{"id":167,"date":"2018-10-12T16:17:57","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T16:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/?post_type=chapter&p=167"},"modified":"2019-01-02T19:00:41","modified_gmt":"2019-01-02T19:00:41","slug":"cultural-sensitivity","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/chapter\/cultural-sensitivity\/","title":{"raw":"Cultural Sensitivity","rendered":"Cultural Sensitivity"},"content":{"raw":"Many countries, and definitely many businesses, are becoming more diverse.\u00a0 If you research 21st century skills, you'll find that two skills are usually included no matter what the source: collaboration and communication.\u00a0 Workplaces want workers who can interact successfully with others in diverse environments in productive ways.\u00a0 Underlying these skills is the competency of\u00a0cultural sensitivity.\r\n\r\nAccording to the World Economic Forum (a non-profit, independent organization), the following 16 skills are needed by 21st century workers, including cultural and civic literacy and social and cultural awareness.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"897\"]\"Infographic<\/a> Image: World Economic Forum, New Vision for Education: Unlocking the Potential of Technology[\/caption]\r\n\r\nHow culturally aware are you?\u00a0 Complete this\u00a0brief cultural competence self-awareness checklist<\/a>.\r\n\r\nNo matter what the outcome of your self-assessment, know that cultural sensitivity is something that can both evolve through everyday experiences with diverse situations, groups, and cultures, and be fostered through planned experiences.\r\n\r\nMilton Bennett's model of Intercultural Sensitivity,\u00a0explained with examples\u00a0in the video below,\u00a0shows the evolution (or developmental stages) on a spectrum from lesser to greater cultural sensitivity.\u00a0 As you view the video, connect its contents with the outcome of your self-assessment of cultural awareness.\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6vKRFH2Wm6Y[\/embed]\r\n
\r\n

initial learning activity<\/h3>\r\nRead this short post about cultural diversity<\/a>, to spark ideas for the following activity.\r\n\r\nNow, imagine that you work in a large U.S. corporation that recently merged with a large corporation from another country.\u00a0 Because smooth operations during and after the merger are so critical to the merged companies' success, top management has mandated that employees in both countries learn more about their counterparts, to foster communication and collaboration and to cut down on inadvertent misinterpretations of actions and information. Each of the corporations has tasked a team to help foster learning about the culture of the new business, and you have been placed on this team. You know that team members will be looking to you for ideas, and even to lead the team, because you've traveled a lot with your spouse, who was in the military.\u00a0 Assume that your team has already met and brainstormed ideas.\r\n\r\nAs the first step in the process of integrating the companies, write an informal proposal to management, outlining a number of various activities, interchanges, and methods of fostering learning about one another's cultures.\u00a0Explain the reasoning behind each suggestion.\r\n\r\nSubmit:<\/strong> the proposal\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

in-depth learning activity<\/h3>\r\n

Culture can be defined by various factors, such as ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, dis\/ability, age, etc. as well as nation or location. It is any given group that is popularly identified as such.<\/p>\r\n

Select a culture in which you do not \"claim membership\" but\u00a0whose \"members\" you have had contact with, expect to contact in your work, and\/or would just like to learn more about.<\/p>\r\nRead the brief essay by Menoukha Case, \"Cultural Schemata and Reflexivity.\"<\/a>\r\n\r\nComplete the following written assignment, a 4-page essay:\r\n

    \r\n \t
  1. On one page (about 300 words, minus citation information), briefly explore\u00a0popular portrayals of that culture in the media. (You can use TV, films, advertisements or the internet).\u00a0Can\u00a0you\u00a0identify any intersecting cultural schemata? Do these schemata fit any pre-conceptions you may have had about that culture?<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. For page two, locate and read\u00a02 or more\u00a0articles written by members of that culture, one from a popular source and one from an academic source.\u00a0 A popular source\u00a0may be a reflection and\/or video included in a blog (if you google X culture blogs, you'll most likely find a blog for just about any group that you have chosen, e.g., hearing loss culture blogs). For example, someone interested in Black women's issues could browse For Harriet<\/a>\u00a0by Harvard's Kimberly Foster; someone interested in race could check out Franchesca Ramsey<\/a>\u00a0whose MTV Decodes series includes\u00a0topical videos. An academic source is a journal\u00a0that includes\u00a0articles written by members of the particular group (e.g., Africana Studies, Latina Studies, Disability Studies).\u00a0 Search for academic journals in the ESC library.\u00a0 On\u00a0the second page, summarize the sources.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. On a third page, use the principles in the Cultural Schemata and Reflexivity essay to compare their descriptions of their experiences with your own schemata and the popular cultural schemata you discovered.\u00a0 Infer some of what each culture values and explain your insights and inferences.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. For the fourth and final page, explain what opportunities and constraints in current U.S. culture might affect the expression of these values.\u00a0 How might differences in values affect your ability to be effective in your work?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nBe sure to cite properly in the text, and provide a Works Cited page.\r\n\r\nSubmit:<\/strong> essay\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
    \r\n

    interested in learning more about cultures\/diversity?<\/h3>\r\nNote that there are fuller courses offered in:\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • foreign languages (Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish).\u00a0 Language courses also focus on the culture of the target language groups.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • workplace diversity<\/li>\r\n \t
    • LGBT<\/li>\r\n \t
    • women's studies<\/li>\r\n \t
    • specific cultures, such as African-American, Latin America, Women's History, etc.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
      \r\n

      Related college Learning Goals<\/h3>\r\nSocial Responsibility:<\/strong> Engage in ethical reasoning, and reflect on issues such as democratic citizenship, diversity, social justice and environmental sustainability, both locally and globally.\r\n\r\nCritical Thinking and Problem Solving:<\/strong> Evaluate, analyze, synthesize and critique key concepts and experiences, and apply diverse perspectives to find creative solutions to problems concerning human behavior, society and the natural world.\r\n\r\n \r\n

      For more information, see the College Learning Goals Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

      Many countries, and definitely many businesses, are becoming more diverse.\u00a0 If you research 21st century skills, you’ll find that two skills are usually included no matter what the source: collaboration and communication.\u00a0 Workplaces want workers who can interact successfully with others in diverse environments in productive ways.\u00a0 Underlying these skills is the competency of\u00a0cultural sensitivity.<\/p>\n

      According to the World Economic Forum (a non-profit, independent organization), the following 16 skills are needed by 21st century workers, including cultural and civic literacy and social and cultural awareness.<\/p>\n

      \"Infographic<\/a><\/p>\n

      Image: World Economic Forum, New Vision for Education: Unlocking the Potential of Technology<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      How culturally aware are you?\u00a0 Complete this\u00a0brief cultural competence self-awareness checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      No matter what the outcome of your self-assessment, know that cultural sensitivity is something that can both evolve through everyday experiences with diverse situations, groups, and cultures, and be fostered through planned experiences.<\/p>\n

      Milton Bennett’s model of Intercultural Sensitivity,\u00a0explained with examples\u00a0in the video below,\u00a0shows the evolution (or developmental stages) on a spectrum from lesser to greater cultural sensitivity.\u00a0 As you view the video, connect its contents with the outcome of your self-assessment of cultural awareness.<\/p>\n