INTERCULTURAL ENCOUNTERS Staff Week 2019 - Sonja Valjus, International Coordinator Katri Salmi, International Coordinator
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INTERCULTURAL ENCOUNTERS
Staff Week 2019
Sonja Valjus, International Coordinator
Katri Salmi, International Coordinator
CULTURE
The rich complex of
meanings,
beliefs,
practices,
symbols,
norms and
values
prevalent among people in a society/group”
(Schwartz 2003)
2
“For men and women are not only themselves; they are also the region in which they are born, the city apartment or farm in which they learnt to walk, the games they played as children, the old wives tales they overheard, the food they ate, the schools they attended, the sports they followed, the poets they read, and the God they believed in.” (W. Somerset Maugham. The Razor's edge)
UNIVERSAL LEVEL
Humanity Identities are
An individual
intersectional, it is
belongs
wrong to see an
simultaneously to GROUP LEVEL individual only throught
several Cultural similarities and differences
one social identity
communities that National Ethnic culture
share a culture culture Social class
Religion INDIVIDUAL LEVEL Gender
Collective Unique
identities Regional genotype, Professional
culture personal experiences culture
Family culture Organisational
Age group culture
The importance of
Group members are in
a certain group Other important Era
different positions
membership differs reference groups
related to cultural
in different times
practices
and situations
4
CULTURE
Not a closed container but a cluster of relations
Culture is not the most important definer of a community,
because it
changes constantly
appears differently to different members of the community
Borrowing and combining elements and getting influenced
by other cultures is natural to all cultures
(Huttunen, Löytty & Rastas 2005: 29)
CULTURAL NORMS GUIDING OUR JUDGEMENT Social Norms are unwritten rules about how to behave. Each social situation entails its own particular set of expectations about the “proper” way to behave. Such expectations vary from group to group. Behaviour that is against the norms is often interpreted negatively
SPECIAL FEATURES OF INTERCULTURAL ENCOUNTERS Cultural differences Language Prejudice & racism Adaptation & integration stress 10.11.2006 AN EXAMPLE OF A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION 8
CULTURAL DIFFERENCIES In Education
Teaching philosophies
Behaviour & practices
Role of the teacher
Communication
Role of the student
Perceptions
Teaching methods
Attitudes
Contents
Beliefs
Norms Evaluation methods
Values Guidance and counseling
DISCUSSION
Challenges & good practices when dealing with cultural differences
LANGUAGE LANGUAGE SKILLS Students with weaker language skills learn and understand new practices more slowly, because both concepts and the practices are new MEANING OF WORDS culture specific words DISCRIMINATION AND LANGUAGE USE OF SEVERAL LANGUAGES SIMULTANEOUSLY More time and patience needed DISCUSSION: Challenges, possibilities & good practices
DISCRIMINATION Discrimination occurs when a person or a group is treated less favourably than others, on the basis of cultural or other characteristics, without acceptable reason. Racism can be direct or indirect disrimination, harassment or order to discriminate (Non-Discrimination Act 2004/21.) Direct discrimination: e.g. access is denied Indirect discrimination: for instance, if an employer demands job applicants to have a perfect command of the local language, even though it is not necessary for the performing of the job duties in question. Harassment: workplace bullying involving humiliating, degrading or threatening behaviour towards an employee. Instruction or order to discriminate: for instance, if a shop manager instructs shop employees not to serve Roma entering the shop. This constitutes discrimination even if no employee has actually followed the instruction yet. Refusing reasonable accommodation: for instance, not providing obstacle-free access to a cinema. DISCUSSION: Challenges, possibilities & good practices
GOOD PRACTICES
INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION Education that • Develops the intercultural competence of the students and the staff members • Supports integration and intercultural learning instead of assimilation • Diminishes intercultural prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination • Enhances cultural equity and equal possibilities to actively participate in education and in the society • Takes into account the cultural diversity in educational planning, teaching, evaluation, administration, services and materials
BEST PRACTICES FOR A MULTICULTURAL UNIVERSITY Guidance & orientation Enhancing inclusion and community building Flexibility 10.11.2006 AN EXAMPLE OF A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION 15
GOOD PRACTICES FOR A MULTICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
1. Special guidance and orientation
• Explain practices, approaches and policies of your university very
explicitly
– Teaching methods and pedagogical approach behind them
– Administrational practices and regulations
– Guidance practices
– Culturally bound concepts related to the teaching topics
– Local customs and rules
• Orientation in the beginning is not always enough -> Continuous
guidance and councelling might be needed
• All teachers, admin staff and tutors should guide students and staff
members to understand the local practices
• It takes time to learn, to apply and value new practices and
approachesGOOD PRACTICES FOR A MULTICULTURAL UNIVERSITY 2. Enhancing inclusion and community building Invest time in integrating students/staff members to the group and to the community (class, department, university), so that they can feel welcomed and accepted, feel more a part of the community Include group activities in the teaching Organise informal get togethers outside classroom Benefits of enhancing the inclusion Enhances learning of new practices Releaves the adjustment stress Prevents prejudice and racism Makes it easier to get feedback Mutual trust International students and staff become more productive
GOOD PRACTICES FOR A MULTICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
3. Taking into account background and situation of your students / staff members
Diversify teaching/education on the basis of the backgrounds of the students
Teaching methods
Use various methods, not only the ones that are currently most valued in your culture
Teaching contents & material
Use case studies and assignments that recognize students' diverse backgrounds and give
them a possibility to use their experiences
Evaluation
Quality Assurance and Feedback
Encourage and tolerate diverse working styles
Take adjustment stress into account
Take special needs related to religion or culture into accountDEVELOPING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE OF YOUR HEI
1. Embed the intercultural development in
1. Policies (General and departmental)
2. Procedures, processes and practices
• Tuition
• Admin
• Management and leadership
• HR (recruitment, training, rewarding)
3. All communities of practice
• Dean & management
• Lecturers
• Student services (student advising and councelling, library, IT)
• Student organisations and tutoring
• Students
4. Resources, tools, databasesGOOD PRACTICES FOR MULTICULTURAL TEACHING
Recognize any biases or stereotypes you may have absorbed
Treat each student as an individual, and respect each student for
who he or she is
Rectify any language patterns or case examples that exclude or
demean any groups
Do your best to be sensitive to terminology
Get a sense of how students feel about the cultural climate
Introduce discussions of diversity at department meetings
(Barbara Gross Davis)SOURCE:
Chile
Communication Pattern
Chileans are eloquent and persuasive conversationalists, but they are somewhat more restrained and pragmatic
than most other Latin Americans. Although they are long-winded, they are able to structure their remarks in a way
that Anglo-Saxons and even Asians can follow them. They are also capable of giving patient explanations.
Listening Habits
Chileans are somewhat nervous listeners inasmuch as they wish to break in, but are often too polite to do so.
Because they often believe they know best, they can barely tolerate long monologues from others.
Behavior at Meetings and Negotiations
Meetings are conducted Latin-style with lengthy preambles, wordy monologues and frequent digressions from the
agenda. An underlying pragmatism does, however, keep the business on track. Chileans are not particularly
aggressive when negotiating, often showing some insecurity and fear of loss of business (or jobs). Their negotiating
style resembles the Italian, encompassing lots of flexibility and accommodation. After meetings, they tend to have
second thoughts, so it is necessary to monitor follow-up activities. The business atmosphere in general is pleasant
and “civilized.” Options are left open when business cannot be concluded during the first round of discussion.
Turn: Italy ->Lithuania Communication Pattern Lithuanians are less reserved than Latvians and Estonians and are regarded by the former as talkative, even loquacious. Poles, however, consider them cold. The level of education is quite high and conversations are interesting, at times riveting. Their opinions are often laced with romantic idealism and nostalgia. Lithuanian is a rich, expressive language, enabling managers to revel in its aesthetic, archaic constructions. The fact that Lithuanian is replacing Russian as the principal language of business is satisfying to employees. Listening Habits Lithuanians are good listeners, although somewhat impatient if they have opinions to offer. They are quick to perceive the feelings of others. Official-sounding statements and opinions are likely to turn off a Lithuanian listener. Behavior at Meetings and Negotiations Lithuanians do not follow agendas as strictly as Estonians, although in general they consider themselves organized and orderly. Good manners are of the essence. They tend to be more persuasive than other Balts, and when negotiating, emotion occasionally creeps in. Lively, friendly small talk begins meetings and negotiations. A courteous introduction of proposals and a cautious reaction to counterproposals follow. Discussions may become heated (in comparison with Latvia or Estonia) if Lithuanian proposals are resisted strongly. Lithuanian counterproposals are expressed vigorously, without giving much away; this is often followed by a charming offensive, Baltic style (with some reasonable concessions, often with clever repackaging).
Slovakia Communication Pattern The Slovak language is a kind of lingua franca for Slavic peoples, inasmuch as it can be understood by Czechs, Poles, Bulgarians and ex-Yugoslavs more easily than any other. This gives Slovaks considerable confidence when conversing with Slavs, and they are regarded as quite loquacious and expressive in this context. When talking to Western Europeans (in English or German), a certain caution creeps into their speech pattern, partly for linguistic reasons, but also because of oppression suffered in the past. They have a tendency to distrust official information— a consequence of the Soviet-style years. There is a certain tendency toward vagueness, and they can often be ambiguous. This is because they are nonconfrontational and dislike saying anything that might offend the listener. Listening Habits Because Slovaks are normally polite and courteous and wish to learn, they listen well. They rarely interrupt a foreigner, though they occasionally do so with other Slovaks. They often ask for information to be repeated, as they wish to avoid misunderstandings. They admire daring, interesting conversationalists and get bored if they are not sufficiently entertained.
Turkey
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