Welcome Learn more about the course agenda, then take a moment to introduce yourself and complete the pre-course survey. Chapter 1 - Introduction Demonstrates why culture matters and sets the stage for developing greater awareness of our own cultural values and those of others as well as the importance of communication and listening skills. Chapter 2 - Self-Awareness Emphasizes how culture influences the identity and the perception of ourselves and others, and how these identities and perceptions influence in turn our actions and our relationships with others. Chapter 3 - Bias Explains how conscious and unconscious biases inform our beliefs, behaviors and decision-making processes and how to mitigate their negative effects. Chapter 4 - Culture Shock & Adaptation Anticipates the occurrence of culture shock and offers techniques to be prepared for surprises and confusion and to regain effectiveness and build resilience. Chapter 5 - Intercultural Communication Identifies five dimensions of communication and outlines ways to more deeply understand and connect with your international counterparts. Chapter 6 - Building Relationships & Trust Examines the impact of active listening, power dynamics and how people approach collaboration on creating trusting ties among people. Chapter 7 - Time, Agency & Control Assesses how the concepts of time and the control over events influence schedules, deadlines and outcomes. Chapter 8 - Self-Care and Concluding Remarks Summarizes many of the helpful tips and tools that can help you build your intercultural competence. Chapter 1: Introduction In this chapter we begin to address what culture is and how it is defined in different ways. We also introduce the importance of cultural awareness while also highlighting why culture matters. It is important to understand the influence of culture on our own values and behavior as well as the values and behavior of others and, in so doing, we are better able to develop tools, skills and competencies to enable us to engage effectively and productively with others despite, and because of, our cultural differences. Such cultural awareness will help us move towards cultural synergy. And cultural synergy is the ultimate goal because people are most successful in working across cultures when more harmonious and effective decisions or outcomes result from the combined strengths of different cultures. Cultural Synergy Course: Football Animation Football, the most popular sport in the world, played by millions. But what makes a good player? Of course they must be fit and agile, but the best players have an excellent awareness of themselves and of others on the field, and excellent communication and listening skills. Similar skills are needed to effectively engage within other cultures, such as self-awareness and good communication. These skills might not prepare us for the World Cup, but they can help to better connect with others and build trust in this increasingly connected world. Learning Objectives: ● Explain what culture is ● Determine what cultural synergy is and why culture is such an important factor in human interaction ● Become aware of the complexity, dynamism and unpredictability of cross-cultural encounters ● Recognize the importance of context and cultural awareness Key Terms Culture Definitions: ● “Culture is the shared set of assumptions, values, and beliefs of a group of people by which they organize their common life. A culture provides a set of directions for the way a human activity or relationship is to be carried out…. A human is advised and guided by his or her culture, but the human has a unique personality that plays a guiding role, too. Values and beliefs guide the behavior of individuals; shared values and beliefs guide the behavior of groups.” Gary M. ● “The shared beliefs, traits, attitudes, behavior, products, and artifacts common to a particular social or ethnic group. The term cross-cultural refers to interactions across cultures and reflects the fact that different cultures may have different communication styles and negotiating behavior. The term multicultural refers to the acceptance of different ethnic cultures within a society. Cultural sensitivity means being aware of cultural differences and how they affect behavior, and moving beyond cultural biases and preconceptions to interact effectively.:” Peace Terms: Glossary of Terms for Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. Cultural Synergy “Two or more groups interacting or collaborating to create an environment that could capitalize on its collective knowledge, skills, strengths and insights. Cultural synergy often produces a “third” culture by taking elements of each of the two cultures and forming a new blended entity. The desired outcome of this joining is greater harmony, inclusiveness and productivity. Cultural synergy more commonly refers to organizational effectiveness while intercultural competence refers to a skill set for individuals. Nancy J. Adler. "Cultural Synergy: Designing a Culturally Synergistic Organization" The Bridge, vol. 6 (no. 3) 1981: pp. 32-34. Scenario: A Shock in the Market Place This course will incorporate real-life scenarios experienced by practitioners from USIP and Burning Man into each chapter. These scenarios are intended to illustrate the type of situation you may expect to encounter in another culture. Each scenario will be followed by choices of possible actions you could take. These scenarios are not meant to provide you with a list of do’s and don’ts but rather an understanding that intercultural encounters can be confusing, complex and dynamic. It is important to remember that such encounters are the outcome of your own culture and identity as well as that of someone from another culture. It is important to note that there is usually no perfect choice or solution to such scenarios. The value in providing feedback is to help you reflect upon the consequences of different perspectives or responses to a specific scenario. The emphasis of this course is to show that greater sensitivity to cultural differences and human needs as well as greater information and awareness of a given context or situation is critical for cultural competence. Real-Life Experience: This scenario was modeled after a real-life experience by Leanne Erdberg. Listen how she describes the experience: Leanne’s Experience in Yemen Leanne Erdberg: So, one of my earliest trips when I used to work for the State Department was a trip to Yemen. And because this is a podcast, I should share that I have bright red hair and it's integral to the story because we were in the souk. I was trying to understand a little bit more of where we were in between lots of diplomatic meetings in buildings and we're in the souk, and I was shopping around with a couple of my colleagues from the State Department, as well as some of our partners that were community members in Yemen, and all of a sudden, I had bent down to look at some sort of scarf and I feel a giant tug on the back of my hair. And my first reaction was to try and scream but I didn't because we were in a foreign place and I didn't. And I turned around, and there was a young boy, who he himself was so excited, and I couldn't figure out why he had pulled my hair. And so I asked my colleague who was Yemeni, like, “please ask him like, why did he pull my hair?” And this young boy was talking a mile a minute in Arabic, so the translation was was quite difficult at the time, to say that he had never seen hair that color and he just wanted to touch it and figure out if it was real. And it was one of those moments for me that I felt like a fish out of water one) because I was a woman without covering over my hair, so I think that that was probably part of it as well, and then the color of my hair as well. And it took me a minute to get out of the fear mentality and into the just the joyful curiosity of a young child seeing something for the first time and moving into that space from fear toward curiosity has been a lesson very early in my career and it has been a lesson to try and embrace that in as many situations as possible. Key Ideas and Practical Tips You can often expect the unexpected in navigating daily life in another culture. You will be most successful when you can suspend judgment if possible, while opening your heart and your mind to new experiences and new ways of doing things. One should bring humility, self-awareness, and an open heart and an open mind to any intercultural encounter. You will be more open to new perspectives and ideas by: 1. Getting out of your comfort zones; 2. Developing new relationships and making new friends; 3. Asking questions and listening to the answers and asking additional questions to understand what may be behind those answers; 4. Suspending judgment; and 5. Not automatically dismissing new information that does not fit with your preconceptions or existing ways of doing things. It is important to understand that cultural differences do not just reflect tangible differences between people. In the scenario in the last lesson, the young boy was amazed that a woman’s physical appearance could be so different than the norm in the world with which he was familiar. But there are also very important differences in how people understand and view human interaction and human relations. An Illustration of such differences is the idea of speaking up and advocating for oneself. Here are two well-known proverbs that convey quite different concept of speech: The value of speaking: “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” -- An American proverb. The risks of speaking: “The duck that quacks the loudest gets shot.” -- A Chinese parable These contrasting maxims show a cultural contrast in the value of speaking. Americans, and many from European societies, value talking, which can often be perceived in other cultures as calling attention to oneself. And, If one is focused primarily on speaking, one may be less likely to listen well or be reflective--and also less aware of the consequences of one’s speech. Because contexts are so often different, and needs are different, and people are different, that is why it is particularly incumbent on those working in another culture to bring humility, self-awareness, and an open heart and an open mind to any intercultural encounter. Practitioner Voices: Being an Outsider We asked some of our experienced practitioners for their thoughts on what it means to be an outsider in another culture and what to be mindful of. Here are some of their thoughts and cautionary notes on working in other cultures: Respecting Culture Tom Price: If you think that going somewhere and handing out a blanket, or an MRE, or something, gives you the right to tell someone how to live their lives, you need to find something else to do with your time. Because using that moment of privilege power, it's no different than these American churches that go over somewhere and hand out food aid but require someone to sit in a church and pray for 30 minutes, or these shelters here in town that require someone to get a lecture about God before they get a place to sleep for the night. It's extortion with a moral bow on it. And it's reprehensible, understandable, perhaps reprehensible. People in need often most have a need to talk in the process, because they've lost their agency. So start with having the humility to ask about their situation and then listen. How do we create an inculcate a culture that is inclusive and that allows people to be their best self? And that starts with those of us who have the good fortune of privilege, being willing to remember that that is an accident of circumstance, and that there are a million ways and ideas about how to solve the challenges that we have ahead of us. And just because of our position of privilege doesn't mean that we have a lock on the best ideas. Seeing Culture Oge Onubogu: So a bulk of, where I would say, I have the bulk of my experiences across Sub Saharan Africa and in every context there it's always different. That sometimes it cracks me up that folks often will generalize the entire continent where engagement with political actors in Zimbabwe is completely different, like night and day, of engaging with political actors in Nigeria. So, like, so it's, it just, it's important that we see those differences, that even because individuals occupy certain spaces as, as political actors, the way you engage with them, the culture and the environment in which they're in, actually influences the way you engage. So it's very important that we do not detach an understanding of culture from what we do. And one should also think of cultural synergy as the product of constant interactions between peoples from different cultures, backgrounds and identities. And such encounters can change depending on the context, what has brought people from different cultures together, and the degree to which our different identities and values come out at that time and that place. Young Professionals: Cultural Synergy is Personal And in an increasingly globalized world, different cultures are coming together in family unions. Andre Ball of the United States Institute of Peace talks about how cultural synergy is very personal and familial. Merging families Andre Ball: Obviously I identified again as uh black and half black and half Filipino-American. My wife is Chinese American. We got married last year. We got married in Morocco, which was awesome. And on top of that, we brought our family over for the ceremony which was even better. So, her family, her dad is from New York, he grew up in New York but he was born in China and grew up in Hong Kong. And her mom was Malaysian and grew up in Hong Kong was invited to the United States north and that's where they met. You know, we're walking the streets of Morocco together as this family and you could, I mean, you could obviously feel the looks, you know, on people's faces as we're walking down the street, as we're walking through the marketplace in Marrakesh. And,it's just busy and then you just have this group of people that are just completely diversified and I was not very self-aware at the moment, but now you know but there there were moments where I just kind of looked back and I'm like yeah, if I wasn't me and even if I was a tourist or native here and I looked at it and I was like “who is this group people? This must be like a tourist group or something, it's just kind of odd”. But we were a family, we were a family that was celebrating away and in a different country, and that that whole experience in itself I think was amazing but, at the same time, it was like just this realization about how diverse and how culturally rich that we were. A funny story I will share about just kind of the clash of cultures is, we had a tea ceremony, this is a traditional Chinese ceremony that's held for people who are getting married and um we had iy prior to our wedding. And I had my family side come in and her family side come in and about a week before that tea ceremony, I had all the people on my side of the family, they asked me all of these questions like “what do I do with the tea ceremony? Like, “who, like, do I sit somewhere? Do I do I present something? Is there something I have to do?” and I would just be like ask my wife, she would know. And so, there was this kind of back and forth about understanding like what the ceremony was about and showing their respect to it. And then, when the ceremony came around, they were essentially I guess ready but not ready, but I think it was also very exciting for them to experience something new, but I just thought it was really interesting that they they had this idea of making sure they wanted to honor the culture and tradition and to appreciate what we were doing together and just to see it, just to be a part of it was special. Special from the perspective of getting married then special from the perspective of bringing two families with two cultures together into up into one room, experience it with us so. It was just magical honestly. Conclusion Culture and Identity Ilana Lancaster: So, we all belong to many identity groups, yes. And I think, oftentimes in which, you know, culture, when we think about culture, it's often conceived of as something very static and in, culture is dynamic and culture presents itself through an interaction, right? So, the interactions in which, the way in which we find ourselves interacting, it's an interface, where culture really comes to play, right? Because culture in a very static way means absolutely nothing. You're gonna have a laundry list of very superficial kind of check-the-box of this, this, these people have these cultural practices or traditions and beliefs. But when in fact, yes, we all do belong to many identities, with those different identity groups we have different cultural norms and systems and practices that we engage in. And we're constantly engaging with different, different parts of different people at different time. And so for me, culture is always about the way in which culture is enacted in that you that culture is, you know, it's a way in which you engage in people's in action of. So when would you deploy culture and cultural values? You know, it's not just static. As Illana emphasizes, thinking of culture as dynamic is critical in building cultural synergy. And, cross-cultural encounters themselves are often dynamic and unpredictable. There are no general right or wrong ways to handle a particular situation because what may be the best approach or response in one culture may differ in another culture. That is why understanding the context and the particular dynamics of a cross-cultural encounter matter. The emphasis of this course is not to provide you with a list of cultural do’s and don’ts but rather the course will help you enhance your awareness and preparation necessary to understand cross-cultural situations and how to engage others sensitively and effectively. Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and share with others below. Read and respond to other posts as well. 1. How do you feel about meeting new people or trying new things? How do you respond when facing the unknown? 2. What makes you excited about engaging others in another culture? What makes you nervous about such encounters? Chapter 2: Self-Awareness This chapter focuses on how culture influences the identity and the perception of ourselves and others, and how these identities and perceptions influence in turn our relationships with others. Cultural awareness is not simply a matter of appreciating other cultures but developing an awareness of the impact of culture and an understanding of the role of identity—the identities of others and a self-awareness of one’s own identities. Two people can interpret the same action quite differently. Culture has a great influence on what other people do and the meaning they give to their and others’ actions. At the same time, culture influences how we perceive the actions of others and the meaning and intentions behind our own thoughts and actions. Socrates Animation The Greek philosopher Socrates was told by an oracle that he was the wisest man alive. He traveled far and wide and met with great minds to prove the Oracle wrong. After hearing how much others thought they knew, Socrates concluded he was wiser than everyone else. Because at least he knew that he knew nothing. Admitting your own ignorance opens the door to learning from others. Like a mirror, self awareness helps us see our own character, feelings, and desires, and allows us to imagine how others might perceive us. Learning Objectives: ● Heighten understanding that confusion in a different cultural environment is natural; that is why self-awareness and humility are so important. ● Validate the importance of cultural awareness and programming concerning your own culture and the cultures with which you interact, for building effective intercultural interactions. ● Increase awareness of one’s own identity and culture as essential to working harmoniously in other cultures. ● Create greater understanding of the core beliefs and values of one’s own culture, and how it may differ from others. ● Raise awareness that one’s values and beliefs may be challenged, often because of fundamental differences about the role of the individual and the capacity of people to effect change or take control of their own lives. ● Realize how we are perceived as an outsider, from a particular culture, and how our skin color, gender and religion may create assumptions about us. The Lack of Self-Awareness and Its Practical Consequences Even outsiders with the best of intentions too often emphasize the question, how can I help you? Rather than, what do you need? Too often we assume what the needs of others are, or we don’t take the time to try to understand the perspective of others. In this course, we begin with cultural self-awareness because it is important both for knowing about and respecting the local norms and values and for understanding how you and your behavior is a product of your culture and the potential impact you may have on others from a different culture. Ideally, greater cultural competency will lead to better communications and greater respect, tolerance and sensitivity. It will help us work with the differences that exist between us rather than just reacting to what others do. And, in some cases it may just lead to better awareness of how others behave and what motivates their behavior. Cultural awareness should lead to more successful interaction with those from another culture and help you make sense of what you experience. And, despite the importance of culture as an influence on the beliefs, values and actions of others, what you experience when interacting with others will also depend on specific circumstances, context and individual personalities. When we think of other cultures we are often focus on our differences. Those differences are often rooted in other values and beliefs. While it may be easy to say to oneself that I would not act in the way someone from another culture might in the same circumstances, it is more difficult to suspend judgment and sit back and try to understand the reasons behind an action. We usually perceive a particular situation based on our own cultural biases, values, belief systems, and our own life experiences. ● Cultural awareness is the recognition and appreciation of other cultures while also understanding of the impact that culture and identity—the identities of others and a self-awareness of one’s own identities—have on human behavior. ● Cultural competence is the ability to engage effectively with those from another culture while honoring and respecting the beliefs, styles and behaviors of different individuals, communities and groups. ● Cultural humility is the recognition that everyone brings something unique and valuable to a situation. We must be open to other ideas and viewpoints while acknowledging that we will often not have the solution to the problems of others. Cultural humility implies that we are never done learning, ensuring that we suspend judgment while also re-examining our own assumptions and beliefs. ● Context is the set of circumstances and factors that form the setting for an event or situation. From the context one can often gain insights into the forces that shape behavior in a particular place at a particular time while also understanding the environment in which decisions may be made or actions taken. Scenario: Feral Dogs Podcast from Laurette Bennhold Samaan: This scenario was modeled after a real-life experience by Laurette Bennhold Samaan. Listen how she describes the experience: Suspending Judgment in West Africa Laurette Bennhold Samaan: There are many examples that I could cite where situations have gone against my core beliefs or my value system. One, for example, was in West Africa where I saw people kicking dogs, and from an US American probably western point of view, that feels not, that feels rude, that feels not not supportive of animals. However, looking at that further and talking to people, the belief is that those dogs carry diseases. And so, by them kicking the dog, I was interpreting it very differently than they were interpreting it. Sarah Fisk encountered this situation and came up with a creative and quite sensitive response. Being Sensitive to Others Sarah Fisk: But, it's generally true that you need to pay attention on multiple levels and the only way you can do that is stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about other people. And anything you can do to strengthen yourself, to be more emotionally intelligent in a humble way, like what's happening here, like. I've been in a family home where I was being given food and I was so hungry, there were two of us, and we'd been traveling and his family basically took us in by the side of the road, and we were a little bit lost and frightened, and not sure where we were gonna go next. And they had some kids and they said, “Oh, you look so tired here, you know, have some soup”, and they brought us the soup. And the kids were staring at us, and I suddenly realized we were eating their soup. And if I hadn't picked that up, so what, what I did is I offered I said, “Come, come sit with me, you have some I'll have some you have some, I’ll have some”. And like, the mother's face like was, she was so relieved because she was busy being hospitable, which was her cultural way. I mean, she couldn't not offer us the food, but was the only food they had. And so then I was like, “Oh, my God, we're eating their food”. And I was like, “we’re eating their food!” And we couldn't say no because it was rude. So, I just took the youngest kid on my lap and then the other ones came over and the three kids and the two outsiders ate the food together, you know, and there wasn't a lot, but we all had something in our bellies. And so again, it's like, what did I do? I paid attention and looked for things. Like, the great thing about traveling and the great thing about doing cross cultural stuff is that it takes you out of your own little box, and in you go “what's going on here?” And you get to learn from that and you get to see the world in a new way. And that, you know, causes new brain cells to happen, it's system, and causes your heart open and causes your life to explode in good ways. Most of the time good ways, not always. But so, the way to do that, the way to be ready to do that is to get over yourself and be really curious and humble and fascinated by what you're seeing and wondering what it is. I mean, that emotional intelligence really comes into play. I think, so. When we look at the behavior of others, we often interpret what is happening through the filter of what our culture tells us is happening. Cultural awareness is not simply a matter of recognizing and appreciating other cultures but an understanding of the impact of culture and an understanding of the role of identity—the identities of others and a self-awareness of one’s own identities. Cultural competence is the capacity to honor and respect beliefs, styles and behaviors of different individuals and communities and groups. It is important to acknowledge one’s own cultural influences and how we are perceived by others. From that awareness, from that understanding, flows improved communications, reduced uncertainty and misunderstanding, greater collaboration and teamwork, and improved relationships. Both Laurette and Sarah also reflect the concept of cultural humility which encompasses self-reflection and a willingness to listen to others, both critical to understanding and responding to cultural differences. In many ways, Laurette notes the importance of being conscious of the dynamics inherent when cultures interact. In the scenario above, it is important not to jump to conclusions or make judgments about how dogs are being treated. One has to check one’s own assumptions. By being more culturally competent, Sarah notes that one is therefore in a better position to respond in a sensitive way to an encounter with someone who makes such a generous offer. In discussing cultural humility, both podcasts imply that acquiring and institutionalizing cultural knowledge is particularly important while also re-examining assumptions and beliefs. For those who work in multicultural settings, such competence is critical to developing programs, implementing projects and working in different cultural settings. Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and share with others below. Read and respond to other posts as well. With respect to the scenarios above, please share your thoughts about the possible responses and the different consequences of those responses. Also address the following question: What has led you to see things one way and what do you think has led others to see the same situation or scenario differently? Young Professional's Perspective: Cultural Humility Tabatha Thompson provides us with insights from her first visit to Africa for the United Nations. She discusses the importance of cultural humility and being flexible. Work with Humility Tabatha Thompson: So, you know, just approaching it with that mindset, that yes you may have a project that you need to get done or, you know, indicators of success that you have for your organization, but you're not actually the one that's living in the environment and affected by, you know, the conflict or the emergency or the crisis that is going on. And when your project is done, or your work is done, you're not the one that remains. And so for me, you know, as an outsider, so again approaching the work with humility, but also making sure that you understand why people are motivated to do the work that they're doing and these different communities and what makes them tick, and moving, you know, beyond the transactional relationship, and, you know, project space is so important because they're the ones that are going to drive the work during the project and after you're gone and, if your idea of success is to make real change or, you know, have a real impact, the only way that you're actually going to be able to do that is if someone feels comfortable and trusts you, and feels like you have their best interest at heart, and you have their communities best interest at heart. Even if it means, you know, maybe needing to slow down or take a pause in the project to really understand what is going on. Scenario 2: Rebuilding After a Hurricane Podcast from Carmen Mauk In 2007, Carmen Mauk describes her work in Peru in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. Listen how she describes the experience: Being Flexible to Local Needs Carmen Mauk: Burners without Borders supported a six year disaster response effort with over 6000 volunteers after the 2007 earthquake that decimated the city of 80,000 people in Pisco, Peru. This was an earthquake that was an 8.0 on the Richter scale and lasted for two minutes. It's one of the most, you know, profoundly gigantic earthquakes that have ever happened with a population. And it was just heart wrenching when we arrived to see an entire city basically just leveled to the ground. So when we came in to Pisco as three green disaster responders, we felt there was a certain mandate of what needed to be done to quickly remove rubble and help people rebuild their lives. But shortly after we arrived in Pisco, we were approached by the local free dive fishermen who expressed a lot of concern about the rampant dynamite fishing that was occurring along the coast. Now, we weren't there to do this, you know, we were really there to help people rebuild their lives. But it became apparent that this dynamite fishing was destroying marine habitat, as well as putting their lives in danger. And the practice also killed anything in the blast radius, including protected marine life like sea turtles. But what we realized very soon, by listening to the locals and the community, was that there was much more that needed to be done that was important to them. And if we were going to build trust in the community, and actually be there for the long term, we really needed to listen and come up with strategies and plans that worked for them and not just our own agenda. So we were like, “Okay, well, what do you guys want to do?” And they asked us to use the disaster as like a kind of a gap in the whole chaos of it all to actually do something really good that might not have been able to be possible before. And they asked us to use the disaster as like a kind of a gap in the whole chaos of it all to actually do something really good that might not have been able to be possible before. We were really there to listen to the people and, you know, build schools and we helped a school get a water filtration device, so they could make money by selling water, because that was a thing that people did in Peru. So I think the fishermen who were also dads and parents of children going to these schools saw something in our group that they saw this, these are the people we want to approach to see if the thing that's very important to us, which is our marine life is being decimated, our lives as fishermen are at stake, you know, the future of the environment here, if they keep dynamite fishing, and so they asked our group to help. So they asked us to help them transform an old building on the beach into an Environmental Education Center that would address not only dynamite fishing, but also educate the larger community about how they could support the health of the marine environment. So volunteers got to work rehabbing the building and developing posters and educational materials with a fisherman that would eventually be displayed. And the grand opening was set for an upcoming festival holiday to attract as many people as possible. And to our great surprise, there was a long line out the door for the entire day. And we weren't sure how the educational materials would be received or if anyone would take the time to read them, but we were thrilled to see people of all ages taking the time to read and engage with the materials and each other. So after the grand opening, this new environmental center became a hub for all fishermen and the community to learn how to use computers. Podcast: Carmen Mauk Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Carmen Mauk was part of another Burners Without Borders team in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, working to create a demonstration project that would show local Haitians different models for rebuilding, including different types of housing, toilets and ways to grow their own food. The latter included an aquaponics program. Being Open to Change Carmen Mauk: When I arrived in Porphyrins, and at this location, there were two volunteers who had come in to build the aquaponics project. They needed a lot of rocks for the project and I found them sifting rocks out of dirt that they had found on the property, and it was taking forever, and they only had a short amount of time to complete the project while they were in the country. So I suggested that, hey, Burners without Borders, we can donate a truck full of rocks so that they could finish the project on time. Problem solved. But during this time, a cholera epidemic was sweeping across the country and it was right at the beginning of it, and we had to be really careful about sanitizing our shoes every time we entered the property as to not know spread the disease further. And this was a dangerous time for Haitians and anyone working in the area and I had received a lot of information on how to put in, you know, practice, best practices how not to spread the disease. And so we found a truck, we ordered the rocks, and when the dump truck returned and was backing up onto the property, water was gushing out of the back of the truck. As the driver dumped the load onto the grass. I asked where the rocks came from and why were they wet. And I just assumed that they would come from a company that sold building materials and gravel like in the US or even, you know, like in Pisco, how had purchased materials to rebuild. And it turns out, the rocks had just been taken from the river, the same river that was known as the culprit for carrying cholera and now it had just been dumped in the middle of the property. And I had this sinking feeling with tears in my eyes that I had just created a scenario that would undo all the precautions we took to keep this potentially deadly bacteria out of the area and was going to kill everybody. I felt really stupid and ashamed that, given the obvious dangers associated with this epidemic, that I hadn't asked more questions and applied what I'd learned about the epidemic before I thought I was efficiently solving a problem. Fortunately, we were able to bleach the rocks, rake them,let the sun do its work sanitizing them, but it took like three days to complete the job, and the project was finished on time, but I learned, you know many valuable lessons but the main one was about checking my Western ideas about efficiency and my assumption that you know, the quickest way to the end is the best way. And that could have gone sideways in so many ways. Fortunately, it didn't, but I will never forget that lesson. As Carmen notes, too often we focus too much on finding the solution or the right allocation of resources without understanding the context or thinking through the consequences. Too often those with resources, those of us who come from privileged places, assume what the needs of others are and how things are done. It is therefore important to keep an open mind and to take the time to ask questions and to listen. One cannot just assume a plan will work because a particular strategy works successfully back home or in some other context. At times, there is a difference between doing something efficiently and doing something appropriately. Understand what local resources exist and how they might be used in the best way. Carmen reflects on the importance of being open to change. One cannot remain wedded to one’s own agenda to the exclusion of what is important for those who have a stake in the outcome. The most effective plans and strategies usually result from listening and collaboration. One has to ask whether success is measured by your metrics or by helping locals meet their needs. To be most effective while working in another culture, one must seize opportunities to pivot to new strategies or objectives and be prepared to revise goals and priorities. When you have relationships with people in the community, such opportunities become more clear and the community will be more likely to trust you and become a partner Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and share with others below. Read and respond to other posts as well. 1. What can we do consistently to be mindful of the potential consequences of our decisions and our actions? 2. Why is cultural humility so important? 3. What are the most effective ways to gain the support and cooperation of a local community? Presentation: Cultural Programming We are the confluence of a number of factors— our genetics, our natural personalities, our cultural programming, as well as the conscious choices that we make as adults. And there can be tension among all of these elements as we go through life. Enhancing one's self-awareness, as well as awareness of others can enable us to be more effective when we're dealing with people from other cultures, because we gather together a set of skills and knowledge that facilitate this process. Self-awareness requires both an open mind and the capacity to challenge and question one’s own assumptions—about other people, one’s own agenda, and how things are done in another place, in another culture. We all have different identities, although most of us tend to put people in a single cultural box. Our identities are shaped by our cultural norms but also by our gender, religion, profession, education, as well as our parents, our family, our upbringing and our life experiences. As Kerley notes, all these factors matter. Our cultural dimensions shift and each of us responds differently based on various cultural factors as well as our own individuality. And other people will often make assumptions or stereotype you based on what culture they think you represent. As we grow up in our families and go to school and interact in our communities, we are subject to cultural programming, the unconscious absorption of lessons of how to be, of right and wrong, of how to succeed. As adults, we more consciously decide how we present ourselves to the world and interact with others. If we frequently engage with people from different cultures, we may be simultaneously adapting our behavior as well as absorbing certain characteristics of the host cultures in order to gain intercultural competence. Pamela Ex, an expert on cultural competence, helps us understand how all of us are programmed culturally and shaped by the norms, values and traditions that derive from cultural forces around us. Self-Awareness Presentation Pamela Bernard: People from relatively homogeneous communities see that everyone is basically similar to them. People from diverse environments interact with people of many different races, ethnicities, nationalities, and religions. This early programming, which continues through our lives, forms the way we learn to see ourselves and others. It presents objective facts, as well as beliefs and biases about our neighbors. One example of cultural programming may be when parents admonish their children to marry within their ethnic, racial, or religious group as a way to preserve and perpetuate the culture. But societies are becoming much more heterogeneous and there's greater acceptance of exiting one’s cultural boundaries, and intermarriage therefore becomes more common. Another example of cultural programming is, while Christmas is celebrated around the world, the religious traditions, foods, music, and decorations vary dramatically from country to country, and even house to house on the same block. As we become self determining adults, we may choose to keep all, part, or none of the cultural programming we absorbed as a child. These early influences are not totally predictive of one's personal culture later in life. People may decide to make conscious choices about modifying or even completely changing their cultural identities. Sometimes, the intention is to reclaim culture that has been expropriated or extinguished, such as for people from indigenous cultures, or people of African descent living outside of Africa. The role of self awareness about our cultural programming is key to building our intercultural competence. We bring our whole selves into our social, professional, and civic activities, and our race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, physical ability, and all of the other aspects of the diverse human race come into play. We also need to understand and give proper attention to the role that white privilege or racism or homophobia play in our personal development, how others see and react to us, and how we choose to interact with others. Most people find it challenging to describe their own culture, beliefs, assumptions, and biases. We are the fish in water unable to perceive the characteristics that define our culture and environment. It's only when we enter another culture that we become a fish out of water in a new environment, allowing us to see comparatively how that culture is different from our own. The goal then in the next modules is to provide some vocabulary and some concepts to objectively define these differences and to present information on key aspects of culture that consistently influence our actions in a consistent way. We'll be talking about culture shock and cultural adaptation, communication skills, relationship building, and the concepts of time. When in another culture or when engaging with people from a different culture, you are not a mere observer but bring your own cultural and personal influences to your interaction with others. It is, therefore, important to acknowledge one’s own identity and cultural influences and the meaning we give to the ideas and actions of others. In the same way, we need to be aware of how we might be perceived by others. Practical tip: None of us are culturally neutral. We have been shaped by a unique blend of our own unique lived experiences and our many identities while also significantly influenced by cultural forces. It is important to be aware of how those have an impact on our own actions and behavior while also influencing how we perceive others and their actions. Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and share with others below. Read and respond to other posts as well. ● How does cultural programming shape the way that we see ourselves and others and how we interpret the actions of others as well as our own reactions? ● How can we come to see that a greater range of behaviors is valid and acceptable? ● How can we expand our repertoire of behaviors in order to be accepted and effective in our new communities, while still being true to our own selves and our own values? Practitioner Voices: Perceptions and Power Practitioner Voices 1: Dr. Kerley Most Dr. Kerley Most, a psychotherapist and international humanitarian, shares her story as a Brazilian doing community development in Guinea. Her examples of interactions with Guineans and other humanitarians illustrate the gender- and race-based perceptions and biases she experienced. Guina Story Kerley Most: Yes, I'm Brazilian, and I was born and raised in Brazil, and I've been living here in the United States for 13 years now. But prior to this time, I spent 11 years in Guinea, West Africa, as a humanitarian and now I travel the world supporting humanitarians to find wellness, and to process critical incidents. I am a licensed psychotherapist, and I have a PhD in cultural education and clinical supervision. I am in an interracial relationship and I have biracial children, so social justice is very important to me. When I was in West Africa, I used to wear lots of West African clothes. I was in Guinea. When newcomers came in the environments that I used to be, I was normally met with eyes of disempowerment of, I would try to talk to people and they would just dismiss me or not even look at me. What I quickly realized was that the fact that I was wearing African clothes made the newcomers think that I was African. And when other newcomers came, and they experienced, they knew I was a humanitarian, their behavior towards me was much more attuned. So, our energy can create connection or disconnection. And when people are meeting the other, the brain will start to scan, a scan for cues of a social desirability. If the other person perceives, they I perceive them as not desirable, they will disengage with me. So another factor also that can create a better connection with other people is awareness of what I represent. We have our bodies and our bodies or our containers, and I carry my container wherever I go. If I'm black, I carry my black container. If I'm white, I'll carry my white container. And what I represent has meaning to people in other cultures. Do you know what being black means to the culture they you're connecting with, you know what being white means to the culture. In my own story, as a Brazilian female, I held a lot of power of decision in my own life and I was seeing as a free female. When I went to West Africa, I instantly lost power. Because I was a female, and I was black and in the villages, females who didn't hold so much power. The same thing did not happen to my husband, as a white male, the moment he got into Africa, he received instant privilege because of what it meant to be white and because of colonialism. So it's very important to remember those two things, that my connection will be deeper or not according to the way I react to people and according to the way I present myself. Practitioner Voices 2: Dr. Kerley Most Race and gender affect empowerment and disempowerment. Dr. Kerley Most explores the power dynamic between blacks and whites based on the physical bodies we inhabit. Young Professionals: Identity and Self-Awareness Practitioner Voices: Andre Ball Andre Ball discusses the different factors that have shaped his own biracial identity: It is important to be aware of the power (i.e., the capacity to influence the behavior of others as well as events) that you have and the power you may be perceived to have. It is important to be mindful of power differences and to be humble about the power that one has. Take advantage of the strengths your identity provides you—a combination of who you are and who others think you are—while being mindful that people will often hold stereotypes of you based on your country of origin, race, gender, religion, age, or education. Practitioner Voices: Tabatha Thomson Tabatha Thomson provides us with insights from her work in Afghanistan as a young American facilitating workshops focused on developing non-violent action skills (SNAP—Synergizing Non-Violent Action and Peacebuilding). She discusses what it means to be intentionally self-aware in another culture. Try the following activities to challenge your own understanding of yourself: ● Write down how many different identities you have. ● When or under what circumstances does one identity become more important than another? For example, when might your gender identity be more significant than the identity of your profession or your religion? ● Think about what type of situations or actions that you have observed in which you were quick to pass judgment. What types of situations or actions lead you to snap judgments and what situations or actions lead you to be more circumspect? Do you see a pattern? Conclusion Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and share with others below. Read and respond to other posts as well. 1. Why do race and gender have such a significant impact on how we are perceived or identified? 2. Can one truly be “unbiased” with respect to identities of race, gender, religion or ethnicity? Chapter 3: Biases While no one likes to admit it, we all have biases. Many, if not most, of our biases are unconscious. Nevertheless, such biases have a profound impact on how we interact with other people. It is important to remember that implicit biases operate almost entirely on an unconscious level. We are usually unaware of our implicit biases, so that unlike explicit biases and prejudices, implicit biases are usually unintentional and often uncontrollable. In fact, an individual may even disapprove of a certain attitude or belief while unconsciously still holding similar biases. For most of us, we find it hard to acknowledge that we would harbor such biases because they don’t fit with our own self-image and personal identity. It is important to emphasize that biases are not limited to discrimination against people based solely on race, ethnicity and religion. Biases may exist toward any social group and be based upon age, gender, gender identity, physical abilities, physical appearance, weight or many other characteristics. Conscious biases are generated from our lived experiences and indicate a degree of awareness and choice. Unconscious biases are automatic, deeply held and spring from our cultural programming. Such implicit biases affect our understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner. Positive biases predispose us to seek commonalities and ways to connect, while negative biases incline us to discriminate or pass harsh judgments. While working in war-torn or conflict-affected societies, or in development, humanitarian or peacebuilding work, we frequently encounter people from cultures that are socially and economically disadvantaged and it may be easy to fall prey to paternalism or negative and limiting beliefs about the values, attitudes, behavior and capabilities of our local counterparts. As a result, we may come to believe that our knowledge or skills are superior and thus adopt a mental attitude of savior or expert. This pitfall, and our inability to admit to errors in judgment, will place us in the position of being an intruder, an imposer of our values on others, and we quickly lose the opportunity to be of service. This module explores the neuroscience and history of biases as well as the consequences of such biases and how we can manage them to have a less harmful effect on others. A key to overcoming our biases is increased self-awareness. Implicit bias is not just another name for stereotyping or suppressed thought; too often, our biases are triggered involuntarily and beyond our awareness or intentional control. Thus, the most powerful tool we have is to bring a ‘beginner’s mind’ and embrace the idea that we often do not know what we are doing--even when we have expertise to offer. Cultural Synergy Course: Surgeon Animation Brain Teaser. A father and son were in a car crash. The father was killed, and the son taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Upon arrival, the surgeon exclaimed, “He's my son!” How is this possible? Most people overlook the most logical answer, the surgeon is the boy's mother. People automatically assume the surgeon is male and invent elaborate explanations to the riddle. There's no escaping the powerful pool of our unconscious biases toward gender, race, age, sexual identity, economic status, profession, religion, and where someone lives. The key is to be aware of our own stereotypes before we jump to conclusions. Bias is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another. Biases may be held be individuals, groups or institutions and can lead to actions or behaviors that favor or disfavor a person or a group. There are two types of bias: conscious (or explicit) bias and unconscious (or implicit) bias. Implicit biases often lead people to attribute certain behaviors, attitudes or characteristics to all members of a particular group, a phenomenon known as stereotyping. Learning Objectives: ● Understand the way biases influence us and the effect of such biases on our attitudes, judgments and actions. ● Become aware that biases can drive our perceptions of others and how we behave when engaging with people from different cultures. ● Learn about the impact of biases on intercultural interactions. ● Mitigate the negative impact of conscious or unconscious bias on building healthy relationships with people from different cultures. Key Questions ● How can I incorporate the natural propensity for human beings to have biases into understanding my own beliefs, reactions and behaviors? ● What can I do to identify, recognize and minimize the negative effects of my biases on my interactions to be more respectful and egalitarian in how I perceive and interact with others? ● What is the role that empathy can play in strengthening my own self awareness? ● How might I (compassionately) recognize my own limitations while making myself available to learn? Distinguishing Between Bias and Discrimination When we think of biases, we often think of discrimination, but it is important to distinguish between discrimination, which is an action or a policy (that can lead to racial profiling, for example), from biases which are conscious or unconscious thoughts that shape how we perceive a situation or another person. Our biases shape how we see others but do not automatically determine how we act toward others. The Anti-Defamation League’s “Pyramid of Hate” shows that biased attitudes can lead to discrimination and bias motivated acts of violence. But that is by no means inevitable nor is the acknowledgement that we all have degrees of unconscious bias make someone a “bad” person. It is, however, important to understand that our biases can influence our perceptions, our judgment and our behavior which will then have an impact on those people and those situations we encounter. Unconscious bias is often described as a gut reaction. So, if we slow down and become more deliberative and mindful of the people and situation around us, our unconscious biases will not drive our judgment and our actions as much. And, as we emphasized in the previous chapter, cultural competence is as much about understanding yourself and the motivation behind your own behavior as it is understanding others. The Anti-Defamation League’s “Pyramid of Hate” You can review the whole PDF here. Scenario: Hauling a Stack of Wood Podcast from Laurette Bennhold Samaan Gender Bias in West Africa Laurette Bennfold Samaan: Another example of where my assumptions and values system was different and struck me, made me feel uncomfortable, was just recently in West Africa, seeing a woman carrying a huge pile of wood on her head and on her back while her husband was walking a few steps in front of her, carrying nothing. And, again, to me that felt unfair, possibly sexist, all of these different assumptions and perceptions came very quickly. When I talked to some people on the staff, and I was very honest and direct again, that's value and of mine, that they said, well, the husband is actually very proud of the woman's strength and the woman's ability to be carrying this wood. Often, when we hear the term “bias” we can think of injustices and may consider people who behave in biased ways as bad people who take extreme actions to exclude others or treat those different from themselves in unjust ways. While it may be easy to attribute biases to others and to conclude that the biases that lead to stereotyping and discrimination perpetuate much of the inequality that exists in our society, it is difficult to acknowledge one’s own biases. As the above scenario demonstrates, one can have the best of motives and wish for equality and justice for everyone, no matter their race, gender, religion or ethnicity, and yet still make judgments about a situation or perceive the actions of others based on one’s own personal and cultural biases. Because some members of a group or many men may treat women in a biased or discriminatory way that does not mean that all members of that group or all men will act in the same way. When engaging people from another culture—people who may not be like you in many ways—it is important to withhold judgment and work to understand their values, traditions and perceptions. Can you think of any unconscious biases you may have? Are there any social groups that you may stereotype? Men or women? Members of a political party? Members of a fraternal organization? People who dress in a certain way? Scenario 2: Calais Refugee Camp Podcast 1 from Christopher Breedlove Recognizing Preconceptions Christopher Breedlove: I went out to a refugee camp in France, in Calais, called ‘The Jungle’. And ‘The Jungle’ is, was a informal encampment and it was a very, very fascinating place. It had people from, you know, over a dozen different countries and different religions, different viewpoints. And the reason people had ended up there is that Calais is the closest place on mainland Europe, you can get to the UK. And so everyone was trying to get to the UK. And when I went, which I want to say was in 2016, there had been a large amount of money invested in keeping people out of the UK. And so there were large fences, and there were security forces, and they had shut down a lot of the ways that people had been smuggling themselves across the border. And one of the reasons I was there was I run a series of grant programs and there's one called the Civic ignition grant program, and it's a democratic granting process, and I had done one at a Bernie man European leadership summit. And one of the two projects that one was funding some tools for some Burners and the Burning Man community, I said, Burners, funding tools for builders in the Burning Man community from the UK who are working in this camp, helping building living structures out of pallets for people. And so I went out with two other community members, Sarah, who lived in Spain, and Andy from Finland. And we went out there to deliver this grant and to kind of see what was going on. And I had so many ‘aha’ moments that week we spent in that camp, it really blew me away and it really affected who I am and what I'm working on in the world, honestly. I care very much about what's going on with the global refugee population that I believe is like 75 million people at this point. But, one of the things that was happening was one of the projects I was working on was building out a youth center. And so we were building out a youth center and it was going to have a pool table someone had donated and like a punching bag so that people could like get out their aggression and just a safe place for kids to hang out really what it was. And while I was working on this project, people kept on coming up to me and asking to borrow my tools. They wanted to borrow my hammer, they wanted to borrow my drill, they wanted to borrow my saw. They didn't need me, they wanted my tools. And that was a big ‘aha’ moment. And I would really say ‘aha’ moment of ignorance. It was like, Oh, of course, these people used to be doctors and engineers and contractors themselves and they can fix their own problems. But what don't you bring when you smuggle yourself across the European continent for whatever reason you said to go is heavy stuff like tools. And so when their trailers were broken, how could they fix them? They didn't have those things. And so that was just this huge ‘aha’ moment was that maybe the best thing to do in situations like this is to provide people with what I have kind of coined the ‘tools of empowerment’, the ability to fix their own issues. I don't necessarily have to be there. It's not about me. It's about giving people access to be able to solve their own problems. In Calais, Christopher’s preconceptions about refugees were stripped away. So too were his culturally-based values and beliefs about change and human agency. At the same time, he had his own beliefs about himself and his importance challenged. Too often, outsiders arrive with the presumption that they have the power to fix or address problems. As Christopher noted, “It’s not about me.” It may be much more important and effective to take the time to understand how the outsider can help those affected by the situation or problem to address in ways that reflect the local context. Agency is the ability to act intentionally and independently of others and independently of the influence of social, cultural and political forces in our community or society. Agency is the power or capacity people have to think for themselves and act in ways that shape their experiences and the direction of their lives. Human beings are influenced by an interconnected set of social and cultural forces, relationships, institutions and social, political and economic structures that combine to shape much of the thought, behavior, experiences, and choices of individuals and groups. The amount of influence such forces have on people and the potential agency they may exercise varies from society to society, depending on the hold such forces and structures have on those in the society. The stronger such forces are, the less agency the individual may be able to realize and the more it may seem that the path of his or her life is pre-determined and difficult if not impossible to change. How have you exercised agency in your own life? What forces and structures influence your own capacity to act independently and be the master of your own fate or the path your life has taken or will take in the future? Scene 2: Podcast 2 from Christopher Breedlove Checking Implicit Bias Christopher Breedlove: In Calais, I was blown away at what people were building. People had built restaurants and people had built cafes, and people had built a bar, nd there was a mosque, and there was a church, there was even a barber shop with like a quote unquote bathhouse in the back where you could pay like $5, whatever, and they would heat up water in these big buckets and you could pour it over your head and kind of like a washing sauna, sort of an experience with steam. It's like, and like when you're in the salon, you're looking at the chairs people are sitting on, and these chairs are literally like one by one posts, you know, like ramshackled together with cardboard as the fabric stapled into it so that people don't fall through it. But it works, right? Like, it works. And I was just so amazed at the industriousness and the innovation, and innovation but like the creative thinking, and the solution minded, minded state of the people who are living there. They were trying to make the most human and positive experience they could in a very difficult and you know, in a lot of ways, dangerous situation. Take the adequate amount of time to listen, you know, it's you may have ideas, you may have things to add, but oftentimes, listening for a while will not only allow the other person to feel heard, which is incredibly important, but will often allow you to have the learnings to speak better. So for me, number one is always listen. Number two is in this, I think is a lot is a lot harder to do, but it's check your own biases. You know, like, just remember that when you're working with people from other cultures, you have deep cultural differences. And I think that those go into the stories we were told when we were young, which goes into how we view the world, and that's who we are in the world and who you are in the world is how, is what changes the character of everybody else around you. If I personally decide I'm the hero, well then everyone else is either the enemy or someone to be saved. You know, if I decide that I'm the person with the solution, then everybody else must not be right. It's all about my perspective of who I am that changes others. And so check your bias of what you're coming in with because we're all doing it to each other all the time and we're not seeing people fully as who they are most of the time. We're seeing them as a reflection of through of who we see we are. Implicit biases are normal human processes that occur on an unconscious level. Bias is a natural phenomenon in that our brains are constantly forming automatic associations to better understand the world around us. We often take short cuts when taking in new information so we need to constantly check in with ourselves to ensure we are acting based on a clear assessment of the situation rather than on stereotypes and prejudice. It is important to often step back and question our assumptions and the basis for our initial assessment and the actions/decisions we propose to take. Practical Tips: As Christopher Breedlove discovered, it is best not to make assumptions about people you will encounter or work with, just as you should not make assumptions about the values and beliefs of different cultures. In order that our behaviors, actions or words are not determined by our preconceptions, it is important to approach any new situation, any cross-cultural engagement, with an open mind. And, be aware of your own biases, just as you should be mindful that those you encounter will most likely have preconceptions about you. They may well see you as someone who has power and privilege which will often create expectations on their part about what you might be able to do for them or how you view them. That could lead to them to view you as someone who can provide them with something they want or they could want nothing to do with you, assuming that whatever or however you could help them such assistance would come with a heavy cost. At a minimum, it is important to be a good listener and empathetic. But it is also critical not to raise expectations or promise things you cannot deliver. Offer to get information or make connections if you can, but do not tell people what you think they want to hear or try to make yourself look good in their eyes. Be as transparent and honest as you can. One can usually be most effective as an ally (someone who is supportive and doesn’t stand by ignoring pain and injustice) rather than try to be a savior. Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and share with others below. Read and respond to other posts as well. As we see from the above scenario, avoid objectifying the people you encounter; that is, do not treat someone as an object rather than as a unique human being. Refugees are often categorized simply as victims, or as poor and weak. In fact, most refugees span the range of humanity and have their own unique strengths and capabilities as well as their own unique stories. Given our own biases and mental short cuts when we take in new information, how can we avoid objectifying new people we meet, whether in a refugee camp, or in a new environment or an unfamiliar cultural situation? Young Professionals: Awareness, Biases, and Dignity Nate Wilson, is a young American professional who is based in Tunisia working overseeing efforts at conflict resolution in the war-torn country of Libya. Nate was asked about the importance of being aware of origins and nationality and how that shapes his work and how he interacts with others. Podcast from Kerley Most: Biases & Dignity Kerley Most: When I was in West Africa, I lived, I lived far away from the capital. So going to a hotel, it each time we came to the capital costs too much. So, many organizations have guest houses. So I would stay in this guest house that was a multiple organization guest house. So I come, I have a friend from Texas, we are there having a great time just sitting and having fun and at the table at this common area and I get up and go to the fridge to grab some food, and I opened and I grabbed something and I was about to walk away when a female called me. A European looking female, she was white. She, she called me said, “Hey, wait a minute, let me show you something”. And I said, “Okay”. Said “here, you see this fridge? We have like some labels. Like you have the name of this, this is a,if there's there's a name of someone, it means that you belong to the person. The other name belongs to the person who's here in this fridge, everything has an honor. Everything has a name assigned to it”. And I took a deep breath. And I look to her and the only desire had was to weep. Because I had, I felt humiliated. I felt that I really, I didn't even ask her well, what was she thinking? As I say, today I would have a different way of approaching. I walked away, and I cried a lot. Because my dignity, dignity had been taken away from me because that woman, up to today I don't know what she was thinking. Think she was thinking that I was an African person visiting the guest house with my friend and I was just attacking the fridge. That was her perception. She could not see me as an expat that was working there. That I could be maybe American or, or, or Brazilian or from England or anywhere. So that was very sad, not to be respected or seen in the way they should be. Everybody deserves respect. No matter the body they carry. I carry a black body, and my black body deserves respect. Our biases and assumptions often lead us into encounters in which we unwittingly make mistakes or show disrespect toward someone else. Try not to jump to conclusions and ask questions so that you are better informed and a reaction or a statement has some basis in fact. Some of the key cultural competencies are effective communication skills. A strong communicator is not just articulate, but is a good listener. And a good listener is much more likely to be an informed and empathetic communicator. What do you think Kerley means by dignity when she recounts her story above? What does dignity mean to you? Have you ever felt as if you had lost your dignity? How did that make you feel? How can one regain respect? Kerley walked away. In your view, should she have later gone back to the woman in question and let her know how her actions made Kerley feel or had the time to stand up for herself passed? Presentation: Types of Biases In this section, we focus on how biases may manifest as unconscious or conscious beliefs. We also define four distinct kinds of biases that people crossing cultures may experience. Bias Presentation Pamela Ex: In an earlier module, we talked about cultural programming as the lessons learned from our parents and teachers and our community. But not all programming may be positive or beneficial. Indeed, our community may pass along beliefs about other people or groups that are untruthful or unfavorable. These beliefs may be biases a prejudice for or against a person or a group. Recent research in Neuroscience tells us that humans are hardwired to categorize people as a member of an ‘in group’, people like me, or a member of an ‘out group’, people unlike me. ‘In group’ people with similar traits or experiences are judged more positively and as less threatening, while ‘out group’ people with different traits and experiences are assessed more negatively and as potentially dangerous. Additionally, our positive biases predispose us to look for commonalities and ways to connect. Well negative biases incline us to discriminate or harshly judge others in ways to be unwarranted, unkind, or even illegal. Biases can be either conscious or unconscious. ‘Conscious bias’ involves the awareness to judge someone in a certain way and these behaviors are largely intentional. ‘Unconscious bias’ reflects deep seated beliefs that seem to be automatic or outside one's awareness and often surface without a great deal of deliberation or reflection. While psychologists enumerate many kinds of biases, we have chosen for that may be activated when we find ourselves in multicultural groups. ‘Affinity bias’ means we have more favorable impressions of people who are similar to us in one or several ways, or ‘in group’ people. Affinity bias can manifest itself in hiring decisions or in forming teams, as we gravitate to people from similar backgrounds or with similar beliefs. The danger of this preference is disregard or elimination of diverse candidates, which research has proven to contribute to more effective and creative working groups. This bias can also border on illegal discrimination, especially according to the laws of many nations and organizations. With ‘confirmation bias’, we favor ideas that confirm what we already know, we seek information to bolster that opinion even if it's wrong or misguided. We may also ignore or discount information that contradicts our stand. The danger of confirmation bias is eliminating evidence we may consider contrary but which may be correct or more helpful. The ‘Halo’ or ‘horn’ effect applies when we tend to see one good or one bad aspect of a person, and then extrapolate that one thing to apply to an overall assessment. If someone did me a favor or agrees with me, I might tend to look favorably on that person and overlook their less-pleasing characteristics. I judge them to be a good person. Conversely, if someone made one mistake, I might evaluate all their abilities as less than satisfactory. This bias discourages the inclusion of a wider array of information, which might help us form a more accurate and complete picture. And ‘internalized bias’ is when we believe positive or negative stereotypes that others hold about us or our group. People who are members of minority groups absorb the incessant messages of disapproval from the majority, such that they may begin to doubt their own self worth, constant discrimination, microaggressions, and exclusion cause critical psychological and physical pain, as well as create deeply stratified societies. We study biases to increase our awareness of our automatic assessments of others and to design ways to work towards minimizing negative biases for greater inclusiveness of people and ideas. Young Professionals Video Andre Ball gives a personal example of how people often unconsciously resort to stereotypes: Stereotypes Andre Ball: I've had, I've definitely had experiences where I would be talking to somebody on the phone, several experiences, a lot of experiences, actually, and people that I've never met before, and then meeting them in person, I've had people come up to me and say, you know, just based on our phone conversations, I didn't expect to see you, you know. And when I hear things like that, I think, well, I don't know who else you would expect to see, but I kind of understood as I grew older what that kind of meant. You know, you people, again, would maybe expect someone who speaks a specific way to maybe look a specific way, someone who sounds maybe a specific way to act or be a certain way, right. And, you know, me being black, I guess, and I would imagine that would be a major piece of it, um, and, and speaking maybe in the way that I do, which is my, the way I naturally speak, they might not have picked up that I was black, or maybe they might not have picked up that I, you know, that I am the way that I am or that my mannerisms the way that I am. So, yeah, that experience, it definitely happens. And I think, again, it's based on that type of expectation that a lot of people have, those expectations come from a lot of different places. What's interesting, and the reason why I'm intentional about saying that, is because I myself have who have gotten that that comment from varies. So I've gotten that comment from a bunch of different people, white, black, you know, Hispanic, Filipino, bunch of different people. And, and I think, too, you know, is it like a black person saying “you sound white”, or Hispanic person saying “you sound white”, or white person saying “you sound white”, that carries some sort of like weight to it? I don't know. Um, and then the other piece of it, too, is like, again, we're all human. For me, I've, you know, when I talk to somebody on the phone, I automatically have an image of them in my head, you know, and, you know, if I feel you know, if I picture this somebody to be white, black, or Hispanic or whatever, it might pop up in my head. And, and then I'll meet them in person and I will be, I will be surprised, you know, I'll be like, whoa, you know, I didn't, I wouldn't have imagined. I guess what I would change is like, how I express that, ow I express that surprise. I guess I wouldn't tell the person I wouldn't say, “Oh, I didn't expect you to be this way, your sound this way”. But that in itself, like not saying it and be thinking it is something else, you know. Me thinking it is kind of related to what I was saying before about practicing being mindful and being open. But yeah, I mean, yeah, it's, it's, it's hard for me to say that, you know, people think I sound white. Because I've also had people say that I sound like something else. Like, oh, you sound like an educated, like black person, you know, like, you sound sound like, like my cousin and the cousin was like, I don't know, from Trinidad or something like that. So I've had a wide spectrum of people say I sound like, I guess a specific, like, sound like somebody that they either heard of or heard from. And I don't know, I can generalize and say that, but it's, it's hard for me to say directly because I don't, I don't think that's always true. I don't always think that people think I sound white. But, I do think I can say this I guess, now that I'm really thinking about it, I can say that maybe people don't want to talk to me over the phone, they don't think I'm black. So that could be definitely something I could say. If I'm talking to somebody over the phone. I've had experiences where people have talked to me over the phone and we’ve never met and when they meet me in person, they have expressed that I didn't look the way that they were expecting and for some people, I would assume that would mean that they did not think that I was black by the way that I spoke. Biases are both negative and positive; the key to understanding biases is the realization that they (mostly) unconsciously affect our attitudes and behaviors toward others. Biases have the greatest impact when we act without thinking. When engaging with others, particularly those from another culture, one should be more deliberate in acting. Take your time, assess the situation and the context, seek out information, and be intentional. Be reflective—a reflective person takes his or her time and thinks things through and also considers the larger context, meaning and implications of an action or situation. Try the following activities to challenge your own understanding of yourself: ● Make a list of ways in which you think your culture is different than other cultures. As an example, is your culture more or less tolerant of differences, or of individualism? How does your culture view change? ● “Circle of Trust” activity: Make a list of six to ten people that you trust the most who are not members of your family. Then make a note of the following characteristics by each name: age, gender, nationality, native language, accent, race/ ethnicity, professional background. You can add other characteristics if you wish. After going through the list, how diverse are your most trusted friends? How much are they like you? Like each other? What does the fact that you have significant diversity or minimal diversity among those you trust the most tell you about affinity bias? The reflective person is often viewed as a constant learner. What do you think that means? Can you think of tools you can use or ways you can be more reflective? Share your thoughts in the discussion below. Practitioner Voices: Biases Practitioner Voices 1: Dr. Kerley Most When encountering another person, the human brain automatically scans for safety and connection. If these criteria are not met, then negative reactions and fear may ensue. If the brain is satisfied, then it allows for the initiation of an intercultural relationship and an assessment of worthiness of the other people. Need for Safety Kerley Most: If you remember, we were talking about a brain and scanning for safety and scanning for connection. Because our brain needs to feel safe and feel connected, the brain brands for survival. And it's a biological, neurological thing to scan a room and go towards the person that looks like you, Because it's automatic, it’s similarity, and if this person is similar, it's more likely that this person is not going to be from a different tribe that will attack me. So it's a brain question. So the first dive is that bias is a biological, natural brain reaction to the different. Everybody has bias. Everybody experiences this natural brain reaction. When I walk in a room, I will scan for people that look like me, that is my brain. One piece. The second piece is that we, the bias that we experience today in the world, is embedded into history, and there is a high historical meaning today that we need to understand. So in the 19th century, in order to justify colonialism and slavery, there was a very intense movement by anthropologists to define the races of the world. Euro Branchat in the 19th century, created the racial pyramid, and he placed Caucasians, people from Euro descendants on top of the pyramid and described Caucasians as the most desirable. So this is the second dive. If they had stopped just by ascribing vocations at the most desirable would be not so great. I don't like the idea. But after that what follow was a worldwide campaign to portray people of different races or ethnicity as less than, as ugly, and as less capable, and not as smart. There was people were even measuring brains and saying, “Oh, this, this is cool. It's cute, that it doesn't think so”. From that time, there was this bad rap of anybody that is different from this standard that is being white, or from Euro, from European descendants. You add those to the brain already feels the difference. If 24/7 I'm bombarded with messages that they are dangerous, they are different, so my bias is going to be very heightened and my perception of the other is going to really be very challenging to shift. And you do not need to go too far. If you look at ads, if you look at movies, if you look at everything else, and some movies are more stereotyped, you see that every other race of the world, when the, when the Euro descendants are not so many but the world is identified as defined by whiteness as the standard. Everything else you see is them and us because if there is a them, we can hurt them, and we can abuse, and you can call her allies. If this as we have the right to do so. So this is important. Let's dive but let's emerge now. It's impossible for me to work as a humanitarian anywhere in the world without understanding that because my biases, who I decide that it's worthy and who I decided that is unworthy, is going to play a role in everything I do. Due to history and the legacies of colonialism and slavery, race and ethnicity are very strong factors in our biases, for almost all groups of people. Embedded in these biases are the factors of power and privilege. And, as Kerley notes, the humanitarian field, despite the goals of bringing help and relief to those in need is not immune from biases, stereotyping and discrimination. So, the first step in countering the harmful effects of biases is greater awareness of ourselves and our own biases. It is highly unlikely that you will eliminate all of your biases. But you can ensure that you limit the effect of your biases and you can prevent those biases turning into acts of discrimination. Discrimination is “the denial of justice, resources and fair treatment of individuals and groups (often based on social identity), through employment, education, housing, banking, political rights, etc.” [as defined by the Anti-Defamation League] As we noted earlier, everyone has biases. To point that out is not to be critical, point fingers or assume bad intentions. It means that we all have to work to recognize and overcome those biases. And we have to ensure that our biases don’t lead to acts of bias or discrimination on our part. As Kerley notes in this next section, one of the best ways to overcome biases is to find connections with people who are different than ourselves. Making such connections and developing relationships will be a fundamental component of the rest of this course. Practitioner Voices 2: Dr. Kerley Most As the brain pursues safety and connection, it also assesses differences. If the brain perceives these differences in a non-threatening way, then people can accept others more easily. Assessment of Differences Kerley Most: The human brain is programmed naturally to scan for cues of safety and connection. So, if I want to be effective in my habit or of behaviors, in order to be accepted by the community, in my first initial connection with this community, it's vital that I manage my personal energy and that I use my body, my eyes, everything in me to communicate acceptance and respect. So because of bias, and because of the way we see the world, we see, it's not our fault, you see ads on TV, help the hungry children. So in normally, they are not from a European dominant ancestry. So in your mind, you're programmed to discredit people, because you don't see them as worthy. It’s not conscious. So when you go into a international setting where people are different from you and they mirror what you have seen on TV, your first body energy reaction will be to disconnect from the person who thought of you, because of the messages they have received, you are unworthy. So as a person who as a humanitarian that worked with the different organizations and war African clauses, as a black person, many times people connecting with me had no idea that I was a expat, that I was a proceeding humanitarian working with them. They thought I was the person from the host culture. And that was an amazing difference in the way that people will receive me. When they knew that I was a humanitarian, they interest, they were interested in what I did, who I was. When they perceived me as a person from the host culture, there was this automatic disconnect. And that is what we need to pay attention in order to be effective, no quick fixing words of affirmation, these are that, I cannot provide you with the list. But I know that energy is very important because the brain is constantly scanning for cues of safety. And people who have experienced this clusion will have a very acute sense of safety enough, cues of acceptance. And if we learn to manage our energy the way you encounter that space and use cues of acception, then our ability to to be accepted by the new community increases greatly. What do you think Kerley means by “cues of acceptance”? What might such cues be and how can we both perceive them and use them to reassure others? Practitioner Voices 3: Dr. Kerley Most Sitting with the discomfort of difference is very challenging, but it can also create a space for dialogue, openness, learning and connection. Assessment of Similarities Kerley Most: Was a story that I read of this African American male, that he was super tall and had a deep voice, and he wanted to be a primary in, a primary teacher, primary school teacher, he could he, it was very hard for him to find a job because the other teachers found him threatening. It had nothing to do with his behavior, had to do with the perception of tall and deep voice threatening because the brain sends the image then it's, it's, it's a challenging business, but a beautiful business when you decide to sit with the discomfort in your body and confront it, and take a deep breath and say, “Okay, I'm gonna sit with my discomfort and I'm going to ascribe worthiness and get involved in this relationship and do not disconnect”. So it's liberating when we are able to sit with the different and be open, because then relationships and connections help to challenge biases. Every biases I've had have been challenged by relationships. So when I'm coming up and I said to myself enough, you know, become curious to engage in conversation, then I can develop a relationship and that relationship shifts is my perspective. Oh, that perception was not accurate. So, it’s a long road. Those who want to work in different cultures must be open to differences ad discomfort. And the best way to overcome that discomfort and transcend differences is through the development of relationships with people. Relationships and the trust and comfort that comes with them will help both people change their perceptions and attitudes so that biases can shift if not change altogether and the consequences of biases can be overcome. A relationship with someone helps us build the trust and connections necessary to understand and value the differences between us. It is often important to have a pause button. Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know something or don’t know exactly what to do and ask for time to reflect on a problem or challenge. An interpersonal relationship is a social association or connection between people. A relationship may have differing levels of intimacy and sharing, but is usually centered around things shared in common. Conclusion Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and share with others below. Read and respond to other posts as well. What types of common ground do you think make for the best connections or the basis of a meaningful relationship? Do you think common ground can be found between you and someone from another culture as easily as it is between you and some.one from your own culture? Chapter 4: Culture Shock & Adaptation We need to recognize that culture shock is a normal disruption when crossing boundaries and that it’s possible to regain some equilibrium. It’s also helpful to absorb a few fundamental truths about culture shock. First, the greater the host culture differs from your own, usually the greater the culture shock. Second, successful adaptation in one culture doesn't necessarily guarantee successful adaptation in another. And third, practical steps to accelerate the adaptation include pre-departure preparation and identifying local cultural guides. It is also helpful to realize that the “shock” of culture shock is real. It isn’t just a phrase or a value judgment but as a way in which we have to re-orient our systems for the new encounters we will face. Even with an open mind and a great attitude, emotionally and physically we still need time to adjust. At the same time, it is important to remind ourselves that we remain grounded in our own culture and values even as we endeavor to respect another person’s cultural ways. Eventually, our experience becomes our guide and we become more receptive to the cues we often miss initially. Asking questions helps. So too does having a mentor or someone who can help us make sense of what we don’t understand. By taking the time to ask questions of locals, we often discover whether we are asking the right questions or whether we are framing or understanding a problem or challenge in the most relevant way. Even reading books can be of help. But, ultimately, there are no short cuts. We learn from experience along with the guidance of others. Culture Shock Animation A new culture can sometimes feel like a new planet. You may be confused or frustrated. Others may misunderstand or be frustrated by you. Minor tasks can be overwhelming like buying food, standing in line, or even safely crossing the street. The invisible cues you normally rely on are all gone. This is culture shock. It's easy to spot cultural differences that you can see, like clothes, language, and food, but harder to focus on cultural differences that you can't see. Perceptions, beliefs, values. Tune in, observe, and try to understand those things that can aid in your appreciation and adaptation. Learning Objectives ● To acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes to better weather culture shock, return to equilibrium and productivity, and build resilience. ● To develop tools and strategies to become more culturally competent and to overcome the feelings of frustration, confusion and incompetence when nothing is familiar or routine. ● To understand the importance of investing oneself and one’s time in a place and its people in order to emerge from culture shock and adapt to an unknown culture. ● To recognize that engaging with the people you encounter and being a good, active listener are the best means to being productive and successful in a new culture. Key Questions: ● How can we help build resilience when confronted with new and unknown intercultural challenges? ● How can we diminish the effects of burnout or possible negative interpretations of things we don’t understand about the host culture? Young Professionals: Culture Shock in Zambia Namiko Uno, former Regional Network Coordinator at the Burning Man Project, discusses her first visit to Africa, in a very remote area. Zambia Story - Part 1 Namiko Uno: Before moving to Oakland, California, I spent seven months living and learning in a rural village in Zambia. And originally, I had gone to Zambia to visit my sister and her partner who were working in the Peace Corps, and I went there originally for two weeks and ended up staying for seven months. And so, I lived with them in the village and worked on projects with them, and also worked at a nonprofit that was run by expats in the north of Zambia. But the majority of my time was spent in a local village and in Kalamu, and the village had no electricity, no running water, no paved roads, and it was my first time traveling outside of the US or Europe. My sister and her partner were my guides and translators in Zambia, they had been working in the area for three years and we're really accustomed to the culture and have developed fluent language skills. And so when I arrived, I was able to be held in that environment and really get to know people right away. The first night I arrived in the village after a long, long bus ride and a long bike ride, I was immediately welcomed in and invited to a neighbor's home for dinner. And the village is really spread out and so we ended up biking over there. And I was able to experience the the lush terrain, which was very surprising to me. And I could see the groves of trees, and the fertile ground, and bird singing in the trees and cicadas. And this was all very unexpected because I had arrived with a condition, the kind of homogeneous view of what quote unquote Africa should look like. And so arriving at my neighbor's home for dinner, I saw the woman of the house and I'll call her Ba Mayo. And that means that means woman in Bemba, it's a term of endearment. And so I saw the Ba Mayo sweeping the dirt floor in front of the hut, which was kind of surprising to me that you would be sweeping a dirt floor. And then it was later it was something I would come to really love is the care and the diligence to keep, keep a home well maintained. And so, Ba Mayo was sleeping in front of, of this small hut which was about the size of one of my old childhood bedrooms, and the head itself was made out of cement and it had dried branches up top, kind of as the roof. And as I approached the house, I also saw these big like plumes of smoke rising up from a wood burning stove that sat just adjacent to the house. And the stove was tucked under a partially covered structure, a gazebo like kind of structure, that was called an insaka, this place of gathering which also doubled as the outdoor kitchen. And so after we greeted each other initially, it was time to eat and I was invited into the home and I rinsed my hands and a bucket of water and slipped off my shoes, I at least knew to do that growing up in a house that did not wear shoes inside, so I took off my shoes and ducked under and went inside. And it was really dark inside and it was kind of cold and it felt small. And me being someone who's 5’10”, I felt like I was taking up a lot of space. And so I made myself small, crouched down, and sat on the floor to try and make some more room for other people. And then Ba Mayo came up to me and she like handed me this wood carved stool, like gesturing for me to sit on it, and I didn't want to take it you know, I wanted to convey that I didn't need to be treated any any special manner, that I was like okay to sit on the floor. And I was really trying to find some way to connect and say, you know, I'm good on the floor, no special attention needed. But I saw that she, she got a little bit more demanding in me taking the stool and her voice raised, and I picked up on that. And so, I was I took the stool and I sat kind of elevated above everyone else for the remainder of our meal. And as the guest, I was the one who was invited to eat first right, and so I picked up the serving dish and it was filled with this mushroom like stew, I wasn't sure what it was, but I brought it really close to my face and I just inhaled deeply and made this like hmm sound I'm really trying to convey my enthusiasm and my gratitude. But when I, when I did that, I felt the energy shift in the room, everyone went kind of quiet. And I opened my eyes and looked around at everyone and I could see that my hosts were kind of moving away from me, their mouths were shut tight, their eyes were a little bit more hard hardened, and so my stomach turned and clenched and I felt that I had offended them, right, which is the last thing that I wanted to do. But I had clearly offended them and I wasn't sure why. And so all these thoughts were going through my head, like was it that? Was it the sound I made? Was that inappropriate? Did I touch the communal bowl? And was this an issue of germs? Like was I smelling it and suggesting it might be bad? Like I just, I wasn't sure. And so I tried to kind of make amends by taking a big like heaping spoonful of this stew to show my gratitude. And in doing so, I accidentally served myself about half of the bowl of stew, which was meant to be dinner for five people. And I hadn't realize that until I looked at my sister, and she gave me like, annoying look like a little eyebrow raise in terms of like, what are you doing? Why are you taking so much? And so, I picked up on that and went to put some of it back, which also was an awkward thing to do. And so I, I just kind of sat there awkwardly, not knowing how to move, how to be in that space. And to break the silence, I asked my sister to translate for me. And I enquired about what kind of stew it was. There was smells that I didn't recognize, shapes I didn't recognize inside of the stew, and my sister told me that it was meat stew. And so my neighbors, my new neighbors had killed one of their chickens in order to honor my arrival in the village, and as she told me this, I took it in I nodded my head slowly and my thoughts and my stomach started to churn because I was vegetarian, I had been vegetarian for five years. And so, really sat there with this dilemma of do I eat the stew and try to be a good guest? Do I honor my own personal ethics and my bodily health? And kind of stuck in that in between position. So I ended up eating around the meat and then giving the meat to my sister's partner who then explained to our hosts, like what vegetarianism was and really tried to contextualize some of my behavior. A key strategy in adapting to another culture is to develop meaningful ways to engage with others and work to understand the history and values of the culture. It is important to invest in listening to those you meet in another culture, not just because for many people it is important to be heard but also because the time invested helps one better understand a place and its people. People working in conflict zones, peace-building missions and international development often commit to lengthy engagements. After their initial adaptation, they must cultivate long-term resilience in order to put forth their best selves and work at capacity over months or years. Practicing physical self-care such as sleeping and eating well and getting exercise go a long way to building resilience. Nurturing human connections at home and abroad provide welcome support and sustenance. Even cultural differences we can see and intellectually comprehend may still create some instability. There is a potential for system overload, even with things that seem minor, so we need to pace ourselves. Also beneficial to sustaining momentum is a return to the initial motivation and passion for international work: helping others, reducing conflict, altruism or a desire to make a difference, escape, and adventure seeking, which can inspire us to muster through the culture shock and return to balance and stability. Scenario: Laundry in Kenya Podcast from Kim Cook Cultural interaction and cultural sensitivity take place around everyday issues and daily routines. Small things matter in the course of human interaction and how we are perceived by others. Cultural competence is not just about how we engage with another culture in a general sense but is the product of interactions we have with others every day, including shopping, eating together or washing clothes. How we act and how those actions reflect upon who we are, our own identities and values is an ongoing part of daily life. Being aware of one’s own power and privilege helps define us. So does what we value and what we prioritize. Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and share with others below. Read and respond to other posts as well. We often think of cultural differences as manifesting around important weighty issues. But often the most disorienting encounters are around small, everyday things. What everyday issues, tasks or parts of your daily routine would be most concerning for you if they had to be altered significantly? Young Professional Video: Style and Communication Young Professional Video As Nate Wilson notes, how you conduct yourself and your style can often help avoiding difficult intercultural situations. Nate points out that it may often be important to rely on locals who understand the nuances of local diplomacy as well as the subtleties of the language. Style & Communication Nate Wilson: One of the challenges in working in a cross-cultural environment is simply style and how messages are delivered. The default style for myself, and I think for a lot of American colleagues, is to deliver messages in a relatively straightforward way, but this is not always the way that Libyan colleagues have tended to do so. The Arabic language, for example, lends itself, at least sometimes when spoken, to a sort of roundabout way of making points and of going around certain things and saying them in a highly diplomatic manner. And so, I rely, to a certain extent, on my you know colleagues who speak the language and know what can and can't be said in certain contexts to be able to get the point across so that my counterparts know what we're talking about, but that the message is delivered in a way that they will be receptive to it. So for example, we deal with very difficult issues in Libya, and indeed since I started working on the country portfolio years ago, there have been severe bouts of conflict. And so, talking about things such as political crises or conflict or reconciliation, these can be very sensitive things that we need to treat with the sensitivity that they deserve because we're dealing with people's lives and they may have been personally affected by these various aspects of life right now. And so to do so, I rely on a different kind of language and a way of using language in a way that it will be received well and we can accomplish our goals in the country. So one aspect of advanced communication that really is best comes over time, but it's something to be aware of constantly when working with people from another culture, is the ability to make references. So the cultural references are extremely important to people and they by themselves they're not going to get the work done, but they helps smooth the path for it. For example, I learned over time that Libyans are quite proud of the meat that's produced within Libya and they call it “laham watani”, and this is something that I can compare when they come to workshops in Tunisia and it is not a “laham watani”, meaning Libyan meat and we can share a lament that it's not, for example. But like I said, these kinds of cultural references and the niceties before are not going to get the work done. Setting expectations with partners and trying to understand where they're coming from and what their real interests are as early in the process as possible, and again taking the time to really ask follow-up questions about what they mean by certain things, such as training or capacity-building, or even trips abroad what they expect from those, is of the utmost importance because if your interests are different than theirs, it's best to find out at the beginning and have an understanding of to what extent you can meet their expectations and to what extent you can’t. The issues that we've run into and the challenges have been when their expectations, our partner's expectations, are different than ours and we didn't discover until later. Podcast 1: Johnny Walsh Interpreting Gratitude Johnny Walsh: Well, one of my more unusual experiences during the year I spent serving as a diplomat in Baghdad, really at the height of our troop surge, was the President of Iraq had to have pretty serious open heart surgery. This is Jalal Talabani, someone who I genuinely respected as a peacemaker. And he had, the Mayo Clinic was one of the only places in the world that was really equipped to handle all the contingencies that could come from an older guy who wasn't in the best of shape, and who was very important. And so that left me in the position as kind of the embassy's liaison to Talabani of having to escort him to Rochester, Minnesota, suburban U.S.A, along with about 25 or 30 paramilitary fighters who served as his personal bodyguard. So this was already strange on the plane ride over because the U.S. military provided a C 130, and they the way they move dignitaries around is they insert a luxury capsule in the back of the plane that Taliban in his wife slept in and then the rest of us, me and my my 25 closest paramilitary buddies, all slept on the floor, kind of spooning each other. So that was the first 30 hours of the adventure. When we get out, we land in a town that might as well be my town, and that was surreal enough. We escorted all of these folks to kind of cheesy Mexican restaurant for their first dinner, we were all a little bit mortified as Talabani ordered bottomless margaritas and burritos for everyone the night before he goes into open heart surgery. He was really a character who reveled in this. But where it became awkward was the next morning, Talabani goes into the operating room, parenthetically I will say that he was fine and remained the president for years after that, and his staff pulled me aside. And one of the women who worked for him who I knew well said, “John, this is from the President, you can't say no”. And she hands me an envelope, and I'm saying, “Oh, God, I know what's in there”. And I opened it up and it was $15,000 in cash in $100 bills. And so it should go without saying that an American diplomat must not accept such a thing under no circumstances but I would also hasten to add that this was not a bribe. This was gratitude. This was a form of hospitality, as an old warlord plucked from the high 20th century understood it, and it was meant as sincere appreciation. In fact, I think it was specifically targeted at an offhand remark I had made that I was going to visit the Mall of America after I was finally released from the studio. So there was no giving it back to her or to the President himself. There was one member of the entourage with the President who had served in Washington in the past and kind of understood the ethical principles that we are, as we understand them in the United States, and to whom I could say, I simply can't accept this. It would and should be the end of my career. And so he quietly made it go away. I suppose there's an interesting question of what actually became of the $15,000 that would not have been well spent on me. But I think I think the important play there was to not allow this awkward situation to more deeply undermine a relationship, which it in its own way could have if if the American in that interaction had given real offense, or for that matter, trying to report it, as a I did report it as something that had happened, but it tried to counter attack the President for doing so. So, I think it deescalated reasonably in the end. Johnny helps us understand how other cultures may have different notions about what is polite and respectful. Johnny provides interesting insights into how one might deftly handle an offering of a gift that could create negative ramifications, including legal ones. In some cultures, it is considered impolite to accept an offer of a gift rather than simply acknowledging the gesture; in other cultures, refusing a very generous offer might be considered very impolite. We asked Johnny how he interpreted this gesture. What was the intention behind the gift? Podcast 2: Johnny Walsh Understanding Intention Johnny Walsh: You know, it's absolutely meant to deepen a relationship. It's an attempt to show respect and an opportunity for the person on the other side to show respect in return. There's an already deep if complicated relationship between the United States and the Kurds and the leadership of Iraq, this was just a drop in the ocean in that larger relationship, but it's important. And that moment repeats itself all the time for the casual traveler. Gestures like this happen all the time and are meant to build relationships, maybe to overcome some of the things that hold us apart. And even if we come into them with different understandings of what a discreet gesture means, if we can identify on both sides the quest for mutual respect and mutual affection, maybe that helps us to step above some of the differences in this case in the rules that govern our jobs. I think that many places around the world, by no means limited to Iraq, take acts of hospitality and gestures of gratitude very seriously. I think that versions of this exist in many places around the world, I don't think it always takes the form of cash, it might take, it might take the form of, you know, an artifact or a big silver bowl or something like that. But all of those can have cash as their route, and I make no judgment about what the ethics are in another society. And as Americans, sometimes we have to be open to receiving the gesture, even if in this case we can't receive the physical item in any permanent way. And me coming from a generally modest, austere Catholic background, there's an impulse to say, “Oh, I couldn't possibly” or “Oh, no, thank you”. And that's our notion of polite, it's not necessarily the other side's notion of polite, and it can come across as, to is a very American concept. So be open to accepting the magnanimous gesture. And then if need be taking additional steps later. Johnny quickly understood the unspoken message the monetary gift was meant to communicate. Yet, if he had refused the gift, then what? Podcast 3: Johnny Walsh Reflecting on Meaning & Message Johnny Walsh: It would come across as the rejection of hospitality or the rejection of a gift done in kindness. Senior officials encounter versions of this when they travel, including to see Talabani, and they receive very elaborate formal diplomatic gifts that they can't reciprocate, and they can't in any personal way except. And so, there are elaborate rituals set up so that they can in the moment receive the thing and then file it away into the warehouses of the State Department so that they're not personally benefiting from their job. In a way that's the same way of de escalating like to, it allows us to appreciate the gesture, allow the ceremony of the thing to a degree, without actually violating some very important rules that keep American officials in line. Understanding the history of a place or a community can deepen many conversations and even help open doors and is a way to strengthen how we engage with others from another culture. It is often important in developing a personal relationship to give that person an opportunity to open up about their own history or how they view the broader history of their country or culture. For the outsider, it may be particularly important to acknowledge the suffering of others. To do so can often open the door to making a human connection. It is important to be both non-judgmental and authentic. Thus, cultural competence doesn’t require you to be someone you are not. Presentation: Cultural Adaptation An easy-to-understand model of cultural adaptation outlines a W-curve with five distinct phases. While all of us sojourners will pass through this W-curve, the speed with which we travel and the extremes of the highs and lows we experience will vary by person and the circumstances we encounter. For personal and professional purposes, we strive to learn as we go, to attain cultural competency in our new environments and confidence in our interactions. Understanding this complex process can hasten our adaptation. Understanding Cultural Adaptation Pamela Ex: Let's assume for a moment that you've just been asked to travel abroad for a short term project. This is your first time to this country. Intellectually, you know that the culture and language will be different. You've prepared by talking to people from that country, you've watched the videos, and you've read all of the briefing documents. But upon arrival, you're totally overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, and smells. You attend your first meeting and half the people don't show up and the other half now dismiss everything you had agreed upon previously by e-mail. The key decision maker was called away due to a family emergency, a rainstorm has knocked out the electricity, and anyway, you forgot your adapter plug. You are now experiencing culture shock. Gary Weaver, a professor who researched cross-cultural adjustment stress, outlined 3 causes of culture shock. In the short term, the loss of familiar cues causes you to feel unmoored without guidelines to direct your behavior. The breakdown of interpersonal communications caused by language barriers and different body language diminishes your competence and therefore your confidence to make decisions that would normally be easy in your own culture. For long-term dwellers abroad, an identity crisis may descend and raise questions about who you are, since you may have absorbed aspects of the new culture while discarding elements of your native culture. Weaver identified a W curve and these five stages that take people through the adaptation cycle: honeymoon, culture shock, surface adjustment, crisis, and adaptation. The high honeymoon phase is accompanied by excitement about the new and different, and sometimes unrealistic expectations, about how smooth the adaptation process will be. The downward culture shock trend plunges you down, and this occurs when initial difficulty service around communication and just the details of daily living. As you begin to adjust, you will rise again in the curve, and that means that some equilibrium has been reestablished around routines and the accomplishment of basic tasks. You're probably also creating some relationships that enable you to learn more about that culture. A major change, a crisis, or a conflict can cause a second dip, and the impact of cultural differences and how truly they influence your adaptation may exacerbate the expectation that you'll quickly return to equilibrium. In the last rising stage adaptation, you have gained enough intercultural competence to establish relatively smooth living and working patterns, and you've probably invited a community of support to be your friends, neighbors, and people that you can confide in. As people travel along the W curve in cultural adaptation, their short-term goal is to reestablish some equilibrium and the ability to function adequately. The longer-term goal, of course, is to increase your competence in that new culture and function at a higher level. In general, the more similar the new culture is to your own culture, the shorter and shallower the W curve may be, while the opposite is also true. Some people just adapt more easily than others and so everyone will have their own personal W curve. How can we accelerate our adaptation and reduce the impact of culture shock? It's very important to distinguish between some of the superficial and deep differences. While some differences are obvious, such as dress or the way you walk on the sidewalk, these can be learned easily, while others are more deep under the surface and will take some time to learn and adapt to, such as how you might address people that have different roles and have different relative positions to you. Learn to ask questions, find a cultural guide, read, experiment, and just be a good observer about the cultural characteristics that people are displaying around you. Build some resilience, learn to take the small bumps and stride, and prepare for and adapt to the larger cultural differences you will encounter. What happens when you get blindsided by an unexpected event, a critical mistake, or a betrayal? Try to understand the situation more deeply before you take action, gather information and solicit advice from friendly locals that might give you some deeper insight, and then evaluate your options, select one, and move ahead cautiously. In the end, taking a philosophical approach might be helpful. You're in a new place, things will be different, you don't know what you don't know, things will get easier over time, have patience, and most importantly, enjoy the ride. What you learn, and as you adapt, and as you get more successful, you can share that information and pay it forward to help the next new arrival in that culture. It is inevitable that we will act insensitively or do something culturally inappropriate. It is important to be mindful of the consequences of our actions. You won’t be perfect and your impact will rarely ever be a small ripple but if you are receptive to change and work on being more culturally competent, to learn and grow, the community will become more open to accepting and working with you. It is important to be a constant cultural learner. The respect of others is gained both by being able to adapt and change while also remaining true to yourself. Don’t retreat or withdraw when things don’t go as planned or envisioned. At some point, the enthusiasm and wonder of being in a new place will wear off. You may often feel embarrassed, misunderstood and incompetent. But rather than becoming withdrawn or passive, continue to learn, work to connect, and always stay engaged. There are rarely short cuts to understanding another culture. Feeling comfortable in another culture comes with preparation and an investment of time in order to have meaningful engagement with others and potentially a relationship. Learn about the history and traditions of a new culture. Demonstrate to those you meet that you are interested in them and their culture. Find areas of common ground by talking about your own culture and interests. To do so helps make the unfamiliar less disorienting and strange. Engagement is when one actively attracts and keeps the interest of another. It requires an investment of time and attention and a desire that the interaction is meaningful for both. To acknowledge another is to recognize her or his worth, validity or legitimacy. Acknowledgement is the acceptance of the truth or existence of something. Culture shock refers to our emotional and psychological (and sometimes physical) reactions when we become disoriented in another society from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse and the resulting adjustments we must make in order to adapt to this new and confusing situation. A cultural guide is a local person local people who can help an outsider interpret those unfamiliar behaviors and attitudes they will come across in that culture. Activity: Understanding Yourself Try the following activities to challenge your own understanding of yourself: 1. Think of a time when you have visited a different country or if you haven’t traveled abroad think of a time and place when you were a stranger. Did anything shock you or was anything out of the ordinary? If so, were you affected physically? Were you affected psychologically? Were there any specific cultural differences that you would attribute to any culture shock you felt? List what you think are some of the causes of culture shock. 2. Ideal Country Exercise (developed by NAFSA, the Association of International Education) This is an interesting exercise to do with more than one person, but can also be done alone: You are to develop your vision of the country where you would most like to live. First, give your country a name. Then draw a map of your country and label it. Include the relevant geographical features—mountains, rivers, seacoast, harbor, forests, etc. and name them. Then design and make a flag and compose a national anthem. Then make a chart or table giving important facts about your country. Include the following: ● Size (land area) ● System of government ● Climate ● Natural resources ● Energy source ● Population and demographics ● Language(s) ● Religion(s) ● Style of dress ● Diet ● Education ● Transportation system ● Sports ● Holidays ● Economy ● Health care ● Culture ● Tourist attractions Practitioner Voices: Adaptation and Resilience Practitioner Voices 1: Dr. Kerley Most When working in different cultures, how we react to and process new experiences can create a blueprint for deeper cultural understanding and long-term adaptation and resilience. Adaptation & Resilience Kerley Most: I think it's very important to be open to adapt to new situations. So people who are resilient are people who just deal with what's presented before them and adapt quickly. I was in this big bus and wearing African clothes, I had the head wrap. And I sat, and suddenly, this man comes and he said, he sits on my lap. And I'm like, “Oh my God, he’s sitting on my lap, he’s sitting on my lap!” And I looked around, everybody was just sitting there going about their business, and some other people were sitting in people's lap too. And then I said, ‘Okay, relax’. Because the world's going to be very different, and we need to adapt to what comes to us. But the other very important point also, that is connected to their ability to adapt, is self-awareness and self-regulation, the ability to sit with discomfort, manage discomfort internally without showing it outwardly. I could have told the man to and get out. He had no idea that I was going through this process, but ability to self-regulate helps to adapt better and to become more self aware. The first way that you can connect with your energy is paying attention to your body. When you, the brain will try to do only two things to keep you safe and to help you to connect with others. In order to connect, the brain first is going to check the environment to see that you're safe. So your body is going to feel constricted in a new environment, when everybody else looks different from you. So it's a natural body reaction. So, when I'm aware of my body, in this natural body reactions, I can tell myself, “Oh, this is normal. It's just my brain telling me to be safe, I'm safe. I'm here because I want to be here”. So you can take deep breaths, connect with your body, and manage your energy into yourself. “I'm here because I want to be here. The people I see before me are potential friends”, and then my energy shifts. And another way, a very quick tip to shift my energy when I am in international encounters is to tell the intern to my mind, the internal mantra. “This person in front of me is the super celebrity I love. This person in front of me is the celebrity I'm crazy about!” Because that will shift their energy to like, “ah, what about you please tell me about you. What do you eat for breakfast?” That change the energy also. As Kerley notes, adapting to a new culture is usually physically and emotionally draining. You will need physical and emotional energy, so it is important to find ways to recharge oneself. That means staying physically active. It is also critical to remaining mentally and emotionally active. Pay attention to and tend to those needs. That can also mean purposefully engaging with other people to avoid loneliness and becoming isolated. At the same time, you should also make time for yourself and your needs. Conclusion Above all, remain mindful that feeling a sense of empathy for yourself is as important to the emphasis on listening to others. It is important to cultivate the ability to tune into yourself. Humor is also helpful, and while acknowledging our shortcomings is an important tool in terms of humility in relationships, hanging onto those shortcomings is rarely helpful. Let go, breathe, and do your best. Good attitude doesn’t automatically overcome the impact of the unfamiliar on our physiology. The encounter with a new culture brings a shock, a host of stimuli to your system that is new and unfamiliar. Give yourself time to adapt, and know that you will begin to acclimate to culture as you go, as you learn, and as you come to understand more about the context and history of the place and people where you’ve arrived. Take a few minutes to reflect on the questions below and share with others below. Read and respond to other posts as well. How do you keep up your physical and emotional energy? How do you think you might have to modify that in a new and foreign environment? Chapter 5: Intercultural Communication Simply put, intercultural communication is how people of different cultures try to make sense of each other. Intercultural communication is how we communicate across different cultural contexts. It can refer to communications across different religions, ethnicity or gender as well as differences across cultures, nationalities and regions. Intercultural communication implies much more than a basic transmission of information; it is the interaction between two unique persons that gives the communication meaning. What is the meaning that is intended and how is it perceived? Good intercultural communications are strong when people work to understand the meaning and intentions of others in non-judgmental ways. In doing so, the interaction and the communication contributes to greater cultural synergy. Good intercultural communications incorporate the diverse thoughts and perspectives of people from different cultures. Strengthening our intercultural communication skills and tools will help us interpret information in the way the speaker intended. To do so is enhanced when we can find common ground or common meanings for words and by recognizing our common experience of similar events or ideas. Over the course of our interaction, the communication moves beyond one person’s intended meaning and the other’s interpretation to a place of mutual creation of meaning across cultures. In this chapter, we will look at some common cross-cultural communication challenges and five dimensions of communication that will illustrate how to dissect communication patterns in order to adapt your communication style to your host culture more effectively. Cultural Synergy Course: Smile Animation “Peace begins with a smile”, Mother Teresa. A smile, so simple, so universal, and so easily understood by all, right? Smiles can convey lots of different meanings. A smile can be friendly, or joyous, or devious, or even disingenuous. In some cultures when people interact with each other, the focus is on the mouth. But in other cultures, the focus is on the eyes. For example, in the United States, the emoticon for crying is denoted ( :-( ), the downturned mouth. In Japan, the emoticon for crying is written ( ;.; ), the tearful eyes. How people communicate differs widely across cultures through both verbal and nonverbal gestures. Learning Objectives: ● Demonstrate how to use communication skills to build relationships and reduce misunderstandings among people of different cultures. ● Practice active listening and display neutral body language to facilitate open and trusting communication. ● Heighten understanding that confusion in a different cultural environment is natural, which is why self-awareness and humility are so important. ● Become aware of the importance of non-verbal communications in many cultures and be mindful of body language, expression and tone of voice. Key Questions: ● How can I improve my observation skills and adapt my communication style in ways that build productive relationships? ● Can I be alert to communication cues and make sure I am prioritizing relationships before acting on goals and tasks? ● How can I learn to ask open-ended questions to enhance communication and reduce bias and conflict? ● What do I need to do to strengthen how I communicate to avoid misunderstandings and misperceptions? ● How can I better understand the meaning of what someone from another culture wishes to convey? Scenario: Western Africa When in another culture, we often find ourselves in situations where it is difficult to know how we should communicate in order for others to understand our meaning and our intentions. This is made even more difficult when we are in a group setting where more than one culture has come together. Podcast from Laurette Bennhold Samaan: Fish Out of Water Laurette Bennhold Samaan: A time that I felt like a fish out of water was probably the time when I spent in Japan for a short period of time. Obviously, I knew I was going to a different culture, I knew I was going to look different, I knew that I didn't know Japanese. So, all of those expectations were set prior, that it was going to be different. However, when I got there, it was much more different than I expected, I felt much more like a fish out of water. I was given a list of ‘do’s’ and ‘don'ts’, there were 22 of them, and I memorized all those lists of ‘do’s’ and ‘don'ts’ and I had them down 100%. I had done some of those ‘do’s’ and it was obviously a ‘don't’. So, what I learned was that a ‘do’s’ and ‘don'ts’ only go so far. Of course, they're essential for security reasons and safety reasons, but taken out of context, a ‘do’ and one context is a ‘don't’ in another. So, I later learned that that list of 22 ‘do’s’ and ‘don'ts’ for my experience was written for an older male. So, I was a younger female, o what I was doing was inappropriate many times. Some of the other things in Japan that really surprised me and I wasn't familiar with or expecting was every morning, most of the staff would get together and do group exercises and it was a way to build team spirit and build engagement, which I actually then tried to bring it back to my next role, it didn't work so well in a different culture. And what I also didn't realize was that every paper that we received had people's personal stamps on them, and it almost reminded me of as a child where you have little rubber stamps and you stamp pieces of paper. So, these rubber stamps were placed all over the page, again I couldn't read Japanese, and they had given me my own personal stamp, which of course I felt very proud of, and I stamped it on the paper showing my approval. The next day at a meeting, I obviously had done something wrong, and didn't exactly know what I had done wrong, but I placed my stamp upside down which means disapproval. So, here was a situation where you don't know what you don't know, andcertainly even on a list of ‘do’s’ and ‘don'ts’, that would have been helpful to know but I couldn't have read the Japanese to know whether it was upside down or not, so I would have needed a cultural informant or someone to advise me as to what the stamp is, where it should go, and how it should go. So, I have always tried to find a person that could be this cultural bridge person for me and in my life, especially when I'm living or working overseas. Other factors that complicate our capacity to communicate across cultures are gender, religion and other specific factors of identity that shape who someone is. And, in many instances, context matters. What is acceptable in one place may be problematic someplace else, even between the same two people. Podcast from Juan Diaz Prinz: A Simple Greeting Juan Diaz Prinz: So one really tiny example, which has to do with gender in the Islamic world, was that I had a very modern female counterpart, who I assumed shared a very European Western understanding of relationships, and I had said hello to everybody in the room, mostly women and most of them were European, and I had, Europeans give two kisses, and I gave two kisses to everybody in the room and I got to her and I gave her two kisses, and she whispers in my ear “Thank God my husband is not here, he would kill you”, and then she smiled and I was a little shocked. And she smiled to me she said, “That was a joke” in a kind of way, and I never ever, ever even gave her my hand again. And that was really, I was so shocked by that comment. We've stayed friends, we continue to work together, but I realized that I was putting her in jeopardy, and I was putting myself in jeopardy, and that's, that was a long time ago in my career right, I was very young. But then, that also triggered me, why do you have to give two kisses to people that you don't know, which is a very European thing to do? But then I realized well, why do you have to do any of that? Obviously, for some people it's uncomfortable and you don't know if the person wants to be kissed or not on the cheeks, so I just stopped kissing people, anybody you know. And I decided, I could suspend with all of that was my understanding of how you say hello and that's not necessarily everybody else's understanding of how you say hello. So, there was a moment there where I had to really take into consideration that some of my behavior may not be culturally acceptable in other societies, and that might even put people at risk. However, coming back to what we were talking about, I found that if I am, if I suspend judgment of the people, if I'm genuinely curious about how to work with them and help them and what the story that they're trying to tell, if I genuinely live the concept of empathy which is to try to understand their reality. How do you determine what is appropriate when you are greeting someone? Do you have criteria for when to greet someone formally, informally or even more intimately? Or do you go by a feeling at the time or the specific context in which you find yourself? Scenario: Miscommunication on Project Timelines As Sarah Fisk acknowledges in her upcoming podcast, people communicate in different ways. And, in many societies, oral communication, storytelling and metaphors are important ways in which people try to convey what they mean and what their needs are. In order for the outsider to understand that, patience and active listening becomes critical. It is also necessary to understand how people use language. Some languages are very descriptive and speakers use an overabundance of words. Others are more sparse and words may have multiple meanings, so body language and tone become even more important. Thus, it takes time to understand how people communicate and what their meaning might be; it is more than just a translation of the words. And, it is very difficult to establish good lines of communication without investing in relationships with those in the community. Fiji Pt. 1 Sarah Fisk: First of all, you have to understand, Fiji is a very relational society, and everybody knows who they are based on who they're related to. And, when you walk down the street and you pass someone, you say hello, you greet them, you say “bula, bula, Vinaka bula, bula”, you know, you don't just walk by people. Even in the city where people are rushing, if you watch people walking down the street, they're sort of bobbing their heads at each other as they go by, they're not just ignoring each other. And one time, I talked to a Fijian friend and she said, “Why are white people so sad all the time? Why are they so in a bad mood all the time? We feel really bad for white people because they seem so sad and anxious, what are they scared of?” And I was like, “I don't know, I don't know if they are sad”. And so I put these two things together, that white people think, I mean Americans and Australians and everything, that we think Fijians are shy, and the Fijians think that we're sad or anxious or whatever. And what I realized is that, OK, so this is how it happened, this is how it happened. I was trying to learn Fijian, so I was asking my Fijian friends to tell me what the words of the songs meant and learn the words. And there was this one song and I said, “Well it's such a beautiful song, what's it about?” And Joellie goes, “It's about a chicken”, and then Moses, he goes, “No it's not, it's about a lighthouse”, and then Siliana goes, “It's about when you are in love with someone but you have to let go”. And I said, “Wait a second, what's the song about?”, and they all just burst out laughing, and I said, “Well, what's this, let me learn the words. What does this word mean?” And so there's a silence as everybody looked at the word and I was like, “You can't tell me what the word means? Like what, I don't translate this translate the word to English, what does this word mean?” and they started talking in rapid Fijian amongst themselves and then Moses looks at me, Moe, big Moe, he looks at me and goes, “Shut up, in English you have a lot of words. In Fijian, we don't have so many words, so every word has to do a lot of work and it means a lot of things”, and that was his explanation. So, the reason I'm telling you this is because that sparked my interest, and first of all, it explained why everyone would burst out laughing when I tried to speak Fijian because I would say something like, “Have you seen my blonde friend?” but what I was actually saying is “I have blonde pubic hair”, and so everyone would like burst out laughing , because the words mean both. Or you can say to a small child, you can say “mundri come here”, which means’ you're so young you have no hair’, but it's also means ‘you've shaved your pubic area’. So it's like, everything is sort of an off-color joke, so people are laughing constantly because they are. So, that became interesting to me, and then I started paying further attention, because he said we have fewer words, what I started to realize is that quite a bit of the Fijian language has nothing to do with words spoken, it has to do with body language, with eye contact, with very nuanced gestures, and this explains so much to me that my experience in Fiji changed. It was like night and day all of a sudden, I was actually having like 3 or four times as much communication with people than I had been having before, and that's why they think white people are anxious and sad is because they're not making eye contact as you walk down the street. They're like, we're shut down, we don't look at each other. They're looking at each other from far away because they need to know who it is. Is it a relative, is it somebody they need to relate to in a certain way? And so, the communication starts from the first minute you see them coming like from a far distance and a lot of the interchange happens nonverbally. In cross-cultural encounters no matter how much you prepare, there is always the unexpected. It is important to remember that cross-cultural encounters are a combination of how you manage your expectations and actions and how the other perceives your actions and intentions, particularly as one’s intentions are not self-evident. Cultural misunderstandings are often rooted in misperceptions about the other and by oversimplified stereotypes. In some cultures, languages are very wordy and have massive vocabularies to convey meaning; people in other cultures rely on body language, gestures or tone. Both are very expressive, but in different ways. Too often, we focus on the impact of actions, but not on the intentions or motivations. Context, therefore, becomes much more relevant and communication occurs in many other ways than just the language. Communication, understanding one another, building trust and developing a relationship may be much more important and productive than working through an agenda. It is very important to be able to read a situation and adjust accordingly. The ability to do so depends on cultural awareness, being prepared, and both active listening and understanding non-verbal cues. Body language is a type of nonverbal communication that relies on body movements (such as gestures, body posture, eye movement, voice modulation, touch and facial expressions) to convey information or meaning. Body language may be used consciously or unconsciously and may accompany a verbal message or take the place of speech. Have you found yourself making assumptions about what someone else means or what they want? If so, did your assumptions lead to confusion or cause any problems? Why do you think most people jump to conclusions and make assumptions? Share your thoughts in the discussion below. Presentation: Cross-Cultural Communication Cross-cultural communication is imbued with so many layers and nuances that professionals working in different cultures require prolonged interaction with their hosts in order to better decode the verbal and non-verbal cues and begin to proficiently use the range of communication methods. Among the many ways to describe communication, we have chosen five foundational dimensions that will enhance your decoding skills and enlarge your range of appropriate responses. Intercultural Communication Pt. 1 Pamela Ex: It's easy to say that communication patterns differ across cultures as well as languages, but we're going to present 5 dimensions of communication to illustrate this. Please keep in mind that each dimension represents a continua, or a range of styles, and individuals and cultures can appear or move along many points in between the extremes. Communicating respect for others can be shown through a willingness to understand these cultural differences and trying to adapt, to a certain extent, to different styles in order to build rapport and productive relationships. Communicating across cultures involves finding a common language, whether it's the exact same spoken language or a similar style of communicating. It involves finding meaning that is relatively similar for all parties. It may also involve simplification which may accelerate the speed of communication, but which may lose nuance in the process. Communicating across cultures always raises the possibility that information is intentionally being omitted or distorted, and even with the best of intentions, there are words or concepts that don't exist outside their home language and translation can be convoluted, if not impossible, due to cultural constructs unique to that culture. Let's now explore these 5 dimensions to help you learn to communicate more effectively. The first dimension is ‘low context and high context’. Edward Hall, the U.S. cultural anthropologist, developed this concept. ‘Low context’ cultures tend to rely mainly on words and explicit descriptions to share meaning and depend less on the context of the communication. These cultures might also rely more on written communication, such as contracts and other formal agreements, as well as the expediency of electronic communication. ‘Low context’ cultures also tend to be more direct communicators with the short-term and task-oriented approach to relationships. ‘High context’ cultures, in contrast, rely on contextual clues and implicit statements, including the relationship, the surroundings, and body language of the interlocutors to provide meaning to the conversation. These cultures often prefer face-to-face conversations with more indirect and relationship-oriented tendencies. Binding agreements can be made on a handshake, rather than on a long, printed document due to long established and trusting relationships. Misunderstandings can easily arise when ‘low-context’ and ‘high-context’ cultures mix. ‘Low-context’ speakers feel that ‘high-context’ speakers may take into account too many intangible factors, expect a listener to detect subtle messages, and take a winding path to get to the point. ‘High-context’ speakers suggest that ‘low-context’ speakers minimize the impact of contextual considerations on the conversation and relationship, and don't provide nearly enough background information for full understanding. The second dimension distinguishes between ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ styles. ‘Direct’ communication usually includes the desire to share information. People are saying what they mean and mean what they say, and willingly engage in disagreement or debate. ‘Direct’ cultures tend to be explicit and objective, they ask probing or clarifying questions, and may easily share their frank opinion indicating what they liked and didn't like. ‘Indirect’ communicators have the main desire to preserve the relationship, they may utilize more implicit or suggestive wording to avoid conflict, they may ask expansive questions, such as “What was your rationale for this opinion?” rather than rendering a criticism. They may also offer noncommittal evaluations such as “That was interesting”. Misunderstandings or conflict are generated when ‘direct’ communicators feel that’ indirect’ partners are misleading, hiding information, or even bending the truth. ‘Indirect’ speakers may determine or sense that their direct partners are demanding, rude, and have no subtlety. At the heart of effective communications is not what is said or is conveyed but what is understood which in turn depends not just on what is said but on how the listener understands what is said. Intercultural communications are strengthened when we take a learning approach which presumes that each of us is bringing something important to the interaction. In that vein, we communicate to find meaning—the meaning that is intended and the meaning that is understood. Thus, effective communication is the product of both the speaker and the listener and their ongoing interaction in which each tries to communicate with the other. Reflect on one or both of the following questions: ● How might people from low context cultures be able to offer additional contextual references when sharing information? How does this translate when people are video conferencing? Can it? ● What might soften the edges of a direct communicator while also allowing for information flow to be clear coming from an indirect communicator? What communication tools like open-ended questions and follow-up questions might work to ease the interaction? Intercultural Communication Pt. 2 Pamela Ex: The third dimension is ‘neutral’ and ‘affective’ styles of communication. Well, ‘neutral’ cultures show relatively little emotion when conversing with others. They maintain a calm demeanor and a neutral facial expression. The rationale for this is to avoid showing weakness or vulnerability to their partners or opponents. ’Affective’ cultures exhibit a broader range of emotions while interacting including widely modulating their voice, laughing, arguing, shouting, and crying. They believe that their emotional expression makes for a richer message. Misunderstandings can arise when ‘neutral’ communicators often perceive ‘affective’ speakers as unprofessional, uncontrolled, or even impolite. ‘Affective’ speakers assess neutral communicators as impersonal, unfeeling, and cold. The 4th dimension includes ‘informal’ and ‘formal’ communication. ‘Informal’ cultures communicate in a more casual way. They may easily use first names and assume a more egalitarian relationship. They adhere much less closely to protocols and rules of interaction. ‘Formal’ cultures communicate following the protocols of hierarchy and courtesy. They may use a generous amount of honorifics titles and modulate their speech to be more deferential to show their respect for the person, as well as the rules of engagement. Language can reflect this level of formality in a number of different ways. In English for example, there is only one word for ‘you’, Y-O-U, regardless of the relationship between the speakers. In many other languages, there are two or even more words for ‘you’ depending on the hierarchical relationship. Some languages even have completely different forms of speech for formal and informal usage with strict rules about which form should be used for which people and under what circumstances. Misinterpretation can frequently occur when ‘informal’ speakers regard ‘formal’ speakers as rigid, distant, and too serious, while ‘formal’ speakers may view ‘informal’ speakers as rude, unpolished, or uneducated. The 5th dimension addresses the East Asian concept of ‘saving face’. This is quite useful to practice in all intercultural communication. It involves maintaining the dignity and social status of others, especially in public settings and in front of peers. ‘Saving face’ also involves maintaining one's own composure and may require small compromises or sacrifices in service of a larger goal and a stronger relationship. In reviewing these five communication patterns, we may observe that people in the global North tend to be low-context, direct, neutral, and informal, while people in the global South tend to be high-context, indirect, affective, and formal. Of course, there is a lot of diversity among and within cultures. These initial dichotomies can create many misunderstandings, quick unfavorable judgments, and misaligned goals on both sides. Mix these communication dichotomies with the nuances of hierarchy and the trust-building process and dialogue can quickly break down. Introducing the concept of ‘saving face’ may interject some balance and humility into conversation. So gradually learning the nuances of your counterpart's communication style will go far to help you better interpret their message and to show respect and the desire to build mutually beneficial relationships. The fourth dimension includes informal and formal communication. Informal cultures communicate in a more casual way. They may easily use first names and assume a more egalitarian relationship. they adhere much less closely to protocols and rules of interaction. Formal cultures communicate following the protocols of hierarchy and courtesy, they may use a generous amount of honorifics and titles and modulate their speech to be more deferential, to show that respect for the person as well as the rules of engagement. Language can reflect this level of formality in a number of different ways. In English, for example, there is only one word for you, y o u. Regardless of the relationship between the speakers. In many other languages, there are two Or even more words for you, depending on the hierarchical relationship. Some languages even have completely different forms of speech for formal and informal usage with strict rules about which forms should be used for which people and under what circumstances. Misinterpretation can frequently occur when informal speakers regard formal speakers as rigid, distant and too serious. Well, formal speakers may view informal speakers as rude, unpolished, or uneducated. The fifth dimension addresses the East Asian concept of saving face. This is quite useful to practice in all intercultural communication. It involves maintaining the dignity and social status of others, especially in public settings and in front of peers. Saving face also involves maintaining one's own country pleasure and may require small compromises or sacrifices in surface of a larger goal and a stronger relationship. In reviewing these five communication patterns, we may observe that people in the global north tend to be low context, direct, neutral and informal while people in the global south tend to be high context, indirect, affective and formal. Of course, there is a lot of diversity among and within cultures. These initial dichotomies can create many misunderstandings, quick, unfavorable judgments and misaligned goals on both sides. Mix these communication dichotomies with the nuances of hierarchy and the trust building process and dialogue can quickly break down. introducing the concept of saving face may interject some balance and humility into conversations. So gradually learning the nuances of your counterpart’s communication style will go far to help you better interpret their message and to show respect and the desire to build mutually beneficial relationships. At the heart of intercultural communication is the intention of trying to make sense of one another. To do so requires us to be respectful of each other and our different perspectives but also to search for the intended meaning behind the words we hear. It is important as an outsider not to assume that miscommunication and misperception goes only in one direction. One must realize that your meaning might easily be misconstrued. Do not assume that key ideas and concepts that are taken for granted in your culture are easily translatable in other cultures. ● The term “cross-cultural” refers to contact between people of different cultures or different cultural groups. Identities and cultures are complex and can co-exist within a single city as well as within an entire country. Making contact is only the first step to enhanced understanding between those groups. Often, contact that is made without diligent effort at creating common understanding can lead to perpetuating friction and misunderstandings that serve to feed cultural stereotypes and undermine true understanding and efforts to build relationships. ● “Intercultural” implies a deeper engagement with others from which relationships can be built. And intercultural engagement and intercultural sensitivity can help us overcome “ethnocentrism” which is when we apply our own culture as a frame of reference in order to judge other cultures, behaviors and beliefs. Do the five patterns of communication help you understand the challenges for communicating across cultures? Where do you think there might be common ground between the different tendencies and patterns that people from different cultures have? Share your thoughts in the discussion below. Practitioner Voices: Listening Video 1: Dr. Kerley Most In a broad sense, Western and Global North countries tend to view communication as a tool to facilitate transactions by “getting to the point.” In contrast, non-Western and Global South cultures utilize communication to build relationships and trust and extend the invitation, “Let’s connect.” So, be aware of the environment and assess the situation. What can you learn that will help you communicate and understand better? Connecting with Others Kerley Most: They spent time. They just sit and listen for hours and hours and hours. They do not come in and tell what it is and here, that's what you do. And then, know that if you're working, if you are in an international setting because of business, it becomes a little bit challenging because you do not possess the time. But understanding also that if you spend the time, you can maybe close the deal. I'm Brazilian and in Brazil, if you come to a meeting and you go straight to the point, it's unthinkable. So, if you don't know that, then you go to Brazil and you go in there and you say “OK, you do this, this, this”, you won't be successful. So, sitting and paying attention, think that's the point. Sitting, paying attention, listening, and adopting a learner perspective. Very open. I don't have all the answers I'm here to learn. Video 2: Dr. Kerley Most Professionals in peacekeeping and international development require deep listening skills and an awareness that their body language is also a medium of communication. Relaxed and non-threatening postures send messages of safety and connection and signal an openness to a positive relationship. Listen and Listen Well Kerley Most: Interestingly, a significant part of the world is built by oral cultures, people who highly value talking and being heard. From a Western perspective, we are focused on getting to the point and we will approach to communication with the goal of getting to the point. So, with those distinctive goals becomes very challenging to have a proper communication. So, what do we do? We then adjust and then place ourselves in the position that we can increase our ability to listen. The greatest leaders that we know and very effective peacemakers are the people who are able to listen and listen well. So, the first step then, in order to be successful in cross-cultural communication, is to increase your ability to listen, to listen deeply, and also to decrease your focus on the get to the point, unless you’re functioning with people from a culture that getting to the point is OK. So, I think that's the bedrock of proper communication. Of course, then also you can use some body expressions that will communicate openness. Avoiding crossing your arms, avoiding keeping your eyes away from the person you're talking to, avoiding distractions, avoiding open criticism because most of the cultures that are orally orientated are cultures that want to save face, and if you express something that can be abrasive at first, the communication is broken because the person felt offended. So, tending to the responsibility of the sender. When I engage in international multicultural communication, I'm responsible for creating a sense of safety so that the person listening to me would be able to respond and not feel threatened by what I'm saying, even when I don't know the culture codes, and especially when I don't know the culture codes I need to put myself in the position of listening, in a position of body and facial expressions that communicate openness. When Westerners operate in a non-Western environment, they need to remember that the onus is on them to adapt and work to communicate in ways that assure that they work to understand locals with whom they are engaging while also finding the best ways to be understood themselves. Listening well and listening deeply are keys to doing so. It is not enough to work on how you can most effectively communicate what you want or need. You also need to demonstrate that you are open to learning; in particular, learning about the culture, local history, needs of the community. It is important to show that you are also open to learning from them and to do so requires your whole self—what you say and how you say it, how you appear and what your body language is; and how you conduct yourself. Locals will not only listen to your words but they will also want to look into your heart—to determine who you are, not just what you say. Practitioner Voices: Being Present Practitioner Voices 1: Stephen Moles Stephen Moles, Director of Leadership and Talent Development at the U.S. Institute of Peace, explains that being present and attentive to the speaker, listening for nuance, and being willing to probe to ascertain the meaning of the speaker’s implied and explicit statements are all techniques to build better communication skills. It is often listening for what is not said that can reveal the speaker’s true intentions. Being Present Stephen Moles: Communication is not a simple matter of ‘message sent, message received’. It's not that I have this little packet of words and I send it over to you and you catch it, and we now share an understanding. It's really a iterative, continuous process of creating and reinforcing shared meaning. How do we go about doing that, how do we go about thinking about our interactions as a continual, ongoing process of creating shared meaning and then figuring out what we're going to do with it? Building on something you said earlier, I think that there's a number of sort of steps or tips that a person can keep in mind. First of all, and it sounds simple, is be present. That means a couple different things. One, it means actually, physically show up and give that person or that situation your attention. It means not being distracted, it means showing that that's a priority, it means showing that you're invested, not just from a project standpoint but as a person. People make these form impressions of each other, right? This person is paying attention, this person takes me seriously, this person wants to be here or doesn't want to be here. So it's good to be mindful of how we're coming across and also to make a purposeful intentional effort to really be present. Turn off the phone, close the laptop, really pay attention to the person. And so, paying attention is important but it's not just about ask, listen, ask, listen, ask, listen. Asking questions is important as a way of understanding what's going on. I think especially in ‘high-context’ cultures, some people are much more practiced at watching and learning by what people do rather than by what they say. And by watching what people do, if you're a careful observer, you can figure out pretty quickly what's important to them and why they've responded the way that they did. Sometimes people talk about ‘direct’ communication and ‘indirect’ communication, it seems kind of complicated. I sometimes say to people “Have you ever had a conversation with your friends about where you want to go to dinner?” and you say “Oh um let's go to Thai”, and somebody says “I could eat Thai”. And what did they just tell you, their words said, “I could eat Thai”. That may sound like agreement, but there's actually an implication in there that they'd like to talk about a different option or there's something else that they would prefer. Or you could notice that one person replied to that but another person stayed silent. So by observing and paying attention to that, you know that there's something that you need to follow up on even though the person didn't say it explicitly. One can’t just seek out and find short cuts to communicating effectively. Active listening isn’t just asking questions. One has to listen deeply to the answers and, more importantly, care about the answers you hear. Work on moving beyond “listening” to what someone else is saying; focus on “hearing” what they mean. “While at home” Activity: Try the following activities to challenge your own understanding of yourself: 1. Think back over the past month and consider a problem that you encountered. How much of the problem was due to someone not hearing something or hearing it in a distorted way? Did poor hearing cause a problem or exacerbate an existing problem? Were you aware of the impact of the miscommunications at the time? 2. Have someone read something to you for 3 – 5 minutes. It could be a newspaper or magazine article or a letter or a business memo. After the other person finishes reading, have him or her ask you questions about the content of what was read to you. How much did you remember? Did you misremember or forget key ideas? [Most tests of our capacity to listen show that people tend to forget about 50% of what they have heard immediately after hearing it.] What can you do to become a better observer of people you encounter? Share your thoughts in the discussion below. Chapter 6: Building Relationships & Trust Mutual respect is the starting point for developing trust. So, it is important to determine how one can most show respect for an individual from another culture. Laying that groundwork can be the basis of a stronger working relationship, which is important when there are inevitable cultural missteps, as often happens. That trust allows the other to understand the good intention behind an action. It is important to put yourself in the other’s shoes because doing so can help you begin to understand the meaning and motivations behind the words and behaviors of another. Additionally, it often clarifies why your own motives or actions may not be as clear as you think. Trust has to be earned and to do so often requires patience and means an investment in showing respect and developing a relationship. The art of asking questions is also a key to cultural competence. A good questioner is open to hearing unexpected or uncomfortable answers to a question. He or she is open to new ways of looking at an issue or a problem. Listening Animation How can we communicate with others? Good listening is key. In conversations, are we just waiting our turn to speak, or are we truly trying to understand the other person? A good listener actively engages the other. Showing interest, asking clarifying questions, and when appropriate restating what we hear, all with body language that demonstrates openness. It is important to hear not just with our ears, but also with our hearts to truly understand others, which is critical to build trust and develop stronger relationships and to find common ground. Learning Objectives ● To understand the importance and value of building relationships ● To learn and practice active listening skills to facilitate relationship building and trust. ● To recognize that cross-cultural encounters are a combination of how you manage your expectations and actions and how the other perceives your actions and intentions. ● To incorporate the cultural dimensions of egalitarianism and hierarchy as well as task and relationship orientation to building productive relationships. ● To recognize that one must invest oneself and one’s time in a place. There are rarely short cuts to trust-building and understanding another culture. Key Questions ● What are the essential elements of building trust with another? ● How can I listen for deeper understanding and to demonstrate trustworthy behavior? ● How can I “listen between the lines” so that I can understand the meaning that is not put into the words I hear? ● What does it mean to validate another? Why is that important? Young Professionals: Making Human Connections For us to build relationships and trust with our international colleagues, we must practice active listening and nuanced communication. Many professionals in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, humanitarian work and development come from cultures that are on the opposite ends of multiple cultural spectra from the communities in which they will work. Their motivation for this kind of work often sprouts from a desire to connect across cultures. It can be reassuring to know that there are explicit ways to build skills and acquire knowledge to nurture the universality of human connection through listening, the consideration of the nuances of power dynamics, and the preference for a relationship or task orientation in approaching work. Because a relationship is the product of the interaction of two different and unique individuals, then there are many different ways to connect with the other person. It is important that we see others as individuals, not as a type or representative of a culture or a particular group. That requires each of us to put aside assumptions about others and break away from preconceived notions we might have. Humility, respect and empathy are, therefore, critical to finding common ground and, therefore, to relationship-building as well as to cross-cultural engagement. Young Professional: Making Connections As Nate Wilson notes, making human connections can be very simple, and very personal. Making Connections Nate Wilson: I am living in Tunisia and originally hail from St. Louis, Missour. In my position as Libya Country Manager at the United States Institute of Peace, I have to not only bridge the gap between Washington, D.C. and Tunisia, but also Libya. In working with people in Libya, I try to find things that immediately build a bridge between us, and what I know is that St. Louis is known as the gateway to the West. In the country program, we do a lot of work in southern Libya, which is the gateway to the Sahara, and I try to use this as a way to create an instant familiarity between where I come from and where people that we tend to work with quite a bit are living currently. I also had, my daughter was born here in Tunisia. Not only did we give her a middle name, Imane, which means ‘faith’ in Arabic, and it's a very popular name here in Tunisia, but also she has learned Arabic at a very young age. So, whenever I tell people and Tunisians both her name and give them short examples of how she speaks words of Arabic, for example saying ‘abam’ when she wants eggs, which is the Tunisian word for eggs, it forms an instant bond with people. Living abroad, I find that I feel my own Americanness more than perhaps other Americans do. Working, but that allows me to sometimes be able to use certain aspects of where I come from to my advantage. For example, people know about the United States, or at least have some idea of it I find whenever I speak with others in Tunisia or Libya, whether it's the history of the States or whether it's a cultural aspects, such as music. One of my Libyan colleagues is a huge Elvis and Frank Sinatra fan. So, I can use these bits of American identity and people's familiarity with it, with the culture and the country, to my advantage to create an instant bond. in addition, I know that based on where I come from in Saint Louis, everybody likes to think about their own locality, too. this this came out when people from Saint Louis always ask each other in the city “Which high school did you go to?” Now, this is not something I find in other parts of the country and basically it allows people to frankly create a stereotype of another person. Now, I think that this can obviously erase certain aspects of people's personality and this is the harm that can come from it, but I find that this tactic of trying to figure out what the thing that you have in common with the other person is, it creates huge advantages in trying to do the work that I do. Scenario: Connecting Over Dinner Podcast from Tamanna Salakuddin: Connecting over Dinner Tamanna Salikuddin: Since 2008, the U.S. government in fits and starts has tried to pursue a political settlement with the Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan. There have been periods where we've been engaged actively and there have been periods where we really haven't. So, in 2015, talks weren't going well and we weren't directly engaged with the Taliban. And so, we were in Norway and had a facilitated, let's say, dinner with representatives of the Taliban. I was there as one of the U.S. government representatives and representatives of the Afghan government. It was a very quiet, private, secret dinner. We, as U.S.G. people, were not actually allowed to negotiate. We were not there to negotiate or engage on any substantive parts of the conflict, but we could sit and listen to them and we could talk to them. And so, I was sitting next to a Taliban, a representative of the Taliban, who in his previous life had been the deputy chief of mission in Islamabad, so he thought of himself as a Taliban diplomat and I was a U.S. diplomat. And so, it's really interesting. We really couldn't talk about any issues of substance, so what do you do over a 2-hour dinner? Well, something we could bond over was not knowing what any of this food that we were being served was, you know, assortment of varying Norwegian dishes, and so it was a little bit funny actually. We were, you know, he would ask me, “What is this? Can I eat this? Is this good?” And so, we were, our discussion started off a little shaky but, you know, after a few minutes, we were laughing over these very interesting dishes we were being served, and that moved on to hearing more about his family, kids, his background, you know, just a silly discussion over foreign food actually opened the door to more substantive conversation about someone's background and motivations. And we were able to come to a conversation as to why he ended up in the Taliban because he didn't seem, he had never been a fighter, he had never, you know, he saw himself as a diplomat. He was quite well-spoken and spoke several languages. And so, from a U.S. perspective, that is not the image that, you know, most people have of the Taliban. And so, by exploring his own multitude of identity and background, we were able to maybe form a little bit of common understanding, and that helped in future times when we met in actual negotiations. In Tamanna’s case, the fact that she was a Muslim member of the American negotiating team helped her connect with some in the Taliban and can also convey a different perspective about the American negotiation team and its stance on religion. How is patience such an important tool for intercultural engagement and developing a relationship with someone from another culture? How might you think of patience as more than just biding one’s time until the right opportunity? If patience means waiting without complaint or enduring something tedious it also implies staying calm and not losing interest while waiting. If so, are there things we can do during the time we are waiting patiently that can help build trust and enhance our ability to communicate with others? Share your thoughts in the discussion below. Young Professionals: Advantages of Youth Tabatha Thompson reminds us that working with other human beings is so often at the core of the work that peacebuilders do as she discusses her experiences with building trust in a way that combines humility and an open mind. Advantages of Youth Tabatha Thompson: When I go into a different, you know, a situation, I just, I recognize that I'm young and I recognize that I have a lot to learn, and that kind of feeds into my approach of humility. But I also know that I have a lot to offer as a young person and that diverse perspectives, in this work especially, are so important. And so I think, you know, being young, helps me actually, helps it be easier for me to be humble, and to approach the work with humility and, and, and still have that, you know, learning and growth mindset because I don't know a lot of things. And I think it also helps because people don't, might not always expect certain things from from me and so, sometimes when I have something to say, and I'll say it and, you know, say it in a diplomatic way, or just in a reflective way, it surprises them. And, you know, I don't try to like grandstand with it, but I just tried to, you know, just just be open and honest. I definitely will try to take the time to build relationships with people and I think that it helps them see me in an unthreatening way, but also in a way that they know that they have my respect and they know that I know that I don't know, a lot, and I think that they appreciate that and someone from from the outside. I also think it helps them see me not as a threat when it comes to offering, you know, some like coaching or advice, or making a suggestion in a respectful way, where they receive that very differently from me than they do by someone who has more experience and who's coming from the U.S. And so it's just, you know, kind of understanding one, when something might be better coming from from me versus like when something like, if I have something that I think might be more critical or might not be received well if it's coming from someone younger, I might ask someone that I have a relationship with in the room to to provide that that kind of advice, or I might ask the more experienced facilitator to provide it. But I think there's a certain power and in the position of being a young person where sometimes it, you know, can also work to your advantage because people see you differently than they would someone who has more experience and someone who might be more set in their ways. Scenario: Leveraging the World Cup Podcast from Mike Zuckerburg: While working in Uganda, Mike Zuckerburg faced this situation. Mike recounts the importance of providing a space to listen, communicate and make connections. Making Space Mike Zuckerman: I would say most of my work revolves around listening to people. In fact, my first International Development trip or work project was in the summer of 2010. I was invited to Kampala, Uganda to screen the World Cup that was happening for the first time on the African continent in South Africa. And the project was to set up an inflatable projector screen, invite people to watch the World Cup for free, and then at halftime we would turn off the game and we would have a community discussion. We pose the question of ‘what are some challenges that are being faced in this local community and what can we do about it?’ And people would stand up, and grab the mic, and, you know, there was 1,000 people there, and all these issues were brought up, and then say “Alright, let's meet tomorrow and work on that”. And people would show up and we'd spend the day working on that challenge, and then the next, some of the things that I was, you know, thought were the problems, of plastic and, you know, these things were very visually different and seemed like they could be fixed, were issues that the local community had but really there were other things that were brought up that I never would have thought about, around road safety, around children's education. And you know, just looking at this, ‘leading with culture’ is kind of really what defines the work I've been doing. If you show the World Cup, people are going to show up. If you say who wants to make our community better, you'll get people to come but they're going to be like a subset of the society there. But, by leading with culture, you get everyone, and that's really one of the messages that you need to have, a diversity of input and experiences to be able to come up with actually meaningful change. You know, diversity is seen as valuable in environment, you know, biodiversity, and financial investment portfolios with, you know, stocks and things, but it's also really important in trying to come up with innovative solutions or just pretty much anything. So, that's kind of what I try to do, is find out whatever that thing is that gathers people. In the Philippines, after cyclone Yolanda, it was karaoke which got people together. You know, in Uganda, especially during the World Cup, it was showing the World Cup. So, whatever that thing is, start there. Find a space, figure out a way to get people to show up, and then ask them what they want to do. And really, that's kind of the three-step process that I'd say is present in all of my projects I've done you know in International Development. What have you found to be effective ways to elicit meaningful participation? Can you think of other creative ways to bring people together and give voice to those who you might not normally hear from? Share your thoughts in the discussion below. Presentation: Active Listening Being an effective active listener in cross-cultural settings requires a set of skills that can be acquired and refined while also taking into consideration the cultural programming of the involved parties. We review the seven stages of active listening, and invite you to assess how well you do on these skills. We will also incorporate the cultural dimensions of egalitarianism and hierarchy as well as task and relationship to demonstrate how they influence the processes of building relationships and trust. Active Listening Presentation Pamela Ex: Previous modules looked at the five characteristics of intercultural communication that affect the way people try to connect and understand each other. Here, we have the process of active listening. Good listening skills are hard enough when people speak the same language and are members of a similar culture. There are three complicating factors when we do international work as we try to be active listeners. First, we're dealing with language barriers. Second, very often we're working with interpreters to do their work we're hoping that they are accurate in conveying our true meaning. Third, we tried to fold in the cultural programming and expectations we each hold about how communication should be conducted. There is always the concern about what am I missing and this may refer to misinterpreting what is being said as well as trying to discern what is not being communicated. There are 7 stages of active listening. First, pay attention really focus on the speaker. Second, accept silence and pauses and don't feel the need to interrupt. Third, use culturally appropriate verbal and nonverbal cues that you are listening. Words like ‘I see’, ‘I hear you’, and sounds like ‘mm-hmm’ will be helpful. Neutral body signals like appropriate eye contact, head nods, and a comfortable posture facing the speaker also help. Four, suspend judgment, don't jump to conclusions, try to keep an open mind. Wait till the conversation ends to form your opinions. Five, ask probing questions for clarity to gather more information. Six, listen for what is not being said and determine if you will try to ask for clarification to make these points explicit or leave them unset. be alert to any options for misinterpretation and omission. Seven, summarize with input from both parties to verify that both have the same understanding. As you are communicating and listening to build rapport, there are two other influential cultural dimensions at play. The first is egalitarianism and hierarchy and the second is task and relationship orientation. When we talk about egalitarianism and hierarchy, we ask the question “How do people see themselves in relation to others in their community?” In egalitarian cultures, people see themselves as relatively equal, and a country's laws may try to legislate and regulate relatively equal treatment of its citizens. Power may be shared or alternated among the parties, and decisions may be made by consensus or voting. However, even in relatively egalitarian regional or national cultures, there are many examples of systemic unequal treatment due to race, gender, age, religion, and many other factors. In hierarchical cultures, there may be an acceptance and the expectation that people occupy different levels in a society, and this may be institutionalized in customs as well as laws. Power and decision-making are usually concentrated in the hands of elites who are reluctant to relinquish their control. Extremely hierarchical cultures often experience conflict, as a small upper class holds key government and private sector positions and socioeconomic status that is grossly higher than the majority of the population. The second dimension is task and relationship. This dimension asks the question “When I'm working with another person or a group of people, where do I start with the tasks at hand or with the people?” In a team or task-oriented culture, the parties or the team begins work almost immediately. There is a discussion of goals, responsibilities, budgets, and timelines. They view relationships and trust to be built over time and through group interactions. In relationship-oriented cultures, the team or the partners will focus first on getting to know each other and to building trust. They may have social interactions, they may check references, and they are silently seeking clues to determine ‘Is this person trustworthy?’ ‘Do I want to work with them?’ Only after trust is built can the partners or the team proceed to the work at hand. In summary, refining your skills and listening actively for explicit and implicit messages can help you identify the leaders and the main clues to allow you to go forward in a productive fashion. It can also help you determine where to start on a project, whether with the tasks at hand or with the relationships. Effective style switching, knowing what the preferences are of your partners, can enable you to be more productive more quickly and this will lead to harmonious intercultural interaction. To be an effective communicator, you have to first know yourself and realize how you communicate and how you see yourself and others. The predominant culture in which you grew up will influence how you listen, how you see others and whether you are more relationship-oriented or task-oriented. Whatever your tendencies and preferences are, you need to be mindful of how they will affect the ways in which you engage others who may have different preferences and priorities. When someone is interpreting for you, look at the person who is speaking and who is listening to you; do not look at the interpreter. You don’t want to miss any non-verbal cues and you want to demonstrate your interest in what he or she has to say. Style switching is adapting your normal behavior or communication style or your manner of speaking to that of your audience or in response to the context. It is not a matter of mimicking those around you but can be a way of expressing respect for local customs and a means for possible collaboration. “While at home” Activity: Try the following activities to challenge your own understanding of yourself and others: 1. Observe how others around you communicate. Can you detect someone who is very direct—gets right to the point, avoids ambiguity and is not overly wordy? Do you observe others who are more indirect in their communications? He or she often uses stories to make a point, is not very clear about what they mean exactly and uses a lot of words. Do you witness others who either do or do not defer significantly to another because of their age, status, gender, or profession? How effective do you find those who communicate calmly and objectively about an idea? Are those people more effective in their communications than someone who is passionate and emotional about an idea? 2. If you are more inclined to be a task-oriented communicator, try to switch and communicate in a way that prioritizes relationships – strive for harmony and allow everyone to be heard. What did you learn from communicating in this manner? How did it make you feel about yourself? If you are a more relationship-oriented communicator, try to switch and communicate in a way that is more task-oriented—prioritize the goal or task at hand, be precise with your words, and be less concerned with disagreeing with others. What did you learn from communicating in this manner? How did it make you feel about yourself? 1. How might hierarchy and egalitarianism impact your communications with those from another culture? 2. Are you more task-oriented or more relationship oriented or somewhere in the middle? Practitioner Voices: Listening Listening to another person attentively and exclusively is a huge challenge when we are accustomed and required to constantly multitask. Yet it is this focused concentration on our counterparts, without interruption, that will yield the deepest expressions of safety and connection. If people feel they are heard, they relax and more fully engage. Active Listening Kerley Most: If a person talking to me knows exactly what is happening and if the person talking to me knows what's happening, knows that the person is heard, knows that my eyes are on the person, my eyes are not wandering, if the person knows that my full attention is on their face, so they don't need to see this person has anything holding their hands, all those factors make the body relax and those factors also give back a queue of social desirability. If you're looking square in the eye, and if you're taking the time to focus on me, and if I'm the only focus of your attention and intention, that means I'm important. Listening is one of the hardest skills for humans, especially humans in leadership. When you’re a leader, you're learning how to speak, you want to be heard and respected and everything. So you stop listening. So, it's very important to tune to the person talking to me and really listen, not with the intention of responding, with the intention of just listening. So, when I do that, I listen and stop here. After I listen, I then go to mirror what the person said, and the mirror only reflects what is being displaced before it, so I never add anything. I just say “Oh I heard you say…” and I send it back to you. And after I send it back to you, I add one more piece and I say, “Is there anything more? Do have any other thing to say?” But normally in our styles of communication, we cut people off or when they are almost done we just jump in. Hardly, I don't know if lately unless I was in a dialogue, someone looked to me and asked, “Do you have any other things to say?” So that when I asked that I also, “Oh, you want to really hear me”. I relax the person some more. So, we crawl though this process and chew and mirror back if the person has anything to say, a mirror back, and to the person is done and I ask, “Is there more?” and the person says, “No, there is no more”. and when I hear that there is no more, I go ahead and I validate what I heard. Say, “Wow, what you said makes sense”. I put myself in the person's shoes. And the validation doesn't mean agreement. Sometimes, we dismiss people because they have a different perspective from mine. But in order to validate, I don't need to see eye to eye. Validation means, from your perspective, what you said makes complete sense to me, and every human being wants to be validated. Sometimes, once you get your point of agreement before we validate. But the fact of validating leads us to a point of agreement because the person feels respected for their own perspective. Then after validation, I just say I empathize. Say, “It makes sense I imagine it must be feeling, I imagine it must be thinking.” when I express that, I can see the person's face doing that, and then I say “Thank you, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me”. And then, only then, I have been a chance to become a sender, because I respected the person that was sending to me. Now, the person is in the place of openness, then my increase my ability to be heard because I heard. And normally what happens is that the person is available to hear because I offered the gift of listening. So, without offering the gift of listening, there is no communication. We have talking act that we call communication. We have a forcing to agreement that we call communication. But real communication comes from really doing your best to hear and to communicate to the person that you heard and holding back the desire to respond, just to be preset. And what we do is that, it works. This system of talking works because that's to the point that humans only want presence. The thing that I want the most. If you think of the best moments in your life, there were moments of presence. Presence of the loved one, presence of a child, presence of someone you care about. So, we care for presence, and doing this and offering presents and leveraging presence to create builds for commitment breeds for communication. Quote: “Dr. Kerley Most: “If you're looking at me square in the eye, and if you're taking the time to focus on me. And if I'm the only focus of your attention and intention, that means I'm important.” Communicating to someone that they are important to you helps to validate him or her. Communication skills and tools are crucial to building a relationship with someone else. That requires being as fully engaged as possible. But there are challenges in achieving this. Human beings tend to think faster than they can speak. That often leads to our attention wandering when listening to someone else. As a result, we are not always engaged or “present” and we miss some of what the other person is trying to tell us. A few tips that can help us listen more effectively and stay engaged in the conversation are: 1. Try to anticipate where the conversation is going. Don’t make assumptions, but stay focused on what you are hearing and consider where the discussion might lead; 2. Listen actively so that you are not passively trying to absorb what you hear but think about clarifying questions you might want to ask the speaker. It is also helpful to review and mentally summarize what you have heard so far. 3. Pay attention not just to the words you hear but also non-verbal cues such as tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. 4. Listen for meaning and the intention behind what you are hearing. Don’t try to memorize all the details you hear. Too often when people try to remember all the small details or facts, they miss the bigger picture and the key points the speaker is trying to make. In addition, too often we shut down our listening when what we are hearing doesn’t fit with our own beliefs or is not what we want to hear. At the same time, we often blindly accept those things that fit with our beliefs and predispositions. From there, one can move beyond dialogue to more significant interactions. For example, one needs to show up and be supportive of people and communities in ways that are common practice and demonstrate that you are invested in them. Allow yourself to be taught something unrelated to your project that validates someone else’s expertise and knowledge. Examples can be sitting and making things with other people such as sewing, fishing, kneading bread or other contextually appropriate choices. Hosting meals can also work, unless it might make others feel uncomfortable or feel obligated to socialize with you or to host you in return when it is not affordable or appropriate. Validation is a way of communicating that another person and your relationship with that person is important to you—even if you disagree about something—by acknowledging that his or her feelings and behavior are understandable. Dialogue is a collaborative form of communication in which two or more sides work together toward common understanding and finding common ground. Debate is a means of communication intended to find flaws in what another person says. Debate is meant to affirm one’s own point of view, while simplifying issues and defending assumptions as truth. “While at Home” Activity: 1. Listen to someone speaking for an extended time (over five minutes). A television or radio interview or a public speech is ideal for this exercise. While listening to the speaker try the different methods above to keep your focus on what is being said. Did you find your mind wandering? Were any of the tips noted above particularly helpful in maintaining your focus? What were the key ideas that the speaker was trying to convey? 2. Repeat the activity above, but as you are listening to a new speaker don’t use the practical tips to maintain your focus. Instead, write down any extra thoughts that run through your mind while listening to the speaker. How often did topics unrelated to the speaker’s topic appear in your thoughts? Practitioner Voices: Trust Peacebuilders, trainers and international development specialists must be conscious of the power dynamics with their in-country counterparts as a challenge to open communication and deep mutual understanding. Trust must be built through ongoing communication by email, telephone or videoconference, or, better yet, in person. Add to this language barriers and differing communication preferences that we discussed in an earlier module. Until the interlocutors address these issues to the satisfaction of all parties, the revelation of more profound issues will be limited. Communication Mode & Trust Stephen Moles: I was conducting a workshop in the Caribbean. I'm out to dinner, at a ba,r drinking a beer with one of my colleagues. And this is a person who I've interacted with quite a bit over e-mail but we really hadn't sat down and had a personal conversation. And in this conversation, I think it was Thursday evening, he starts asking me a whole series of questions and telling me about things that he's been struggling with. And I said, “Hey you know, we've been working together and communicating via e-mail for months now. How come you ever haven't asked me these questions? How come you haven't of brought these issues forward?” and he said, “I didn't know if I could trust you. You know, I'm sitting here in my office in the Caribbean you're sitting there in Washington D.C., you're the expert. I don't know if I can trust you with these questions because it might make me look like I don't know what I'm doing. But now that we've met, now that we've had this conversation, we spent some time together, I know that I can ask you these questions and that we could you can help me figure them out”. Interestingly, he said, “I still wouldn't ask you these questions via e-mail”. So, one of the things I took from that was the importance of face-to-face interaction and the importance of allowing some time and investing some personal attention in developing that relationship and creating that comfort level where the communications can start to flow. Kerley Most talked about the importance of being present and Stephen Moles noted that communication via email is antithetical to the establishment of a relationship and personal trust. How do you think these two ideas are connected? Chapter 7: Time, Control and Agency In studying time and how people perceive time as well as how we measure and prioritize time, we can see that there are significant differences across cultures. These differences are often some of the more marked signs of cultural dissonance because adherence to the clock, or not, is intimately tied to a culture’s values. Time is not merely a measurement, but a reflection of how individuals and groups relate to and interact with each other. It is important to consider how much we are influenced or controlled by time or whether we can ignore or even manipulate time. Time is one of the factors that can influence agency, which is the power or capacity people have to shape their experiences and the direction of their lives. Time Animation Whether you're in Miami, Manila, or Mogadishu, not only is the time zone different, but how people perceive time can also be very different. Some strive to gain control over time and for them, schedules and deadlines are important. For others, regardless of what the clock says, time could be manipulated, stretched, or just dismissed. In other cultures, time is not linear but cyclical. Opportunities or risks will come again. In some places, you are late. But elsewhere, lateness happens and may be expected. Who is responsible? You, God, or other forces outside of your control? Adjusting your concept of time, along with your time clock, can help you in another culture. Learning Objectives ● Understand how differences in the perception and usage of time has an impact on cross-cultural communications and intercultural engagement. ● Consider the differences in how people understand agency and control over events. ● Recognize that being inclusive and making connections with local communities can take time. There are rarely short cuts to trust-building and understanding another culture. ● Become aware of how we are all shaped by the power and privilege we have in addition to our own culture and values. Key Questions ● To what degree does a concept of time influence the nature of our connections to and interactions with others? ● Are human beings responsible for their actions and to what degree is everything that happens (human actions, choices, and behaviors) determined by antecedent causes? How might cultural differences relate to that question? ● Who has agency; who ought to have agency? Who gets to decide what, and for whom? Scenario: Planning and Time Even with the best of intentions, quickly getting down to business and asking, ‘how can I help you?” can create suspicion and distrust, particularly of one’s motives and agenda. Westerners People who were trained in more western oriented business systems often have a more transactional approach to working with others. However, if you start with what seems to you to be a “solution-oriented approach”, you may be missing the chance to have a greater impact by engaging with local actors in ways that will enable them to realize their goals and strengthen their own agency or effectiveness. It is often more productive to take the time to create or seek out opportunities for relationship-building which can lay the foundation for providing support rather than imposing direction. Here are some things you might think about as strategies for engaging in ways that allow for agency to remain in the community where you are offering support: ● Because communication is not always direct in all cultures, it may be more effective to move away from formal meetings and negotiations and make time and space for informal settings. ● The concept of control—whether people can influence, or not, the events surrounding their lives—also varies greatly across cultures. This difference reflects the differences in beliefs about whether that humans determine have agency in what happens to them or that God or luck or misfortune determines the course of events. ● One also needs to be aware of the power dynamics between an outsider and those in need. Too often we focus too much on finding the solution or the right allocation of resources without taking the time to build trust and make connections. ● Outsiders often see a situation from the inside out: how can I help you? Rather than, what do you need? Paradoxically, people in cultures that are more deterministic often feel less controlled by or wedded to time; cultures in which individuals profess to have more agency and more rights are usually influenced to a greater degree by the pressures of time. Key Questions 1. How can I work productively in cultures which have a concept of time that differs from my own? 2. How can I work productively in other cultures so that I contribute to the agency of individuals in the community rather than reinforce the obstacles and barriers they already face? 3. How do I thoughtfully address holding a balance between a desire to help and keeping my ears tuned to how to do that most effectively and not as an intruder with a savior complex? Podcast from Marnee Benson: The concept of time and responsibility may differ even among peoples in the same country. Here is an example of community work in the United States that reflects miscommunication around the idea of time and commitment. Project Planning Marnee Benson: I've been working with northern Nevada tribes for about 10 years now, for five years through Black Rock Solar and five years through Burning Man through my current role. I did have a really interesting learning moment a few years ago when I arranged an XRT tour for the Pyramid Lake Paiute tribe elders. An XRT tour is when we invite individuals or group of people out to Black Rock City for a day or an afternoon to come see the event firsthand. And I was working with the Pyramid Lake tribe elders to have them come out for an afternoon in 2015. And I had arranged for them to come out on Tuesday afternoon and had worked with a theme camp to have a giant copper dragon be their art car, made sure they had shade and seating, got all our volunteers lined up to make sure that there were people there to interact with the elders and answer questions during the tour, that we had refreshments and cold beverages and cups, and goggles in case there was a dust storm. We had everything queued up and ready to go and we were expecting a group of about 22 of the tribal elders to come out, and my team was thrilled because we love hosting people and showing them Black Rock City. And so, we had also worked out all the logistics with our gate team and our gerlach office and ticketing. It’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work, as you know, to host people out there. And so, the afternoon came and we were full of anticipation and time went by, and they didn't show. And they hadn't emailed, um we reached out, we couldn't reach anybody at the administrative offices, and so after maybe an hour and a half or two hours we finally had to cancel and send everyone home. And it was disappointing and the volunteers were a little bit crushed, and I felt like it might be disrespectful for them to have not shown up and we had made so many arrangements. And I learned later that one of the elders had died and our group of elders was attending the funeral that day. And, what I learned was so important because the feelings that we had of disappointment and frustration kind of gave way into learning about different values and cultural norms, and that what I learned is that the Pyramid Lake tribe, when an elder dies, is that the tribe comes together as a community, and they come together to pay their respects, and that that's the most important thing in the community. And so, I took away from that experience a respect for their cultural history and also learned that in my communication with the tribe, I need to leave time and space for last-minute changes and that that is just a part of the norm. And so, we've adjusted and are always thrilled to be working with the tribe. That was a good learning moment for me. I would say it's important to be able to recognize your own expectations and understand that those might not be the same for other people that you are working with, dealing with, and countering, and to be open to discovering the differences and be open to making adjustments in your plans and your communications. And for understanding that the way that you see something as a priority might not match up with the way they see something as a priority, but it's not a statement or a judgment around you, that's just the way they operate and move through the world. I think what I like about that story is that, you know, as we move through the world and move through time, hopefully we're always learning. And learning about other people and other cultures is sort of top of the list because what that teaches us is respect and it teaches us to have an open mind, and I think that's where we do our best work. Managing your own expectations and those of others is an important tool both for effective communications and in intercultural collaboration. Patience and an open mind will enable you to adapt to unexpected developments. It may also mean that priorities can be relative and it is important to understand that we may be missing information that will help us understand why someone didn’t show up or was late. Thus, we need to extend the benefit of the doubt and not jump to conclusions based on our own framing about what we think may have happened as well as our own sense of time and its importance. Podcast from Josh Lease: Josh Lease faced a similar situation in which he found it difficult to understand what he perceived to be a lax attitude toward commitment and a perspective in which the individual controlled little of the world around him or her. Making Time for Commitments Josh Lease: So, this reminded me of when I was working in Senegal in 2010. It was different than a lot of places I've been, and I was living in this older town that used to be called Cadillac. I found myself frustrated at something, the frustration grew after a while because in meetings you'd say, “OK, we're going to do this thing, can you do this?” and they would say “Yes, inshallah”. And in the beginning, I was like ‘OK, they said yes’. And then later when you check in, like, “Hey, did that thing happen?” like, “No”. “Like, but you said you'd do it,” and I said. “Well, yeah, but you know, it just didn't work out”. “Like why?” “Like, well it just did it,” and so after a while, whenever I heard someone say “inshallah” after, I'm like, ‘it's not going to happen, it's just not going to happen’. And that really bothered me for a while. And it actually took me leaving Senegal before I could kind of appreciate what that meant and not, it doesn't only just mean ‘God willing’, in a way it, for them in that situation, perhaps not consciously, it kind of meant ‘there are so many factors, I can't say whether it will happen’, ‘I can't say whether I'll go to that village and drop off these materials’, ‘I can't say whether what name, name the action’. So, they say, “Yes, inshallah” and I kind of put out of my mind sometimes when someone said that, even though it was routine, sometimes those things did happen. I realized I was only remembering the frustrating sides and discounting the positive, which is natural human characteristic. So, I really appreciated that they had this way of recognizing that they had an intention and that there were so many things that they couldn't count for that there was just many unknown obstacles for them to overcome given the situation, and the infrastructure, and everything that was going on and how you functioned in that place that caused them to, not only because of religious and, you know, customary way of speaking, but I really felt that it was this way of just recognizing that the unknown is the unknown and I don't know whether this will happen one day or the next, or ever. One thing that traveling all over the world and working in many, several different countries is that if you go into a situation with hubris, you're going to fail. You need to go into a situation pretending like you know nothing because you probably know a lot less than you think you might, and you need to listen. You need to ask questions in a polite way if you don't understand something. There's no way you can really go into any situation and know what's going on, so going in without that, you know, taking your ego out of it wherever you go is your best way to get along. A well-known peacebuilding expert was approached by a foundation that was willing to support a series of local peacebuilding efforts in a country that was going through a difficult transition from war to peace. The foundation asked him to lead the project. The expert said that the primary condition would have to be a ten-year commitment by the foundation. He would not just parachute in and dispense funds, resources and the good will of the foundation. From his perspective, a short-term project of only a few years would not only be insufficient, but by raising expectations and then withdrawing support could actually be harmful and make it likely that future peacebuilding initiatives would be viewed negatively by the local populace. Time is a precious resource to be invested and meaningful change can rarely be rushed, particularly in communities where patience is valued. ● Time-bound refers to something requiring completion by a specified deadline or within a specified period of time. ● Parachuting in is a term that refers to those who show up in another country with minimal preparation and lots of resources and usually with solutions that are not sensitive to local needs. The implication is that these outsiders appear suddenly (from the sky) with the purpose of bringing about change and providing support but rarely stay long enough to develop relationships with local communities nor invest in a sustained effort over time to bring about meaningful change. ● The principle of Do no harm is taken from medical ethics and requires humanitarian and development organizations to work to avoid or minimize any harmful effects that might result from intervening in another country or community. As the organization Conflict Sensitivity notes, aid (and the intervention of outsiders) often involves the transfer of resources (food, shelter, water, health care, training, etc.) into a resource-scarce environment. Where people are in conflict, these resources represent power and wealth, and they can become an element of the conflict. The importance of time is not just about how late one is to a meeting and the promise of being somewhere or delivering something at a certain time or on a certain date. The concept of time also reflects a sense of what humans can control in their lives and in the world around them. Agency and how you are perceived are critical. In some cultures, the needs of people are adjusted to suit the demands of time—schedules, deadlines, etc. Or time is viewed as coming around again in a cycle so that similar opportunities, risks, and rewards will again be available in the future. Thus, time is not wasted if an action or decision is not taken, but there will be another point at which a decision can be taken—and, at that point in the cycle one may be able to bring new learning or a new perspective to bear on the situation. A decision should be the result of well-considered contemplation rather than the pressure of time. Young Professionals: Paris Story Andre Ball experienced just how different time can be perceived and experienced during his first night in Paris. Paris Cafe Story Andre Ball: Yeah so, my trip to Paris was, this was maybe a couple years ago, but I've never been to France before and it was my second trip to Europe, but my experience was really great because, you know, there was a lot of new things that I experienced. But this is, after a long day of walking and exploring the winding streets of Paris, we got lost a couple of times, I went with my wife, and it was dark and we decided to have lunch, or dinner, at this restaurant and we were hungry. And so we sat down, the waiter came in and gave us our menus and picked out some drinks, and came out with these drinks. And then about 20-30 minutes later, he came back to get our food order, our main entree order. And then, you know, about 30 minutes after that, he put down our food. And then we ate, of course, and then, about maybe an hour or so after that, he came and got our food. And to me, it was, you know, I was a server part-time in the States for about 7 years, and the expectation that I had about going to a restaurant was very different, because I was used to serving people meals almost immediately. You know, people come in to eat, they want to put in their order immediately, they want the food to come out as soon as possible, and then they want their check to come out faster. And it was just about, you know, turning the tables and getting as many people in and out as soon as possible. But, you know, so coming from that perspective in that world and then being here in Paris and eating and experiencing this meal at a pace that's just really slowed down, I looked around and just noticed that everybody was really just taking their time and of taking in and savoring their experience, just having dinner. And for me, it really brought up the idea of how we kind of value time and how we value just some of these experiences and it was just kind of this weird, just kind of this different perspective on it, you know. I feel like people in the States just really want to kind of move at this pace even when it comes to eating, you know, but here I was in another country, in another city, where they really valued that type of time and they valued that experience and just relaxing, and it was great, you know, it was good for me, but it was a shock because I wasn't used to that and I took a lesson away from that. 1. Do you feel that you can control time or that time controls you? How do you feel when you are late? Or when someone is late to a meeting with you? 2. Do you feel there is a connection between being late and respect? 3. What do you see as the connection between concepts of time and concepts of agency? Scenario: Natural Disaster Podcast from Leanne Erdberg: Leanne Erdberg recounts her first visit to Nigeria in which she consciously worked to create relationships with community members and be an active listener. But she discovered that even the best communication tools and cross-cultural tips cannot be done quickly. Initially, “several hours” seemed like a long time and a significant investment. It is very difficult if not impossible to find short cuts and one cannot just parachute in. Active Listening in Nigeria Leanne Erdberg: My first trip to Nigeria, and I was so excited to go to Nigeria, I'd been studying it for some time throughout my career and it was my first actual trip there, and some of the self-awareness moments that happened there was, there is so many sights, sounds, smells, every single one of your senses is just completely flooded with both some of the most beautiful things, as well as some of the things that seem very loud and difficult to comprehend. And I spent a little bit of time on a multi-city tour of Nigeria in a slum for the first time in my life. And I had spent, not just going through a tour of it as some diplomatic practices may have been, but we actually spent several hours trying to understand more of what the community members out in the slum were really feeling in the part of Nigeria’s South. And I found myself unprepared for what I had thought I was pretty cross-culturally attuned, to not be able to ask the right questions that would create those meaningful bonds. It felt like I was asking them things that they had no ability to answer when I was trying to find out about the community organization that they led and what they needed the most from outside actors, and how we could really empower their work. And the answers were like, “We don't need anything, thank you for coming, please leave”. And I found myself unable to build some of those bonds and I had thought that I would be, you know, pretty competent at it. And that was a moment of humility, to realize that you would have to work a little bit harder to create trust where perhaps there was going to be none, and thinking that it would come easy just from an appreciation of multiculturality is different than actually a 1 to 1 or, you know, group to group basis, being able to build some of those bonds of trust and actually stay there. What I found in that particular incident was I never was able to build the trust in just a few hours, but what it's what it left with me was that others who were living there on the ground were able to do that overtime, and so I ended up meeting founders of an NGO who are Americans who were then living in Nigeria later that evening and hearing much more about the community that we were in, and understanding all of the very legitimate reasons why that trust would be so broken from the ways in which their dignities had been assaulted for a variety of structural as well as non-structural efforts. And yeah, I guess my overall lesson of self-awareness there was it doesn't always come easy and, even in the places where you expect to be that some of your efforts will be well received, they may not be. I think I presupposed too early on that they needed like the type of help that I was there to give, and where I think that it would have just been a much smoother and smarter relationship building to just try and get to know them and get to know their work, and not come in trying to be helpful. And I think that gets back to one of the earlier conversations about time spent. If i would have had more than a few hours, and I wasn't you know intending to do something and prove my worth for taking that meeting at that time on those specific topics, and instead saw this as you know a much longer-term partnership which, again, eventual colleagues were able to show me that way, but I think that that would have helped really early on the outset, is having a much longer time horizon, as well as much more self-awareness that my role was not to come in with a real set agenda and specific objectives, but really just build those bonds of trust early. Leanne’s recognition that she assumed the community needed the type of help that she had to give is important. As she then realized, the resources and help that you may have to offer or have control over cannot be the starting point of your engagement with such a community in need. Viewing engagement with people in another culture and hoping to help a community address its needs requires “a much longer time horizon.” 1. Do you think Leanne’s trip and her encounter with the local community was wasted or was counterproductive, even harmful? 2. After such a futile meeting, are there possible next steps that could reverse what had happened? Podcast from Tom Price: Tom Price had a similar realization when he worked to help victims of a deadly forest fire in California. Engaging with people who are in need and who have been traumatized can’t begin with you, the outsider, and your resources and your privilege. It is important to recognize that and not just blunder in and try to become the savior for victims or a community in need. Engaging after Trauma Tom Price: It's critically important to remember just how foundationally different your experience is in the world and the tools that are available to you if you are coming from this place of extraordinary privilege, and that requires deep, conscious, continuous humility to mitigate and to warn against because it's both profoundly unfair and it also perpetuates the false distinctions that economic disparity create when we allow those advantages that we have to separate us from other people. Getting past that and finding moments of real and true connection are incredibly difficult, and it's all too common in experiences in the developing world, or in communities of disparate economic and social standing, for people to slip into the really easy default one, which is that ‘I'm the person the money, and the opportunity, and the answers, so therefore you should listen to me’. And that is profoundly destructive and it is a barrier that keeps us from really truly connecting with others. Don't take the idea that because you're in that position to be able to offer assistance to someone that makes you special. That's just the luck of the draw. I find that over and over again, people I work with Africa, smart, committed, passionate, intelligent, capable people who, because of their circumstance, barely get by ,and that's not because of some fault in their part, that's just luck of the draw. In November, there was a terrible fire in Paradise, California, an entire community was burnt to the ground and I felt moved to help organize a bunch of people to take a bunch of trailers and money and resources up there and did. And on the second visit, we were taking this convoy of RV's that we were going to donate to people, and I had literally a pocketful of gift cards and the other pocket was stuffed with cash. And we pulled into the fairground in Gridley, California, where hundreds of refugees were just sort of pouring out of the hills and being dumped into this soggy, wet, foggy, smoky field, and I was trying to figure out how to allocate these resources. And walking around, talking to people, instead of being a person saying ‘let me meet you where you are, let me hear your story, let me hear you process the grief that you're experiencing and then let's talk about, you know, how I might be able to help’. Instead, I allowed myself to get into a situation where people looked at me like an ATM machine. So, we were just mobbed for people asking for help and I was there, I remember asking one couple that was laying on the ground like, “Oh, let me get you this shade structure, put you in this thing”, and what I realized later was I didn't stop and ask them if they needed a place to stay. I looked at them, saw that where they were, assumed that I understood what their needs were, and prescribed the solution, and then it was kind of a little butt hurt that they didn't immediately jump up and thank me, make me feel good for offering them that resource. And that's because, in that moment, I was not a partner, not an ally, I was a savior. And it's so easy to slip into that, you know, when you are holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail. The question you should be asking is not whether or not something's a nail, the question you should be asking is ‘am I holding the right tool, or is there another way that I can help?’ And that comes when you slow down and take the time to get out of your own ego and the need to be gratified in whatever you're doing, and instead be humble about asking whether or not there is something that you can do, not can I do this thing for you, but is there a thing that I can do for you. Those are very different. One comes from a place of privilege and presumption, and the other comes from a place of humility, and it's only by meeting people in a place of humility that we're able to connect on equal grounds. I've had this experience so many times, where I've gone somewhere to do something to ‘help’ and had, you know, a pocket full of money or a truck full of resources or whatever, and presumed that because I had this hammer, that they must have a nail for me to knock down, and over and over and over again have been humbled to realize that what people in need most often need is agency. Agency comes from being treated with respect and for being asked if there's a way that you can be of service. Young Professionals Video: Honesty and Authenticity Tabatha Thompson relates a different kind of experience that demonstrates the power of honesty and authenticity, even among people with different perspectives or who are even in conflict with each other. Work with Humility Tabatha Thompson: So, you know, just approaching it with that mindset, that yes you may have a project that you need to get done or, you know, indicators of success that you have for your organization, but you're not actually the one that's living in the environment and affected by, you know, the conflict or the emergency or the crisis that is going on. And when your project is done, or your work is done, you're not the one that remains. And so for me, you know, as an outsider, so again approaching the work with humility, but also making sure that you understand why people are motivated to do the work that they're doing and these different communities and what makes them tick, and moving, you know, beyond the transactional relationship, and, you know, project space is so important because they're the ones that are going to drive the work during the project and after you're gone and, if your idea of success is to make real change or, you know, have a real impact, the only way that you're actually going to be able to do that is if someone feels comfortable and trusts you, and feels like you have their best interest at heart, and you have their communities best interest at heart. Even if it means, you know, maybe needing to slow down or take a pause in the project to really understand what is going on. Your priority can’t be to play the hero. You have to be willing to cede the stage to the locals and let them determine what they need. And what they need may not be what you wanted to offer them. And, in many communities, time is not linear. There is a term in Latin America, “peace without hurry” (paz sin prisa) which implies that peacebuilding is not a short-term project with a completion date but rather a continuous, active and endless process. Thus, working in a different culture often requires a shift in mindset and a different conception of time. In addition, we too often assume what the needs of others are and get caught up in expectations of gratitude. Such attitudes reflect privilege not humility and reinforce an overwhelming power disparity. In many cases, when working in another culture, the outsider comes in with expectations and presumes to know best what others need. That is not only disrespectful but also counterproductive. People in need require agency; but too often the outsider expects gratitude at a minimum and conditionality at a maximum by requiring either a change in people’s behavior or requires them to give back something in return for the help. 1. Tom Price noted that he was neither an ally nor a partner. To be one, what might he have done differently? 2. How can you help people achieve agency while maintaining your humility? Presentation: Time, Control, and Agency The belief in how much or how little control people have over their lives may play a role in people’s personal and professional development. You will fall somewhere on the continuum of “I can make things happen” or “Things will happen to me and I’ll respond.” When people work in different cultures, they will often notice that the passage and usage of time differs in large or small ways from their own norms. Here we present concrete ways to understand and describe these differences. Time, Control, and Agency Pamela Ex: The notion of how much control people have over their lives and schedules varies greatly across and within cultures. The concept of time and its value also varies greatly among different groups of people. We will see that the intersection of these dimensions of control and time greatly impacts intercultural communications and relationship building. In talking about control, people from cultures with an internal locus of control believe that they can influence the outcome of events. For example, if I study hard, I will get good grades, and I'll get a good job, and have a good life. I believe that I have agency to make things happen. In contrast, those with an external locus of control believe that outside forces sometimes, due to religious beliefs circumstances, or luck, will determine their fate and their success. Even if I study a lot, the teacher might not favor me or the test may ask questions that we didn't cover. And so, I believe that bad things could happen regardless of how hard I work. When we discuss time, we acknowledge that time moves at different speeds and in different patterns depending on the culture. Edward Hall, the U.S. cultural Anthropologist. developed the concept of monochronic and polychronic time. Monochronic, or one-time, is fixed, precise, and unconditional. 10:00 is 10:00, regardless of who is involved or the purpose of the meeting. Time is scarce, linear, and sequential, and people prefer to do one thing at a time. Punctuality is valued, and schedules are viewed as commitments, so excuses or explanations for tardiness or missed milestones are expected. Cultures that are monochronic tend to demonstrate an internal locus of control. They believe that it's possible to set and adhere to schedules and deadlines through specific behaviors. Polychronic, or many times, is fluid, flexible, and conditional. What 10:00 really means can fluctuate depending on the relative position of the parties involved and the circumstances of their meeting. I must be on time for a meeting with my boss, which represents a hierarchical relationship, but I can arrive late for dinner at my grandmother's because she'll love me and feed me no matter what time I arrive. In polychronic cultures, time is abundant and may move in circular or irregular patterns. People prefer to multitask and concentrate on many things at once. Deadlines function as goals rather than fixed commitments, and there is much more flexibility about what constitutes being late. Polychronic cultures tend to favor an external locus of control. Their late arrival isn't necessarily viewed as disrespectful, since it may be due to forces outside their control. Monochronic people may judge polyphonics as disrespectful and not serious when they are late. Conversely, polychronic people may characterize monochronics as needing to be a little bit more flexible. And so, we can see how different sources of control and the management of time can affect relationships and trust, as well as the pace of work and adherence to schedules. How one conceives of time—the difference between monochronic and polychronic views of time—affects our relationships with others. And time can even have contextual meaning, particularly when it comes to schedules, commitments and tardiness. Adapting to different concepts of time can be somewhat tricky. Even if you are in a culture in which time is viewed in more polychronic ways, there will likely be an expectation that you will adhere to your cultural patterns and habits with respect to time. In other words, even if others don’t keep to schedules, you may be expected to do so since that is a cultural part of who you are and who you are expected to be. “While at home” activity: Ironically, one of the most popular sports in the United States, a very monochronic society, is baseball in which time has almost no impact on the course of a game. Meanwhile, two of the most popular sports in the wider polychronic world, soccer/football and basketball are greatly influenced by “the clock. Try the following activities to challenge your own understanding of yourself: 1. Think of occasions in a monochronic society in which schedules and deadlines are less important or rigorous. Or consider when in a polychronic society schedules and deadlines are more rigorously adhered to. 2. Write down what you appreciate about the role time plays in your culture or society. Then write down what you wish were different about the influence of time in your life. What are ways that humans can learn to be more patient? Are there practical steps one can take so that we change our behavior or is increased patience the result of a change in attitude or mindset? Practitioner Voices: Perceptions of Time One way to explain the difference between monochronic and polychronic cultures is to ask, “How does that culture value time: as adhering to schedules and getting things done, or as being flexible to accommodate various relationships?” Perceptions of Time Stephen Moles: There are a number of interesting studies that I think really get at this, that look at how late do you have to be before you apologize. Let's say you're at a meeting and there's five or six other people sitting around the table waiting for you, and I, if I remember correctly, in American culture it's about four minutes, whereas in some other cultures, especially as you referenced maybe in the global South or other places in the world, it could be 10 minutes, 12 minutes, 15 minutes before you need to explain the fact that you’re late. The other connection that I think is really important to understand is that some, but not all, cultures that tend to have a flexible view of time also tend to be collectivistic. In other words, there's an emphasis on the group and there's a real strong emphasis on relationships and harmony. And so, if I'm on my way to a meeting with my colleague Dominic and I run into you in the hallway, of course, I'm going to stop and talk to you. I'm going to ask you how you're doing, I'm going to ask you what how that project is that you're working on, that are the important client that I know that you've that you told me about, and I'm going to trust that Dominic understands if I'm a couple minutes late, that it's because I stopped to have an important conversation along the way. And everybody understands that that's more important than being ruled by the clock, to place the importance on the relationships, on the humanity of the person rather than being a slave to the machine on the wall that tells you what time it is. Can you think of occasions in which a human need or a relationship overrode your need to be on time or adhere to a schedule? How forgiving are you of someone being late? Are there reasons for lateness that you would accept and others that you would not? Share your thoughts in the discussion below. Chapter 8: Self-Care This course began by noting the similarities between being a good footballer and cultural awareness. The great footballer plays balanced and under control. And she has to have the proper mindset because she will need to be able to reflect and learn, adapt and be resilient--conscious of the need to work hard to improve her game. (Photo: Mica Asato, Pexels) To be effective in another culture, we must also work to strengthen our cultural competence tools and skills. This course has emphasized the importance of self-awareness and cultural humility, the value of empathy and truly listening to the other, and searching for what the other needs, rather than what you may want. Building trust and developing relationships will enable us to have a better chance as an outsider of making a positive contribution to a new community in which we are working, living, or just visiting. As in football, there are many practical tips that can maximize our chances of performing at our best, of making an intercultural encounter more successful. But they will not always work--as in football, one can't always predict what the other will do--so it is important to learn from failure and rejection. And, we have to take care of ourselves and our own needs. Any intercultural engagement is the product of the interaction of ourselves and others. While being mindful of the needs of others, one must also be self-aware and reflective and practice self-care. After all, you are a human being working with other people, with all the messiness, uncertainties, emotions, and rich rewards that come from human interaction. This concluding chapter provides practical tips on how to continue your cultural synergy journey in everyday life. So much of our cultural engagement and cultural awareness take place around everyday issues and daily routines, even brief encounters. Small things matter in the course of human interaction and how we are perceived by others. So, how we navigate the challenges of daily life helps us create a foundation to become more socially aware and more culturally competent. In doing so, we are laying the groundwork for cultural synergy, in which our engagement with people from another culture combines our unique strengths and leads to something better for all. Learning Objectives We hope by the end of this chapter, you'll be able to: ● Recall key themes and ideas from the preceding chapters and discover connections between them. ● Reinforce how cultural awareness is in many ways a mindset that embodies how you interact with others in a culturally sensitive way—one that embraces humility, empathy, curiosity, and a capacity and willingness to listen. ● Develop their own ideas about how to be at their best in a new culture through self-care as a critical complement to our well-being in a new environment. ● Understand that cultural synergy results from our combined efforts with those from another culture and is a positive end state that is strengthened by our cultural awareness, our positive engagement with others, an open mind, a willingness to listen, flexibility, humility, and a concern for the needs and rights of others. When preparing for anything - a trip, a race (such as the marathon in Portugal pictured above), a cross-cultural encounter - a proper mindset and staying the course is key to reaching the finish line (Photo: Run 4 FFWPU, Pexels). While being mindful of the needs of others, one must also be self-aware and reflective and practice self-care. Activity: How Do You Practice Self-Care? Let's kick things off with a quick activity. This chapter talks a lot about the importance of self-care when experiencing new cultural environments. Self-care is actions that people take to maintain their own mental and physical health and wellbeing. Different people practice take care of their minds and bodies in different ways. Some commons ways include exercise, cooking, reading a book, journaling, meditating, yoga, etc. In this exercise, we ask that you take out a piece of paper and write down three ways that you practice self-care. Self-care comes in various shapes and forms. It is based on your individual needs and preferences (Photo: Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels). How might you adapt these self-care activities to avoid burnout while engaging with new cultures, and how do you give space for your emotional needs during this process? Young Professionals: Practicing Self-Care In this video, Namiko Uno discusses how she practices somatics as a physical and centered approach to self-care and enhanced self-awareness. Practicing Self-Care Practicing Self-Care Namiko Uno: Oftentimes when we are under pressure, we will default to whatever we have practiced, whatever is most readily available to us, and if you are traveling and you're under pressure, you're in a new environment, you feel really uncomfortable, you're not sure, you know, what the cultural norms, are what the food is, what the language is, you're really out of your comfort zone, right? And when you're out of your comfort zone, you want to be able to come back to a place of steadiness, where you can say, “OK, I am aware that, you know, X, Y, and Z are really stressing me out right now and I can hold that and I can hold my center, and so I'm going to stay rooted within myself, I'm going to feel my feet on the ground, I'm going to feel my chest wide, I'm going to feel where my breath is being held, and from this place of awareness, I'm going to be able to decide how I want to act in this situation what when I'm under pressure”. And so, it's not just defaulting to whatever your tendency is, in terms of wanting to lash out, run away, to none, to dissociate, all of these responses that have kept us alive, those will come up when we're under pressure. And so, developing new skills and new practices is a way that we can extend from our center, from our heart, and we can develop the type of relationships that we want. What Namiko describes are ways to prepare yourself to stay engaged, to be present. That requires physical health and stamina, as well as a mindset in which you maintain awareness of what is going on around you while ensuring that you can concentrate on active listening and retaining your focus and equilibrium. As humans we gain strength and refresh ourselves with "downtime" -- that is, periods when we can relax and rely on routines and a tried and true capacity to filter and classify new information and stimuli. In a foreign culture, when so much of what we are experiencing is new and unfamiliar and our normal tools for responding may seem inadequate, everyday life, as well as our professional responsibilities, can become physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing if not exhausting. That is why it is so important to reset, refuel, refresh, and relax whenever possible. Many intercultural difficulties and conflicts that we face are rooted in miscommunication, power dynamics (and asymmetries), and inherent and often unacknowledged biases. Practitioner Voices 1: The Importance of Self-Care The Importance of Self-Care Part 1 Kerley Most, a psychotherapist and humanitarian, offers some practical advice about self-care and building resilience while working in challenging circumstances in cultures different from your own. The Importance of Self-Care Pt. 1 Kerley Most: I love your question, Pam, because as a clinician and as a person who has been in the process for the long haul, I have noticed that resilience is something that you can practice and build out with the skills and actions every day. I am a humanitarian at heart, and when I was younger, I worked in West Africa as a humanitarian doing development work. In my first three years, I worked very hard, passion filled me. Like I just wanted to do the work and be with the right people. I noticed that I started to distance myself from people, be very critical of people, develop odd habits of washing my hands, I cried often. So, I did not know but I was depressed, and the I sought help. And in the process of therapy, I found out that I had no space for myself. I was being killed, literally, by my desire to be with people. So, I decided to take a day off, like take a Saturday off, stayed by myself, and that was supportive from me. You asked what are steps of resilience that people can take in order to face the cross-cultural challenges. One of the things I did, and one advice and a clinical advice that I give as an expert in that, is establish healthy boundaries. Know what works for you and do not be afraid to claim and to ask for it. The other, I would say, be aware of your internal world. I was depressed and took forever for me to identify that. You can be aware of internal world by journaling or doing logs of your day. Another thing that can really support resilience is to be aware of sleeping patterns, and of eating and exercise. Another factor also is to feel and be connected to someone you care about. And also let go of negative people that sap your energy, because they affect your ability to be present to what you need to do. Cultural adaptation takes a lot of energy, and it's important to learn how to conserve energy, and how to keep energy. And the most important point for me in holding the ability to function in a different setting and be effective and not burnout is to hold to your sense of purpose and meaning. If you know why you're there, chances are that you have strength to hold and to be present with things become challenging. The Importance of Self-Care Part 2 Kerley Most explains that when we experience stress, that there is no shame but rather good sense and courage in seeking help and support. Scenario: The Inside-Out Sweater So much of our cultural engagement and cultural awareness take place around everyday issues and daily routines, even brief encounters. When we asked practitioners about their own intercultural challenges what most remembered were often incidences in which they missed cues or were not fully aware of a situation. Too often, they confused what they heard with what someone really meant or needed. In the course of living and working in another culture, it is often useful just to re-set. Pause, step back, observe, and ask questions if something is confusing or unclear. There is much to be said for engaging, being present, and trying to learn. You may have power, privilege, and resources but balancing those with humility (knowing that you don’t know everything and cannot be the solution to most problems), self-awareness, and a desire to learn and engage with others will go a long way to helping you to make meaningful contributions to the community around you. Small things matter in the course of human interaction and how we are perceived by others. The ways in which we navigate the challenges of daily life help us create a foundation to become more socially aware and more culturally competent. The following scenario reflects this in a simple way. Anjali shared this experience when working in a mountain clinic in a rural village in Nepal. Sweater Story Anjali Niyogi: I mean, one that you know that stuck with me mostly because I do health stuff, was I kind of, I walked into clinic one day, and this is in the mountains and it's cold, and I was wearing a sweater and I was wearing it inside out, and, you know rushed, out of the house and showed up at the clinic. And one of the clinic staff kept sort of very gently telling me that my sweater was inside out and, you know, I was much younger then, and I was coming from the United States, and in the U.S. I feel like we use sarcasm and humor in a different way than people in other parts of the world use, and so I just sort of, you know, eventually said, “Yes, yes, I understand that my shirts on inside out, you know, but it's to keep me warm and it's doing its job no matter how I wear it”. And there was sort of this silence for a while and one of the guys kind of came and, you know, pulled me aside and said, “Well, here we wear our shirts inside out when someone has died”. You know, and here I was the clinician or you know the medical student in this clinic and had just created what seemed like, you know, for the whole clinic went silent and it was a really big deal for them and, you know, I was just flippant and not knowing anything so. Too often, one makes unfounded assumptions or our frame of reference is off. Such cultural mistakes will inevitably happen. It is important to learn from them but also not be overly sensitive to them when they occur. You can’t always be on your guard, but pausing, taking a breath, reflecting, and asking questions when possible helps you to be able to navigate your way more smoothly in a new culture. Retaining a sense of cultural humility as well as an openness to constantly learning is key. Another tip in thinking about your own cultural missteps is what you would think if the situation were reversed. If someone from another culture did something out of the norm in your home community, what would you think? How would you respond? Most of us would certainly appreciate that person asking us about our own traditions and cultural norms as well as advice on how things are done. Learn as You Go Kim Cook: I guess for me the one thing is that I have consistently collided with cultures, I have never entered gracefully. I have this ambition that I could be like those Olympic high divers where they're watching them go into the water and they're like watching whether their toes entered without any wake, you know, just like you enter and there's no ripple, and I feel like I constantly belly flop and it's like a big old wave of like ‘kabam, man she's got big feet and big elbows and wide hips and like she's just bumping into everybody and everything’. And this, for me, essentially becomes the tool that I have, is to recognize that I will do the best that I can to have the posture of a guest, to be listening acutely, to understand myself as a learner, and to really be able to own the fact that the likelihood is that I will put a foot wrong and how can I own that and hold that with a certain amount of grace, how can I honor it, how can I surface it when it needs to be surfaced because I can see that something has gone wrong. And then, you know, really do my best to adjust right to make the change within myself, but the change within myself has never turned out to be figured out before you go and then do it perfectly when you get there. It's really been accept that you may not do it properly and learn as you go and, you know, hold space inside of your own body for the sort of grace of it's possible to learn, it's possible to recover from a mistake, it's possible to move forward and do the work that you want to be doing in the world. Conclusion Congratulations! You have made it to the course conclusion. It is now time to self-reflect and earn your certificate (Photo: Eberhard Grossgasteiger, Pexels). Cultural competence is, at its most effective, a process of self-discovery. And, in addition to that, one has to remain flexible and move beyond fixed agendas and schedules. Building trust and creating relationships are key to working within different cultures. Below, a number of the experienced practitioners you have heard from remind us of the key elements and tools from this course: Chapter 1: Cultural Sensitivity As Tabatha Thompson reminds us, cultural sensitivity is being aware of our impact as outsiders and what our priorities should be. Work with Humility Tabatha Thompson: So, you know, just approaching it with that mindset, that yes you may have a project that you need to get done or, you know, indicators of success that you have for your organization, but you're not actually the one that's living in the environment and affected by, you know, the conflict or the emergency or the crisis that is going on. And when your project is done, or your work is done, you're not the one that remains. And so for me, you know, as an outsider, so again approaching the work with humility, but also making sure that you understand why people are motivated to do the work that they're doing and these different communities and what makes them tick, and moving, you know, beyond the transactional relationship, and, you know, project space is so important because they're the ones that are going to drive the work during the project and after you're gone and, if your idea of success is to make real change or, you know, have a real impact, the only way that you're actually going to be able to do that is if someone feels comfortable and trusts you, and feels like you have their best interest at heart, and you have their communities best interest at heart. Even if it means, you know, maybe needing to slow down or take a pause in the project to really understand what is going on. Chapter 2: Self-Awareness Cultural competence begins with self-awareness. Christopher Breedlove explains: Blind Spots Christopher Breedlove: I think self-awareness is the other side of the coin, right? It's like, not only do you have to be aware of the other culture that you're entering into, but then you have to be aware of your own culture because you're bringing in a bunch of baggage too, you know. And I think that it's like, yeah I don't even know how you split it, right? It's two sides of the same coin and I think maybe that's the piece that's a little bit harder to do because you can go online and you can research, “OK I'm going to go into this culture, what's going on? What's the history? What’s the food like? Where did the customs, you know?” You can learn all these little nuances, but it's a lot harder to Google search ‘what's my own bias’. It's a lot harder to say, “What are my own blind spots?” And so, that's where self-awareness comes in. You have to spend the time to kind of figure out what are the corners that is hard for you to see around, and we call them blind spots and so obviously it's not easy to find them, you know. How do you become aware of what you don't yet know? And so, that is the work of self-awareness, and I think that anybody who wants to go into the field, and I think anybody who wants to work with people, whether it's in your own culture or another one, you know, developing a strong sense of self-awareness will make that work go that much better for you. Chapter 3: Bias As a mediator working as part of a German team engaged in the Bosnian peace process, Juan Diaz-Prinz experienced how stereotyping can change perceptions in wildly divergent ways. Identity is not just who we think we are but also identity is often ascribed to us and connections can often be made based on the perceptions of us by others: Ascribed Identities Juan Diaz-Prinz: Well, I found it fascinating that, so first of all, they always called us the German delegation arriving in Bosnia. And then they met a guy named Juan who was American, so then there was all this anti-American, “What are you doing here?” And then, all I would say was, “My family's Cuban”, and all of a sudden I was being hugged by all the Yugoslavs. “Oh my God, Cuba! We, you know, we have such, we have such a love, you're so welcome”. I was like, “You just hated me like 2 seconds ago when I said I was American”. “Well, that's OK”. And all of a sudden, it was, for them, perfectly, I was the same person, it was perfectly normal for them to shift gears and to leave one of my identities aside and just focus on my Cuban side. And then, we would sit in the in a meeting and I would be facilitating it and it was so funny, they would say, “Well, you understand being Cuban”, and then I would remind them I had never been in Cuba, it's just my parents were Cuban. “Well, it's in the DNA.” And I found that fascinating, that I could tell them a million times I'm American, I grew up in the United States, but they heard Cuban, and forever I was the Cuban mediator for them. Chapter 4: Culture Shock and Adaptation Dealing with culture shock and adapting to a new culture and the many times one ends up wrong-footed when working in a new environment, requires the ability both to make mistakes but also learning from one’s missteps. Christopher Breedlove elaborates: Learning from Missteps Christopher Breedlove: As much as you can is remember that, a lot of it's not personal. It's like, when you run into issues, try and remove yourself from that situation and don't take it personally. Communication isn't easy and social work isn't easy. Working cross-culturally with people who you don't know isn't easy. And so, when you run into problems, just don't take it personally, you know. I think that's when you go back to those first two, which is you listen and then check your biases, and then what, right? It's because we can all take things personally, because sometimes they feel that way, and then when you emotionally react to something, then that creates a cycle of emotion, and then we're not speaking about what we were just a few minutes ago. Chapter 5: Intercultural Communications Tamanna Salakuddin reminds us of the importance of keeping an open mind and checking one’s “stereotypes at the door” when communicating with others. To do so requires intentionality and talking to the other as a person—which also means being a good and active listener. Effective cross-cultural engagement usually begins there. Leave Your Stereotypes Behind Tamanna Salakuddin: But often we have maybe stereotypes or perceived notions of other people. I would say that, when you are going into a cross-cultural environment, the first thing you need to do is check some of your stereotypes at the door. People will surprise you, and while there may be some stereotypes that you think define a people, nobody's a monolith. And so, my very first suggestion is to go in with humility and talk to the individual person, rather than talking to them as part of a larger group. Talk to them as a person and often you will find you have more in common with them than you thought. Second of all, really try to listen more than talk. People have histories and identities and backgrounds that they would like to share with you, and sometimes it sounds like a lot of catharsis but in listening, you actually understand their motivations and you understand where they're coming from. You might not agree with it, but you will have a better sense of why they are saying what they're saying, why their viewpoint differs from you. Chapter 6: Relationships and Building Trust One has to begin with building trust: “Until I know you, I don’t know if I can trust you.” And creating trust is a long-term endeavor; losing trust can be instantaneous. With that in mind, cultural awareness is not simply a matter of appreciating other cultures but developing an awareness of the impact of culture and an understanding of the role of identity—the identities of others and self-awareness of one’s own identities. It is important to acknowledge one’s own identity and cultural influences and how we are perceived by others. That is the basis for trust. Listen Without an Agenda Carmen Mauk: It’s incredibly important to whenever anybody stops and says, “Hey, I need this” or “Can you guys do this?” that you not think that there's a box that they're outside of, but just like, “OK, how do we include this in if possible?” so that we are not seen as foreign, you know. And I think that, when you truly listen to people without an agenda, which I think is key, that enables the real trust between, you know, us and the community that creates the strong relationships, you know, to go forward so that real change can happen. Chapter 7: Time, Control and Agency A cultural faux pas is very different in terms of impact and consequences when compared to an outsider coming into another culture with assumptions about how he or she can solve problems or fix things. If it’s not your culture, if it’s not your community, if it’s not your problem to solve, who are you to arrogate to yourself the right to offer a solution? One has to understand the impact of one’s own power and privilege and how those will be perceived. That is why humility is at the heart of cultural competence. The Solution is the Process Leanne Erdberg: There are moments in your cross-cultural communication where you see that the solution is the process and it's not tasks in and of itself. and so, those you know those bonds of trust, the unleashing of the creativity of others through the empowerment that you can give to them, rather than telling them to do it, can have much larger impacts than any of perhaps some of the more pre-designed logical frameworks that that had have dominated a lot of our field.
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