Module 7
Cultural Awareness
Learning Outcomes
 7.1 Identify the perceived traits of your own culture
 7.2 Understand cultural differences and practices in the
workplace
 7.3 Recognise the benefits of living and working in a multicultural society
Culture Iceberg
Explicit Culture
Behaviours
Attitudes / Beliefs
Values
Implicit Culture
 Like an iceberg, only a
fraction of culture is visible,
noticeable through
customs, language,
physical appearance. The
majority of culture is hidden
from view and expressed
completely, through deepheld values and
preferences.
Culture Definition
 The ideas, customs, and
social behaviour of a
particular people or
society.
 The attitudes and
behaviour characteristic of
a particular social group.
Multi-cultural Definition
 Relating to or containing
several cultural or ethnic
groups within a society.
Simulation Activity
Introduction and Orientation
These cultural qualities will be your identity for the rest of the simulation.
 How do these rules feel? How do they fit you? How are you going to “act”
them? How different is the real me from this culture? What does it mean
for me to be Red/ Blue/ Green for the next hour? How do I fit in this
culture? Jot down your reflection if you’d like.
 As a group discuss and agree on how you will enact your traits and how
you will display the more visible elements of your culture.
 Create the story that binds you together as Blues, or Reds or Greens.
This could take the form of a saying, a symbol, a picture, a dialect, a
song, a flag (…) that will be presented later to the rest of the group to
explain your cultural identity.
Debriefing
Present your Culture
 What were those cultures? Who are you? Who were you?
Present to the larger group. Report myths, legends, or anthem
etc. (3 minutes per culture)
Mono-cultural Debriefing
 What happened in your mono-cultural group?
 How did it feel? What did you first talk about?
 How far did you get into the task? How well did you do? Did you feel
good about the processes? Did you feel good about the team-building
efforts?
 Were any of your norms facilitating problem solving? Others hindering?
 What strategies did you use in the problem-solving process? Any leader
emerged? Why him/her?
 What worked? What did not work?
 How did the rules of your culture help or hinder the problem solving
process?
 Any comfort or frustration from being in a group of similar people?
 Is this similar to a real-life situation?
Multicultural Debriefing
 What were you thoughts and feelings as you changed cultures/ or
as newcomers arrived? How did it feel to join the new group?
 How did you feel during the multicultural problem-solving process
and why?
 Did you feel accepted / respected in this new group?
 Any awareness / new understanding on your own lenses?
 On the Challenges of crossing cultures, on negotiating across
cultures? Is it easier in mono-cultural groups? Is it richer in
multicultural groups?
Learning Outcomes
 7.1 Identify the perceived traits of your own culture
 7.2 Understand cultural differences and practices in the
workplace
 7.3 Recognise the benefits of living and working in a multicultural society