Volunteer In-Service:
Sponsored By The Spiritual Support Training Team
Greater Hilltop Area SHALOM ZONE

Know
Thyself
Cross-Cultural
Experience
Please read carefully the following description of a culture and people who are probably very different than you are. Take note of how this culture behaves in life, and then try as best you can to mimic their lifestyle.
Remember to be true to your new culture!

Know
Thyself

Creating a Safe space within
Taking a Long Loving Look
Receiving the other through story telling
Deepening awareness of God’s presence in the midst of community; finding the Hidden Wholeness of
Christ in the midst of life.

The wild animal within
Parker Palmer, Hidden Wholeness , Jossey-Bass, pg. 58-59

• Storytelling and Listening is a matter of Perspective
• It is learning to gaze with deep love seeing beyond the surface.
• It is learning to look at objects, people and circumstance with the eyes and heart of God.
• It is noticing the the shy and tenacious soul within the other.

Speaker’s story
Facts back then
Feelings back then
Facts now
Feelings now
Modified from John Savage’
Listening Lab

Spiritual Direction - Story Telling With:
Three –Way Listening
Storyteller’s story
Facts back then
Feelings back then
Facts now
Feelings now
Modified from John Savage’
Listening Lab
Listener’s
Counter story

• Ethnicity
• Economic
• Educational

How well could you survive in
Poverty, Middle Class, Wealthy?

What triggers culture shock? (page 2)
The Anatomy of Cultural Adjustment
Adapted from Craig Stori, The Art of Crossing Cultures, (1996,
Intercultural Press)
We expect others to be like us, but they aren’t
A cultural incident occurs which shocks us
(our assumption of all people being alike is proven incorrect)
We withdraw or
We react through emotional and physical detachment
We reflect on our response, and seek input from locals
We stay in the company of people from our culture group
We learn the appropriate cultural response
We delay or impair our successful cultural adjustment
Our confidence and comfort level grows

Step One: The Shock
(page 2)
The Stages of Cultural Adjustment in the Shock Phase
Adapted from Lisa Espaneli Chinn by John Eaves, revised 2000

Stress & Culture
Shock
(Page 2)
High
Stress
Fight Stage
Flight Stage Fit Stage
Fascination Stage
Low
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
(Months)
Time

Fascination Stage
Page 2
We might call this the “ honeymoon.” We become infatuated with our new environment, and find the differences more intriguing rather than threatening. This stage may last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
• Open to new experiences, meeting new people
• Intrigued with new culture
• Willingness to explore new environment, to “learn the ropes”, get oriented
• Greater risk taking

The newness wears off as you begin to experience “cultural episodes” which serve as a reminder that you are not from this culture. Daily demands of living and working begin to get the best of you. You begin to withdraw from situations that involve differences of opinion or misunderstanding. You feel overwhelmed emotionally without knowing exactly why.
• Feels inadequate, unworthy, overwhelmed by the amount of need.
• Misses scheduled volunteer times.
•
Starts showing up late to the volunteer site

Fight Stage
Frustration and anger get the best of you as you focus on the negative aspects of this new culture rather than the positive ones. You can be distant and critical in your relationships.
• Trying to impose middle class values.
• Minor health problems may arise, usually stressrelated
• Constant comparison of middle class values vs. desiring “to fix” the situation the person of poverty.
• Trying to educate those in poverty to the “correct way of behaving.

Most people will reach a point when they are able to resolve many of their initial frustrations with living in a new culture. As language skills and cultural awareness improve, one begins to feel more productive and at ease in this new culture.
• Begin recognizing our own faith growth and development
• Heightens the personal passion for mission.
• Engaging and expanding relationships with the least, the lost, and the lonely.
• Recognizes God in the midst of diversity.
• Accepting and respecting other cultural values without judgment.

Know
Thyself
Cross-Cultural
Continuum of Change
(Page 5)

Know
Thyself
Do your homework – learn about differing culture

Cross Cultural Hospitality
( Page 6)
The three big questions …

How do you speak and listen in diverse cultural situations?

Will I be able to communicate with them?

Are there differences in personal space?

Conversation
Not imposing middle class values
Perspective/
Assumptions
Looking & Listening
Food awareness

Weaving Cultural Diversity into
Life.
http://sermonspice.com/pr oduct/14972/get-service