The World at Your Door
International Student Workers, USA
CBF Field Personnel
If you would like more information about a
webinar or scheduling someone to speak at your
church or event contact the Internationals’
Cluster network at www.cbfinternationals.org
The World at Your Door
• Part I:
Seek First to
Understand Yourself
• Part II:
Seek to Identify
with Others
• Part III:
Application & Discussion
Part I: Seek First to Understand Yourself
“When we are merely ‘being ourselves’, acting
according to our deepest instincts, human beings
reveal fundamental differences in what we all tend
to think of as normal behavior.” – Craig Storti
Part I: Seek First to Understand Yourself
Acceptable Greetings:
1. In your workplace
2. With a friend at church
3. With an acquaintance in the grocery
store
4. With a family member
5. With someone you pass on the
sidewalk that you do not know
Part I: Seek First to Understand Yourself
Misattribution
“attributing meaning or motive to someone’s behavior
based upon one’s own culture or experience.”
Lane, Patty. A Beginner’s Guide to Crossing Cultures, 27.
Part I: Seek First to Understand Yourself
Misattribution
1. Our cultural beliefs are so ingrained
that they appear to be either common
sense or universal.
2. Misattributions often evoke an instant
emotional response. Little thought is
then given to the accuracy or origin of
the belief that prompted the feelings.
Part I: Seek First to Understand Yourself
Two Instances of Misattribution
Memorial Day Grill-Out
Aaron and Srinivas
Part I: Seek First to Understand Yourself
“It’s easy to believe that one’s own culture is the best,
because it works so well for you it seems impossible to
think that it would not be best for everyone. The truth
is that all cultures are equal in their ability to work for
the people of that culture.”
Lane, Crossing Cultures, 37
Part I: Seek First to Understand Yourself
Questionnaire:
Discover your own characteristics of culture. Discuss.
(10 minutes)
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
The Cross-Cultural Golden Rule:
“Do unto others as they’d have you do.”
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Six Cultural Lenses
1. Context: High vs. Low
2. Relationship: Collective vs. Individual
Direct vs. Indirect Communication
Differing Approaches to Hospitality
3. Authority: Egalitarian vs. Hierarchical
4. Temporal: Abundant vs. Limited
5. Activity: Being vs. Doing
6. Worldview: What lies beneath the surface!
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
1. CONTEXT relates to the formality of a culture
and the rules governing how people interact with
one another.
• High context cultures are
considered formal and the
rules of the society are
highly respected.
• Low context cultures are
considered informal where
anything goes within
reason.
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
High Context
(everything matters)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Who you are related to matters
Who you know matters
It is better to overdress than underdress
Give attention to appropriate greetings
Use manners
Respect the rules
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Low Context
(nothing matters, anything goes)
• What you know is more important than who you
know
• Lack of protocol is not dishonoring
• If you have rules, do not use them in this context
People do not know your rules
• Address people by their given names unless others
use titles
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
2. The Relationship cultural lens can be divided
into two contrasting parts.
• Collective cultures are
relationship based.
• Individual cultures are task
oriented.
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Collective Cultures
• Communication must create a “feel-good”
atmosphere
• Though individuals may be otherwise, the society
is feeling oriented
• Efficiency and time do not take priority over the
person
• It is inappropriate to “talk business” upon first
arriving at a business meeting or when making a
business call
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Individual Cultures
• Communication must provide accurate
information
• Though individuals may be otherwise, society is
logic oriented
• Efficiency and time are high priorities, taking
them seriously is a sign of respect for the other
person
Lucky for Hassan Dialogue
Ms. Anderson: Hassan was looking at your paper.
Abdullah: He was?
Ms. Anderson: Yes. He copied some of your
answers.
Abdullah: Perhaps he didn’t know the answers.
Ms. Anderson: I’m sure he didn’t.
Abdullah: Then it’s lucky he was sitting next to me.
Source: Craig Stori. Cross-Cultural Dialogues,
Intercultural Press, Inc., 1994
Classification of Countries
Collective cultures:
India Argentina Brazil Greece Mexico Portugal
Chile Singapore Peru Colombia Taiwan
Individual cultures:
USA Great Britain Canada Italy Denmark
France Norway Germany Finland Israel
Spain Austria South Africa Switzerland
Ireland Sweden Belgium New Zealand
Netherlands Australia
Source: Geert Hofstede. Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in
Work-Related Values (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1980), pg 315
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Communicating cross-culturally is one of the most
challenging aspects of forming new relationships.
The two major forms of communication are direct
and indirect.
They may seem simple to understand; however, it is
quite challenging to change one’s preferred form.
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Direct Communication
• Short, direct questions show respect for a person’s
time
• A ‘yes’ is a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’ is a ‘no’. There are no
hidden meanings
• An honest, direct response is informational only.
It is not a reflection of a person feels about you.
• You can politely say what you think, and it will
usually not be taken personally
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Indirect Communication
• It is all about being friendly
• Every question must be phrased in such a way as
to not offend by its directness
• Use a 3rd party for accurate information if you
sense you are not getting the results you are
seeking
• A ‘yes’ may not be an answer to your question. It
is a 1st step in a friendly exchange. Avoid yes-no
questions because verbal compliance may be a
cultural requirement
• Avoid embarrassing others
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Offering Hospitality is a natural way to get to know
others better.
However, the expectations in giving and receiving
hospitality vary across differing cultures.
We will discuss two types of hospitality:
1. Host-initiated
2. Guest-initiated
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Host-initiated Hospitality
• Hospitality is taken very seriously and it takes the
full attention of the host
• The host usually needs advance notice for a visit
It is usually planned instead of spontaneous
• Travelers are expected to make their own
arrangements other than what the host
specifically communicates ahead of time
• Guests are usually expected to pay for
transportation and restaurants unless the host
says otherwise
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Guest-initiated Hospitality
• Hospitality is spontaneous, often without an
advance invitation
• It is the context for a relationship, even in
business
• Usually takes place in the home
• The host fully takes care of the needs of the guest.
The guest pays for nothing
• A gift is usually expected
• Food and drink are involved
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
3. The Authority cultural lens determines where
people rank in any given society.
There are two types of Authority structures:
•An informal view of authority is classified as
egalitarian.
•A formal view of authority is classified as
hierarchical.
Part II: Seek to Identify with Others
Egalitarian – Informal Authority:
• All persons have equal value and equal rights
• The same rules apply to everyone in like
situations
Hierarchical – Formal Authority:
• Unequal treatment expected and seen as being
appropriate
• There are rules for much of life
• It is acceptable to categorize people based upon
their gender, race, caste, etcetera. Everyone has a
role in society.
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Test Questions to See How You View Authority:
• Who is able to be in leadership in your culture?
• Who is entitled to have authority over others?
If the answer is based on
something like gender or
age then your view of
authority is hierarchical.
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
4. Temporality
Each society views time in different ways. They
either see time as being Abundant or Limited.
Abundant = Event Oriented
Limited = Time Oriented
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Abundant (Event-Oriented):
• It doesn’t matter when you arrive, but that you
arrive and the event takes place
• Spontaneous and flexible in their approach to life
• Respond to what life brings
• Experiencing the moment more important than
saving time
• Recognize that structure is required in some areas
of life i.e. military, certain job situations, etc…
• Have informal visiting as part of the event
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Limited (Clock-Oriented):
•
•
•
•
Structure in their approach to life
Enjoy using time efficiently
Try to plan their day and saving time is a value
Expect the event to begin at the time announced.
Visiting or informally chatting happens before or
after the event.
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
5. Activity is a category in order to find out what
drives a society and its members.
There are two types of cultures when it comes to activity:
Being Cultures and Doing Cultures
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Being cultures value relationships and
quality of life.
• The driving force is largely external, and comes
from outside of the individual
• Some aspects of life are pre-determined
• Limits exist beyond which we cannot go
• Certain givens must be accepted
• Life is WHAT HAPPENS to me.
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Doing cultures value results and materialism.
• The driving force is largely internal, and comes
from within the individual
• Very few givens in life, few circumstances that
cannot be changed
• No limits on what I can do or become, given the
necessary effort
• Life is what I DO.
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Which statements are Being, which are Doing?
1. While I was at the meeting I made many new
friends.
2. I don’t think we got much done, but we all had a
good time.
3. When she asked me to become involved, what
choice did I have?
4. I have lived here for 13 years, but I still don’t
have any friends.
5. I will need help after by surgery, so I will hire a
nurse. I can’t expect my friends to come because
they are all so busy.
Classification of Countries
Doing cultures:
China Japan Venezuela New Zealand Russia
Italy Ireland Great Britain Philippines US
Greece Argentina Canada Belgium India Mexico
Hong Kong Australia South Africa Colombia
Switzerland Austria
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Being cultures:
Pakistan Brazil Israel Taiwan France Peru
Portugal Finland Denmark Norway
Sweden Netherlands Chile Thailand Spain
Iran Turkey Singapore
Source: Geert Hofstede. Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in
Work-Related Values (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1980), pg 315
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
6. World View… It’s complicated.
• Worldview is the culturally agreed upon
perception of reality, in other words, WV bridges
the gap between objective reality and the person’s
perception of it.
• WV is how a culture thinks; how it perceives
reality.
• WV is made up of things such as values, feelings,
assumptions, beliefs, and motivations.
• The ICEBURG OF CULTURE
Part II: Seek to Identify With Others
Part III: Bringing it all together
The World at our Door
What will we do?
• Segregate ourselves
• Try to make others like us
• Celebrate the diversity
Part III: Bringing it all Together
Mark where you are on the continuum for each of the
cultural lens.
Context: high--------------------------------------low
Activity: being------------------------------------doing
Relationship: collective-----------------------individual
Communication: direct------------------------indirect
Hospitality: host--------------------------------guest
Authority: hierarchical------------------------egalitarian
Temporal: abundant----------------------------limited
Part III: Bringing it all Together
Let’s Get Started:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Pray
Raise your awareness
Read
Dive in!
Find a “cultural interpreter”
Learn words or phrases
Listen and observe
Keep learning
Part III: Bringing it all Together
Our Faith in Christ
•
•
•
•
Core to who we are as Christians
Permeates our belief system
Potential for misattribution
Wise to use your understanding
of culture to inform the way you
communicate
Reflection/Questions/Comments
What have you learned that helps you
understand your behavior and
values?
Think about one cross-cultural
relationship that you currently have.
What will you do differently as a
result of what you heard this evening?
What is God asking you to do related to
your multicultural community?