Recently I interacted with someone that decided not to attend an upcoming seminar at his job on cultural awareness. I inquired about his decision and his response was, “because of the election” (referring to the 2024 presidential election). Sadly, he equated discussing culture with the division and anger that politics can stoke. But cultural competency is so much more.
The truth is that everyone is an anthropologist. All of us are born into a culture (or several) and all of us make judgements about our culture and the way others do things. Everyone has cultural perceptions, whether they know it or not. All of us view the world from a certain vantage point. Depending on the situation, that viewpoint can be accurate or misaligned with reality.
This is why cultural awareness training is important. Awareness is a journey. Healthy assessments, coaching, and cross-cultural experiences can help us know where we are on our journey and know how to grow in relating to others better. The right guidance is like a GPS app; we know where we are, where we want to go, and how we will get to our destination. “Culture” doesn’t mean catastrophe. Through humility and curiosity, delving into cultural conversations can spark unity and hope as we appreciate our similarities and differences alike.
Kathairo Solutions 
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