A shared understanding of cultural safety is the mutual recognition and integration of diverse identities, knowledge, and experiences, fostering an environment where everyone feels respected, heard, and valued without their identity being challenged or denied.
Understanding Cultural Safety
Cultural Safety is fundamentally about creating environments where individuals feel secure and respected in their cultural identity. As defined, cultural safety is "an environment that is safe for people: where there is no assault, challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are and what they need."
Achieving this safe environment relies heavily on the quality of the interactions and relationships within it. The reference highlights that this safety "is about shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge and experience, of learning, living and working together with dignity and truly listening"¹. These 'shared' elements form the foundation of the shared understanding required for cultural safety to exist and thrive.
The Core Components of Shared Understanding in Cultural Safety
A shared understanding isn't just agreeing on a definition; it's a dynamic process of mutual engagement based on several interconnected components:
- Shared Respect: This involves genuinely valuing each person's cultural background, beliefs, and practices, even if they differ from one's own. It's about mutual regard and dignity.
- Shared Meaning: Developing a common understanding of concepts, communication styles, and non-verbal cues. This bridges potential misunderstandings that can arise from different cultural perspectives.
- Shared Knowledge and Experience: Acknowledging, integrating, and valuing diverse ways of knowing and lived experiences. This moves beyond dominant narratives to include perspectives from various cultural groups.
- Learning, Living, and Working Together with Dignity: Committing to interacting and collaborating in ways that uphold the inherent worth of every individual. This requires humility and a willingness to learn from others.
- Truly Listening: Engaging in active, empathetic listening to understand others' perspectives, needs, and concerns from their cultural standpoint. This goes beyond just hearing words to grasping the underlying context and emotion.
These components work together to build a collective awareness and sensitivity that makes an environment culturally safe.
Why is Shared Understanding Crucial?
A shared understanding moves the concept of cultural safety beyond a theoretical ideal into practical application. Without it, efforts towards safety can be tokenistic or ineffective. It ensures that the responsibility for safety isn't solely on the individual from a marginalized culture but is a collective commitment. It directly counteracts the "assault, challenge or denial" of identity by affirming who people are and what they need through mutual understanding and respect.
Practical Insights & Examples
Developing a shared understanding of cultural safety requires ongoing effort and intentional practice. Here are some examples:
- In Healthcare: A health professional practices truly listening by asking a patient about their health beliefs and practices without judgment, integrating them into the care plan where possible (shared knowledge/experience, truly listening).
- In Education: Curriculum development involves incorporating diverse histories and perspectives, co-created with representatives from different cultural groups (shared knowledge, shared meaning).
- In Workplaces: Implementing cultural competency training that goes beyond awareness to focus on building skills for respectful communication and collaboration across differences (shared respect, shared meaning).
- Community Engagement: Designing programs or services by genuinely consulting with community members from diverse backgrounds, incorporating their feedback into the design and delivery (shared knowledge/experience, learning/working together).
Building a shared understanding is an iterative process involving education, self-reflection, dialogue, and a commitment to dismantling systemic barriers that prevent genuine inclusion.
Reference
- Cultural Safety –"an environment that is safe for people: where there is no assault, challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are and what they need. It is about shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge and experience, of learning, living and working together with dignity and truly listening"¹.
