Introduction to Culture
LESSON PLAN
Elevator Speech: The purpose of this work is to ensure that Valencia students have the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes to live and work effectively within and across cultures. In order to achieve this goal,
Valencia faculty and staff are working to infuse more global content into a variety of courses. In 2011,
over 1400 students, faculty, and staff voted on the competencies of a global citizen, which is the
document that you (have here OR see on the screen). This semester, I have decided to get involved in this
work, so we will be talking more about what it means to have a global perspective (and how well you
communicate across cultures).
GLO & Performance Indicators:
1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of cultural preferences, norms, biases, and expectations for
oneself and others.
o Define culture.
o Describe the objective and subjective traits of a culture (Iceberg Theory of Culture)
o Categorize cultures using Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory.
Learning Activities:
 Info
Assessment Methods:
 GPI pretest/post-test – To be taken before this unit is started during the first week of classes. This
will be a benchmark assessment to identify your student demographics and to what degree they
have achieved a global perspective. The assessment should be given again during the last week of
class. Review of the assessment with the class should be from a holistic perspective – not at the
individual student level, but you must ensure that all students take both assessments.
Instructional Materials/Resources:
 Valencia’s Competencies of a Global Citizen
 An Attainable Global Perspective, R. Hanvey (2004)
 http://geert-hofstede.com/
 get PPS from CSS class
 YouTube videos
Cocurricular Activities (Options):
 Enroll in a study abroad program
 Sign up for the Cultivating a Global Mindset Skillshop (needs work with Chris K.)
What Is Culture?
Education for a global perspective is that learning which enhances the individual’s ability to understand
his or her condition in the community and the world and improves the ability to make effective
judgments. It includes the study of nations, cultures, and civilizations, including our own pluralistic
society and the societies of other peoples, with a focus on understanding how these are all interconnected
and how they change, and on the individual's responsibility in this process. It provides the individual with
a realistic perspective on world issues, problems and prospects, and an awareness of the relationships
between an individual' s enlightened self-interest and the concerns of people elsewhere in the world.
Dimension 1: Perspective Consciousness
 The recognition or awareness on the part of the individual that he or she has a view of the world
that is not universally shared, that this view of the world has been and continues to be shaped by
influences that often escape conscious detection, and that others have views of the world that are
profoundly different from one's own.
Dimension 2: “State of the Planet” Awareness
 Awareness of prevailing world conditions and development, including emergent conditions and
trends, e.g. population growth, migrations, economic conditions, resources and physical
environment, political developments, science and technology, law, health, inter-nation and intranation conflicts, etc.
Dimension 3: Cross-cultural Awareness
 Awareness of the diversity of ideas and practices to be found in human societies around the world,
of how such ideas and practices compare, and including some limited recognition of how the ideas
and ways of one's own society might be viewed from other vantage points.
o Level I: Awareness of superficial or very visible cultural traits: stereotypes. MODE:
tourism, books, Internet; INTEPRETATION: unbelievable, exotic, bizarre.
o Level II: Awareness of significant and subtle cultural traits that contrast markedly with
one’s own. MODE: cultural conflict situations; INTEPRE-TATION: unbelievable,
frustrating, irrational.
o Level III: Awareness of significant and subtle cultural traits that contrast markedly with
one’s own. MODE: intellectual analysis; INTEPRETATION: believable, cognivity.
o Level IV: Awareness of how another culture feels from the standpoint of the insider.
MODE: cultural immersion living in the culture; INTEPRETATION: believable because
of subjective familiarity.
Dimension 4: Knowledge of Global Dynamics
 Some modest comprehension of key trails and mechanisms of the worldsystem, with emphasis on
theories and concepts that may increase intelligent consciousness of global change.
Dimension 5: Awareness of Human Choices
 Some awareness of the problems of choice confronting individuals, nations, and the human
species as consciousness and knowledge of the global system expands.
References
An Attainable Global Perspective, R. Hanvey, 1983.