This session is designed to raise participants' awareness of cultural diversity and the importance of valuing cultural differences. It also highlights the importance of understanding how cultural competence is necessary for building a successful partnership-a concept woven throughout the Institute. Developing cultural competence is a lifelong process. This session is a catalyst that will enable partnerships to begin the process of learning how to include and work with people with different cultural backgrounds.
This session brings to the forefront a philosophy central to all sessions of the Institute. It presents a building block for enhancing the efforts to mobilize the whole community to participate actively in the partnership. It raises issues that will be addressed directly in the following 2 sessions.
Have chairs (one per participant) arranged in a semicircle (or several rows in a semicircle). No table is needed. The overhead/screen/computer should be set up in the front of the room.
The trainers should practice reading the quotations on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning before the session begins. During the first 2 days of the Institute, trainers should be aware of particular cultural groupings that are important to include as a part of the culture walk and communicate this to the facilitators of this session. It is also suggested that trainers conduct an informal profile of the cultural differences represented in their team during the pre-Institute telephone call with their team.
Benard, B. (1991). Moving toward a "just and vital culture": Multiculturalism in our schools. Portland, OR: Western Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, April.
Bennett, M. J. (1986). A developmental approach to training for intercultural sensitivity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 10: 179-196.
Brown, Nancy L. (1988). Learning about our racism. Journal of Religion and the Applied Behavioral Sciences, 9(2): 6.
Harris, M. (1990). The walls of perception: Racism and drugs. Western Center News. Portland, OR: Western Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, December, 10.
Kunisawa, B. N. (1990). Multiculturalism 2000: The challenge for community-based organizations. Multinomah County, CA: Multinomah County Dept. of Human Services.
Macro International. (1991). Abstract and adaptation of Bennett, M. J. (1986). A developmental approach to training for intercultural sensitivity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 10: 179-196.
Muniz, Peter, and Robert Chasnoff. (1987). The Cultural Awareness Hierarchy: A Model for Promoting Understanding. In Training Theory and Practice, eds. W. Brendan Reddy and Clenard C. Henderson. Alexandria, VA, and San Diego, CA: NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science and University Associates, 243-248.
North Carolina Educators for Social Responsibility. The Center for Peace Education. Prejudice and awareness concepts. Photocopy. Chapel Hill, NC.
Sherover-Marcuse, R. Towards a perspective on unlearning racism: 12 working assumptions. Photocopy. Oakland, CA: Unlearning Racism Workshops. (Ricky Sherover (1938-1988) was the founder of Unlearning Racism Workshops.)
Wong, F.F. (1991). Diversity and community: Right objectives and wrong arguments Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning. July/August, 48-54.
A. Encourage participants to come into the room and be seated approximately 5 minutes before the start of the program. When it is time to begin, one trainer shuts the doors.
B. Trainers who are reading quotations should place themselves around the room. They can be a part of the audience or stand in the back. One trainer dims the lights. One trainer is assigned to work the computer and another the music; both will be timed to work together with the reading of each quotation.
C. The trainers read the quotations in TSupp-1. (Quotations are not included in the trainer outline because they are updated periodically.) After the quotations have been read, the lights are returned to normal, and the co-trainers for this session introduce themselves (TSupp-1: Cultural Awareness Quotations).
D. Review the learning objectives for this session. Remind participants that they may pass on participating in any Institute activity. At the same time, encourage everyone to take the risk of being involved in this day's activities, because they are crucial to the success of the partnership. Emphasize that cultural awareness is woven throughout this Institute (T-1: Learning Objectives).
E. Review T-2 (Descriptive Words, words used to describe work on cultural competence).
F. Review the strategies for developing a culturally competent prevention system described in T-3 through T-15:
Content Points
Mobilize all sectors and systems within the community (T-4: Mobilized).
Use actions, as well as attitudes, that seek to facilitate community empowerment (T-5: Empowerment).
Emphasize ways to facilitate the involvement of diverse cultural groups and communities (T-6: Involvement).
Recognize, value, respect, and build on the diversity of groups within the community (T-7: Respect).
Be committed to inclusion and building relationships (T-8: Committed).
Be committed to intensive outreach (T-9: Intensive).
Encourage maximum participation and involvement at all levels and in all phases of planning and decision making (T-10: Maximum).
Recognize the need for legitimacy, acceptance, and credibility within all cultural groups and communities (T-11: Credibility).
Identify one's own norms, attitudes, values, practices, knowledge, understanding, and beliefs regarding one's culture of origin and all diverse cultural groups in the community (T-12: Own).
Be committed to learning about other cultural groups and communities (T-13: Learning).
Acquire skills in culturally appropriate (T-14: Skills):
A. Ask participants to pair with someone whom they do not know for the next activity. After a few minutes, ask persons who have not found a partner to raise their hand, and help them find a partner or be their partner.
B. Ask participants to close their eyes and think about the first time that they realized that they were different from people of other cultural groups. Ask them to think about the following questions:
Discussion Questions
How did you make this discovery?
How did you feel?
Who did you talk to about it, and how did they react?
Directions
C. Ask the partners to discuss their experiences and what they mean for understanding how to work with people from different cultural groups.
D. Reassemble the group, and ask a few participants to share their thoughts about this exercise.
A. Explain the definitions of "culture," "ethnicity," and "race," using T-16 to T-18 and the following content points:
Content Points
Our culture of origin provides us with our basic understanding of the world. It provides us with the means to perceive and explain our experiences. It teaches about customs, philosophy, and behavior. People can identify with multiple cultural groupings based on characteristics such as (T-16: Definition of Culture):
Ethnicity,
Race,
Gender,
Sex,
Sexual orientation,
Religion,
Physical challenges,
Socioeconomic status, and
Living environment (rural, urban, suburban).
Ethnicity refers to a population's or group's common cultural heritage, as distinguished by such characteristics as (T-17: Definition of Ethnicity):
Customs. Appropriate and inappropriate behaviors.
Language. Refers not only to different languages but to different usages of the same language.
History. History as a community, region, or country that shapes how we perceive ourselves and others.
National origin. People who share a common cultural heritage may be affected by the different political and socioeconomic characteristics of different countries of origin.
Race refers to groupings based on physical traits by which people can be distinguished (T-18: Definition of Race).
Directions
B. Use T-19 to talk about the importance of understanding that all cultural groups need to learn to work with different culture groups (T-19: Everyone).
Content Points
Since we all grow up with a perspective based on our culture of origin, everyone has difficulty working with people with another cultural background. It is a challenge that everyone faces.
Our cultural heritage may provide us with filters, called prejudices, that give us a set of preconceived ideas about other groups.
Members of dominant groups in society may have certain privileges of which they may be unaware. Their failure to perceive these privileges may act as a barrier to cross-cultural understanding.
People who share one grouping (e.g., race) may differ because of a predominant or primary identification with another grouping (e.g., ethnicity).
Directions
C. Using T-20, discuss the following ethnic and cultural stumbling blocks (T-20: Ethnic and Cultural Stumbling Blocks):
Content Points
Language. People may use different languages or different dialects of the same language. Certain words, phrases, or concepts may be difficult or impossible to translate.
Class-related values. Differences based on the socioeconomic class may create differences in values and customs. Privileges may be taken for granted by people in higher socioeconomic groups.
Culture-related values. Different meanings and values are attached to behavior, objects, events, and situations by different cultures.
Nonverbal communications. Gestures, physical distance, facial expressions, and eye contact may have different or even opposite meanings among different cultures.
Stereotyping. The assignment of characteristics or beliefs about another culture based on prejudice or limited exposure.
Racism. The belief that one race is superior in some way to another.
Ethnocentricity. The belief that one's ethnicity provides the true or correct view of the world and that any other interpretation is false.
Directions
D. Explain the cultural awareness model using T-21 through T-27 and the following content points:
Content Points
The cultural awareness model is based on work by Peter Muniz and Robert Chasnoff. It is intended to outline a process by which people can become more aware of how to work with people from different cultures (T-21: The Cultural Awareness Model).
The model is intended to be fluid; an individual will necessarily go through the stages in the same order as others or in the same way each time. However each level must be explored anew with regard to each different culture one seeks to understand.
Level 1-The Self. The first level requires that one understand one's own experiences, values, and interpersonal abilities (T-22: The Self).
Level 2-Prevention Skills. This level requires that the individual have the necessary skills to work within the technical areas he or she wants to use for building a relationship with another cultural group or an awareness of the technical areas he or she wants to learn about from another cultural group. It is important to be honest about one's level of competence (T-23: Skills).
Level 3-Factors Beyond Culture That May Influence Behavior. Although everything is affected by cultural interpretations, other factors such as skill levels, hunger, homelessness, health, and safety will have an impact on one's ability to work with another cultural group (T-24: Factors Beyond "Culture").
Level 4-One's Own Culture. We often take our own culture for granted. We need to explore our culture and understand how it affects our motivations, behaviors, and thoughts before we can know how to interact with other cultures. In the United States, past generations may have buried aspects of their culture of origin to blend in with the dominant culture, and burying one's culture may have an emotional impact on one's ability to learn about other cultures (T-25: One's Own Culture).
Level 5-Factors Specific to One's Own Community (or Country). It is important to understand how our own community history affects how we view other communities. Both positive and negative experiences are a part of every community heritage. As one begins to work with other communities, one must understand that communities may differ, even among people with common cultural heritages. Local issues, especially events receiving high publicity (such as a recent teenage death related to driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs) and politically powerful groups (such as alcohol producers and distributors who employ a large percentage of community members), shape community perceptions (T-26: Factors Specific to One's Own Community).
Level 6-The Other Culture. We must be able to step outside our biases and accept that other cultures have different ways of perceiving the world that are equal to our own. We must be open to trying new behaviors and learning new ways of communicating. We must learn to be able to see things from a different perspective in a way that does not threaten our own identity or culture of origin. Being open to another culture means accepting the disorientation and awkwardness of learning new ways of perceiving and behaving and at the same time strengthening our understanding of our own culture. Finally, working with other cultures allows us the flexibility to choose new ways of living if they are congruent with who we want to become in the future (T-27: Other Cultures).
A. In preparation for this activity ask all participants to help clear the center of the room of all chairs, notebooks, glasses, cups, etc. Other trainers can assist in moving equipment to the sides of the room. Co-trainers should make sure there is nothing in the center of the room that could cause someone to fall (TSupp-2: Culture Walk).
Directions
B. Ask everyone to go to one side of the room. Ask people to spend 2 minutes thinking about their cultural identity. Give participants the following information and instructions:
The purpose of this activity is to help create awareness about our feelings about our own cultural identity and our relationships with people from other cultures.
This is a nonverbal exercise. It will enhance the experience if you do not talk during the activity. Focus your own reactions to the experience.
Trainers will be calling out specific cultural groupings and asking people who are members of, or identify with, this grouping to cross to the other side of the room.
People have various reactions to this activity. We encourage you to be honest with yourself during the activity and with the group during the discussion afterwards.
Remind people that anyone has the right to pass on an activity, but that they are asked not to leave once the walk begins and to participate fully if they stay.
If a participant chooses to walk for a group, she or he should walk completely to the other side of the room.
C. Before we begin, I would like to ask everyone to close their eyes for one minute and think about who you are and which cultures you identify with.
D. Begin the music. Generally an instrumental tape is best. The co-trainers will alternate calling a cultural grouping and reading the instructions for that grouping. Other trainers should be aware of participants who have strong emotional reactions to the activity and be available to assist. Trainers need to be aware of anyone who leaves the room during the activity, and one trainer should follow the person out of the room to see if they need any assistance. Co-facilitators are urged to read the instructions for the walk from TSupp.-2 exactly as written for each grouping.
Trainer Note: It is important to use the last grouping on the Instructions ("A group that has not been called").
E. After 30 minutes are up or all groupings have been read, ask participants to form triads. Encourage participants to find people they do not know well.
F. Give the small groups 10 minutes to process the activity, using the following questions as guidelines. (It is unlikely a group will be able to cover all of them.)
Discussion Questions
How did you feel during this exercise?
What was personally powerful for you?
What did you observe that affected you?
How did it feel to be in the group that walked to the other side of the room?
How did it feel to be in the group that stayed?
Directions
G. After the 10 minutes, ask groups to talk for another 10 minutes about what their communities would be like if they were culturally competent and inclusive.
Back to Table of Contents Cont'd.