Self-awareness Ethno-relativism Discrimination-free

Self-awareness refers to the ability to recognise how your own cultural background and experiences shape your attitudes and behaviours, and to identify those that may hamper you sensitive and open approach.

Ethno-realtivism refers to the idea that a person’s beliefs and actions should be understood referring to their own culture, and that the norms and values of one culture should not be evaluated using the norms and values of another (e.g., behaviors of Chinese student – especially in the early phases of their stay in Poland – should be understood through the lenses of Chinese culture, not Polish).

Discrimination-free approach assumes treating people equally, regardless of their individual and cultural characteristics, without stereotypes and prejudices that may be associated with these characteristics.

It is important to note that it is absolutely natural to have some stereotypes and assumptions which are not culturally sensitive. They get activated involuntarily and automatically and the crucial competence is to be aware of them. Ability to notice and asses them early enough to be able to make a conscious decision how you want to act and what values you want to follow is crucial.