By: Bobby Jones
ECE 7513
The capability of standing back from ourselves and becoming
aware of our cultural values, beliefs and perceptions. One is
understanding of the differences between people from other
places around the world and from different backgrounds.
Cross cultural awareness can give us better understanding of our
own culture and how it is perceived by outsiders. It’s important in
creating understanding and acceptance of all individuals. We need
to understand other cultural backgrounds to make sense of
different view points and opinions. Culture inf luences many parts
of peoples lives including: food, dress, opinions, identity, music,
buildings, manners, social interaction, and language.
Students interact with people of all cultures today. It is
important that they are aware of the various ways people see,
interpret, and evaluate things in life. A student who is
culturally aware will be conscious of the beliefs a culture may
see as appropriate, while another culture may view it as
inappropriate. Students who are not culturally aware of these
differences can only generate misunderstandings.
Without cross cultural awareness, students will generate
stereotypes from the misconceptions they develop. Students
who are not conscious of the differences in behavioral rules
of different cultures may develop false assumptions about
people. Students will generate these ideas as a given culture
as being “disabled”. Students will treat them differently due
to the power of their own cultural beliefs.
Students who are not cross culturally aware will miss out on
the various opportunities to immerse themselves in other
perceptions of the world. Students will be blind to the
differences that make us unique and original in identity. A
student who is not conscious of cultural boundaries may
offend or judge an individual due to the lack of cross cultural
awareness.
It is difficult to help students become aware of cross cultural
awareness because they may not be alert of how it guides our
thinking. Culture is something a person is born into and they
never stop to question the way they were taught to act and
view things. It can be very difficult to accept different ways of
thinking and appropriate behavior because of trained beliefs.
Students may be aware of the cultural differences people
possess, but the challenge is being to be aware of the
different levels of cross cultural awareness.
Four Levels of Cross Cultural Awareness:
Parochial Stage
2. Ethnocentric Stage
3. Synergistic Stage
4. Participatory Stage
1.
1.
Parochial Stage
This stage is the first stage where students have this
perception that their way is the only way. They fail to realize
the inf luence of cultural differences.
2. Ethnocentric Stage
This second stage of cross cultural awareness has the student
conscious of cultural differences, but believes their culture is
superior. The student tend to view cultural differences as
problems and will disregard them due to the lack of
importance.
3. Synergistic Stage
The student believes that there are two separate ways. They
are compared to determine in which situations one is viewed
as the correct way. Students will use cultural diversity to
develop new explanations and options.
4. Participatory Stage
Students in this stage view cross cultural awareness as our
way. The individual includes different cultural backgrounds
to develop a culture of shared meanings. The students is able
to generate new ways and understandings in a given
circumstance.
Stand Alone Units/Integration:
-Reading comprehension: Literature from various cultures
-Historical figures from various cultural backgrounds
-Get to know you activities to introduce culture identity
-Incorporating Maps into lessons/activities
-Information writing: Informing the audience of various cultural differences
-Various teaching methods to allow for different learning styles adopted in various cultures
-Illustrations in non -fiction texts
-Hands -on Manipulatives and artifacts from other countries
-Current events to better grasp concepts of cultural differences
-Thematic Units on a given country
-Vocabulary Enrichment of various languages
-Respectful Activities to ensure cross cultural awareness
-Flexible grouping to allow students to work with a variety of peers
-Quality Curriculum: Making it relevant to all students’ lives
-Learning environment representing the whole student population
-Child Centered: connected to many cultures present
-Incorporate multicultural information resources/materials in all subjects routinely
-Oral presentations on students’ native countries
-Autobiographical writing assignments
-Give praise on students’ cultural heritage
-Cultural celebrations/holiday recognition
- Study abroad programs
There have been Cultural Awareness Programs provided to cover a broad
number of cultural issues relevant to cross -cultural interaction, so as to
enable individual participants to better understand, engage with and
offer services to individuals, families, and communities.
Cultural Awareness Programs (CAP)
Committee Responsibilities:
Help to create an environment in which cultural awareness
leads to the understanding and valuing of diversity with
schools. Collaborate with campus, local, and regional groups
to plan, fund, and produce educational events and programs
to meet identified needs. Seek funding for the CAP programs
and produce annual report of program outcomes.
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Koo Moon, H., Kwon Choi, B., & Shik Jung, J. (2012). Previous international
experience, cross-cultural training, and expatriates' cross -cultural
adjustment: Effects of cultural intelligence and goal orientation. Human
Resource Development Quarterly, 23(3), 285-330.
Schlein, C., & Garii, B. (2011). Cross-Cultural Interpretations of Curricular
Contextual Crossings. Issues In Teacher Education, 20(2), 81-94.