The Case for a Cultural Humility Framework in Social Work Practice

A cultural humility framework – first proposed within the medical and nursing fields – aligns with collaborative, intersubjective, and anti-oppressive models of social work practice. It challenges practitioners to continually explore our own social location and how our identities shape beliefs regarding what is “normal,” “healthy,” or “right.” It asks us to de-center our own knowledge in favor of prioritizing the clients’ experience and urges ongoing vigilance to power imbalances and the impact of systems on both client and practitioner. This article provides a literature review of cultural humility, a conceptual framework, discussion of its differentiation from cultural competence, and suggestions for its implementation in social work practice.