Cultural Awareness in Writing

Ernest White II@FlyBrotherfly-brother.com

When writing about cultures, try to avoid:

● assuming you've got everyone pegged● generalizing entire populations● assuming that you're the only one with privilege● “othering” the culture you're writing about● using loaded words such as primitive and exotic

When writing, nay, when traveling, it is imperative to:

● admit that you don't know everything● let people tell their own stories● suspend judgments● strive for empathy● systematically check your assumptions● embrace ambiguity● celebrate diversity

Partially sourced from “What is Cultural Awareness?,” Stephanie Quappe and Giovanna Cantatore, 2005.