Respecting Culture Without Excusing Harm: The Role of Cultural Humility in Professional Practice
May 14, 2025
Anyone who has spoken to me recently will know I love cultural humility. It’s ability to ease people into learning about other cultures, addressing systemic imbalances and to hold us all gently accountable is so appealing. It offers a softer landing into talking about discrimination.
However, one of the biggest challenges we face when working across cultures is knowing where to draw the line between respecting cultural identity and recognising when a practice or belief causes harm. This is especially true in professional settings where safeguarding, human rights, and organisational values are paramount. This issue has been raised a few times during training, and I want to take the time to ensure everyone is clear on what is meant by ‘accepting other cultures’.
Cultural humility is a term we use often at Strawberry Words, and for good reason. It’s a powerful approach that asks us to move beyond stereotypes and assumptions, and instead engage with people in ways that are open, curious and respectful. But I want to be clear: cultural humility is not the same as cultural relativism. It doesn’t ask us to accept every cultural difference without question. It certainly doesn’t ask us to excuse or turn a blind eye to practices that cause harm.
Savera UK describe some examples of harmful practices,
“… honour-based abuse, early/forced marriages, female genital mutilation, breast ironing, preventing women from controlling their own fertility, dowry payments, son preference, bride-price and more.”
Savera UK 2019
Instead, cultural humility invites us to balance two vital things: respect for cultural difference and responsibility to protect and uphold human dignity.
Why This Matters in the Workplace
In any diverse organisation, whether in healthcare, education, the charity sector or corporate spaces, staff will inevitably come into contact with colleagues, clients, or service users whose worldviews differ from their own. Sometimes these differences are enriching and positive. But occasionally, they include views or behaviours that directly clash with legal responsibilities or professional ethics.
So what do we do then?
Let me offer a few workplace examples to illustrate the tension and the path forward.
- A frontline housing officer supports a family recently arrived in the UK. The parents express strong views about gender roles, including the belief that girls shouldn't be educated past a certain age. The officer doesn’t shame or argue with them on the spot, but they do record their concerns and raise them through safeguarding channels, ensuring that the child’s rights are upheld.
- A manager overhears a colleague make a casual remark about a cultural practice that is rooted in misogyny. Instead of ignoring it or overreacting, they speak privately with the colleague to understand the context and share how such comments can impact the wider team, especially those who may have personal experiences of harm.
- An HR advisor encounters a candidate who explains that in their culture, openly challenging authority is seen as deeply disrespectful. The advisor doesn’t dismiss the candidate’s view, but they do clearly explain how the organisation values respectful feedback and collaborative discussion, and why this will be important for the role.
In all of these situations, cultural humility isn’t about agreeing. It’s about staying connected even when we disagree, so we can communicate clearly, uphold professional values, and build relationships based on understanding, not judgement.
When Culture and Harm Collide
Of course, there are times when cultural norms cross the line into territory that is clearly harmful, whether it’s physical, psychological, or emotional harm. In those cases, cultural humility still plays a role, not in excusing the behaviour, but in navigating our response to it.
We don’t have to vilify people for what they believe, to stand firm in what we know is right. We can respond with clarity and compassion. With boundaries and respect. That’s what professional integrity looks like. And let me be crystal clear, if there are safeguarding concerns, then protocol MUST be followed. Being culturally humble is never an excuse to allow harmful behaviour to be excused.
And this is where training matters, not just in policies and procedures, but in emotional intelligence, communication, and self-awareness. Because when we act from a place of reaction or judgement, we may unintentionally create resistance. But when we act from a place of confident, informed professionalism, we create the conditions for change. We can be culturally humble AND be very clear on when practices are harmful.
Creating Safe, Inclusive and Accountable Workplaces
At Strawberry Words, we don’t believe you should have to choose between being respectful and being protective. The best workplaces do both, they recognise the richness of cultural diversity, and they set clear, non-negotiable standards when it comes to safety and dignity.
So, whether you’re a team leader managing cross-cultural tensions, a frontline worker navigating sensitive conversations, or a CEO shaping your organisation’s values, remember this:
Cultural humility is not weakness. It’s wisdom.
It allows us to listen without compromising our principles. It equips us to challenge harm without alienating those we serve. And it reminds us that true respect isn’t about acceptance of all behaviours, it’s about being deeply committed to the well-being of others, even when that means having difficult conversations.
If your organisation is grappling with these challenges, you’re not alone. We’re here to support you with the education, training and strategy to build truly inclusive and compassionate cultures, and harm is never ignored and where people are respected.
Talking about racism can seem difficult and uncomfortable. This CPD accredited course provides a foundational education on racism to help to increase racial literacy which includes building confidence to speak about and deal with issues concerning race. It provides a language through which meaningful conversation can take place (particularly in the workplace).
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