mindset.
What is Cultural Competence?
Cultural competence is about more than just acknowledging differences—it’s about understanding and appreciating them. It means being able to interact across cultures with curiosity, respect, and an open mind. You don’t have to know everything about another culture to be culturally competent, but you should be willing to learn, ask questions, and avoid making assumptions.
Whether you’re across the globe or engaging with people from diverse backgrounds at home, cultural competence enables you to build deeper connections. It’s a critical skill in our interconnected world and one that helps us create more welcoming environments.
Developing Cultural Competence
Cultural competence doesn’t develop overnight. Many of us begin by focusing on commonalities while overlooking important cultural differences. To truly grow, we need to learn to recognize, understand, and respect these differences without making judgments.
Here’s how you can progress on this journey:
1. Recognize Your Own Cultural Context
The first step toward cultural competence is acknowledging your own biases and reflecting on how they shape your understanding of others. Ask yourself: What assumptions do I hold about other cultures? Embrace education by reading, attending workshops, and engaging with different cultural media. The more you expose yourself to new perspectives, the more your understanding will grow.
2. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Growth comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone. Value diverse interactions with people from different backgrounds and experiences. Participate in cultural events, festivals, and community gatherings to immerse yourself in new ways of life. These experiences provide firsthand insight into cultures that may differ from your own.
3. Listen Actively
Empathy is key to understanding cultural differences. Start by listening actively to others’ experiences without judgment. Try to understand their perspectives and emotions, even if they are different from your own. Empathy helps you view the world through a lens that isn’t solely defined by your cultural background.
4. Reflect and Challenge Yourself
After engaging with diverse perspectives, take time to reflect on what you’ve learned and how it has shaped your worldview. Be willing to challenge your assumptions and consider that your way of thinking might need to evolve. Reflection is critical for deepening cultural understanding.
5. Commit to Continuous Learning
Cultural competence is not a final destination—it’s a journey. Stay curious and committed to learning about others. Be open to evolving your perspective as you encounter new experiences and insights.
Our experience in Kenya wasn’t just about observing wildlife—it was about immersing ourselves in a different way of life, engaging with people who see the world through a different lens, and challenging ourselves to grow. By cultivating cultural competence, we expand our ability to connect with others, cultivate welcoming spaces, and build a more empathetic world.
Are you or our team interested in connecting across differences?
Taking the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) is a good place to begin. Most of us overestimate our cultural competency. The IDI is an assessment tool that measures your capacity to better understand culture, and to develop culturally responsive and appropriate strategies for engaging cultural differences. It can also be used to assess a group or organization’s overall approach to dealing with cultural difference and commonalities.
Email connect@brownicity.com to learn how to support a sustainable growth journey with the Intercultural Development Inventory.
Lucretia Carter Berry, PhD, is a distinguished author, educator, and speaker, as well as the visionary founder of Brownicity, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering education designed to inspire a culture of true belonging and justice for all. Lucretia is also a valued contributor to incourage.me, sharing her insights and wisdom on topics of faith, resilience, and personal growth. Through her books, Teaching for Justice and Belonging – A Journey for Educators and Parents (2022), Hues of You – An Activity Book for Learning About the Skin You Are In (2022), and What LIES Between Us – Fostering First Steps Toward Racial Healing (2016), her impactful TED Talk, and her commitment to building just communities, Lucretia encourages meaningful engagement that transcends boundaries, fostering personal development, resilience, and the transformative capacity within each of us.
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