A Transformational Approach to Developing Cultural Humility in the Classroom

Abstract

Introduction: Undergraduate psychology programs offer opportunities for the development of knowledge and specialized skills in order to equip students to work with diverse populations. Statement of the Problem: It is crucial for psychology clinicians and other human service providers to understand and be responsive to the scope of cultural diversity. To be effective, they must demonstrate cultural humility through an anti-bias approach. Literature Review: We review research pertaining to cultural diversity, cultural humility, and the social and pedagogical implications associated with these constructs. Teaching Implications: We offer one approach for fostering the development of cultural humility through a 6-week Cultural Humility Learning Module that capitalizes on the principles of diversity, privilege and bias, cultural humility, fairness, and social justice. Conclusion: Through piloting and refining the learning module in our own classrooms, we believe that this approach shows promise of transformational learning. We offer the reader potential ways to assess the effectiveness of the module.