Humanizing Technology: Lessons from a Social Worker
In the early 2000s, I took a not-so-obvious leap from Human Factors engineering in tech to Social Work. For me, it wasn't just a career change; it was answering a call that I had been feeling for a long while to help others and my community more directly. I remember the mix of excitement and relief I felt when I decided to go back to school for my Master's degree. At the time, I saw my tech career as a temporary detour before getting back to what I really loved: working with people and diving into psychology.
I eventually came back to tech, but my time in social work changed how I saw the industry. It made me realize we really need to put people at the center of product development.
During my Master's in Social Work, I came across two game-changing concepts: cultural competence and cultural humility. These ideas are key to effectively serving diverse groups, and they've become the foundation of how I approach software development.
At its core, social work is about building solid, trusting relationships with all sorts of people to meet their needs. It's a balancing act: you need to understand your own cultural background and the advantages it might give you, while also picking up on the subtle cultural cues your clients give off. I've found this awareness is crucial not just for social workers, but also for anyone in tech who wants to create truly inclusive products.
Cultural Competence & Humility
The mental health and medical fields have developed robust frameworks to help professionals engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. These generally focus on two key areas:
- Self-assessment of personal biases
- Developing cultural awareness
It's important to understand that "cultural competence" doesn't mean knowing everything about every culture – that’s just not possible. Instead, it’s about recognizing and respecting cultural differences and adapting our interactions accordingly. In my experience, this ongoing learning process has been both challenging and deeply rewarding, constantly pushing me to grow both personally and professionally.
Dr. Derald Wing Sue, a pioneer in multicultural psychology, wisely noted, "Cultural competence is not an end-state... we will all commit blunders... the importance is how you recover, not how you cover up." [Reference] This sentiment allows for personal evolution and creates the space to learn from our mistakes. It’s been a source of comfort and motivation, reminding me that striving for equity and cultural competence is complex; it's okay to make mistakes as long as we learn and improve.
While cultural competence provides a crucial foundation, the field has continued to evolve. Back in 1998, Dr. Melanie Tervalon and Dr. Jann Murray-Garcia coined the term 'cultural humility' and developed a framework for medical practitioners to better serve patients. Cultural humility goes beyond cultural competence by deepening and emphasizing lifelong learning and self-reflection to address and correct power imbalances in interpersonal and institutional relationships. [Reference] Dr. Wing Sue’s work helped me understand my personal role, while Drs. Tervalon and Murray-Garcia helped me understand my role and the institutional role in this work.
These concepts of cultural competence and humility became the cornerstone of my social work practice, shaping my experiences and perspectives in ways that would later prove invaluable in my return to the tech industry.
My Journey: From Social Work & Back to Tech
During my three-year tenure as a social work practitioner, I led individual and group therapy sessions, working with a diverse range of clients. From teens and young adults in outpatient settings to homeless adult men struggling with addiction in inpatient facilities, this experience brought me face-to-face with the harsh realities of inequity and injustice on a deeply personal level. It was both rewarding and challenging.
However, I soon realized the emotional toll this work was taking on me. I found myself burning out quickly, despite my deep admiration for social workers and others engaged in direct community practice. Their work is incredibly important, and sometimes I still wish I could do it.
Recognizing the need to maintain my own physical and mental health, I sought a career that I loved but that was less immersed in direct practice. Although I left social work, the experience profoundly shaped my perspective. It strengthened my resolve to work for the greater good and sparked a passion for using technology's influence to benefit humanity. Even on the toughest days, the connections I formed with clients and our small victories reminded me of the power of empathy and understanding.
When I returned to the tech industry, I brought with me a unique perspective on incorporating empathy and cultural competency into software development. Armed with knowledge of both software delivery frameworks and social work competence models, I began working to integrate cultural competency into the tech world. This blend of experiences positioned me to bridge the gap between these two seemingly disparate fields, with the goal of creating more humane and inclusive technology solutions.
Developing a Framework: Bridging Social Work & Tech
As I began applying these principles to software development, I noticed a challenge. In direct practice, moments needing cultural competency are clear – you see the person in front of you, your empathy kicks in, you can actively engage and pick up on subtle interaction cues, and you can immediately draw from cultural humility frameworks. It's trickier when dealing with anonymous users; out of sight can often mean out of mind. We need to consciously focus on these users and think of them as real people.
My goal is to break down specific aspects of cultural competency and cultural humility from the mental health and medical fields so they can be smoothly incorporated into the product development process.
I've noticed several patterns between these two worlds that make this integration not only doable but necessary. While this project involves some big ideas, I'm looking forward to sharing this journey with you. I've drafted an outline (which I'm still refining), but I'll keep writing about the process and sharing my insights as they develop. I'm hoping to engage with you to get feedback, ideas, and challenges.
Questions and Reflection
As I work on integrating cultural competency into software development, I'd love some real-world input. Here are some questions I've been pondering, and I'd appreciate your insights:
- How might we measure the success of cultural competency initiatives in tech? What metrics or indicators would you propose?
- What challenges do you foresee in integrating these concepts into tech development?
- If you were to create a "cultural competency checklist" for software developers, what would be your top three items and why?
- What potential ethical dilemmas might arise when trying to implement cultural competency in tech, and how could we address them?
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts and experiences. Your perspective could provide valuable insights as we explore this topic together.
Conclusion
Bringing cultural competency and humility into tech isn't a walk in the park. But it's a journey worth taking.
I'm still figuring this out myself, and I'm betting many of you are too. That's why I'm so keen to hear your thoughts. What's worked for you? Where have you stumbled? Your experiences, your ideas - they're all part of this conversation.
Remember, we're not aiming for perfection here. We're aiming for progress. Every step we take towards more inclusive, empathetic tech is a win. So let's keep the dialogue going, keep learning from each other, and see where this takes us.
Recommended Video from Dr. Raquel Martin: As we consider the application of cultural competency and humility in technology, it's helpful to look beyond our industry for broader insights. I loved this talk from Dr. Raquel Martin on cultural competency in corporate environments offers particularly relevant perspectives for our field. I hope you find it engaging as well.
[Article Adobe Firefly image prompt, note that this image took multiple generative attempts: Create an illustration of two women looking at each other. One woman embodies technology covered she should be geometric, in cool blue tones. The other woman symbolizes empathy and human connection, she should be in organic in shape warm earthy tones. The overall style should be modern, slightly abstract, and professional, suitable for a thought leadership article.]
