CCE Reflection Resources

[Special thanks to: Calvin Spanish Department (Cynthia Slagter), Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN), Richard Slimbach (Azusa Pacific University), Bluffton College (Bluffton, OH), Calvin Education Department (Denise Isom)

 Please send suggestions for additional resources and ideas to: I. Konyndyk, French Department

Cross-cultural Engagement at Calvin College

Description: a core requirement that can be met by any course in which students interact directly with members of a different culture over a significant period of time.

Objectives: 1) to gain skills in cross-cultural communication 2) to understand how the world might look from the standpoint of another community of interpretation and experience 3) to learn how to discern and, where appropriate, adapt to the cultural expectations of the other 4) to learn how to distinguish between the enduring principles of human morality and their situation-specific adaptations 5) to witness other cultural embodiments of faith, and thus to reflect on the substance and definition of one's own faith by comparison.

Reflection Exercises help students PROCESS their cross-cultural experience for the purpose of:

 critical reflection  clarification of issues  asking questions  expressing concerns  testing theories against experience  sharing insights

It can be done individually (e.g. in a journal) and as a group (group discussion). A mixture of the two is probably the most effective, because it gives students a chance to express their own ideas in a private as well as a public forum.

Some suggested “ground rules” for group discussions – to provide an environment that is safe for all:

1. Be respectful toward all speakers. 2. Give all students a chance to express their ideas (draw out the quieter ones, as appropriate; limit the more loquacious one, as needed) 3. Be aware that strong feelings / emotions might emerge at times. Alert the students to this possibility and deal with it when it arises.

CCE — Reflection Resources [Konyndyk] – Last updated 12/02 1 NOTE: Many of these reflection resources are geared towards an off-campus cross-cultural experience. It is hoped that these materials will nonetheless be helpful for students who do their cross-cultural engagement while remaining on campus.

Prior to having the cross-cultural engagement experience, students can reflect on the following:

Personal Introspection:

1. Have you been away from home / family / friends for an extended period of time before? If so, how did it affect you? Were there special issues you had to deal with? How did you handle them? 2. What changes do you anticipate in the host culture? 3. How open are you to change? Generally flexible? Inflexible? 4. What are some things that you are willing to change in your life to adapt to the host culture? 5. How would you describe your lifestyle (e.g. consumption patterns, living patterns, media attention, etc.) 6. What are the most important things in your life right now? Explain. 7. What values are most important to you? 8. What values are you not willing to compromise, no matter what? 9. What do you consider to be enduring principles of human morality? How do you think these principles might be adapted in specific situations? Give specific examples. 10. What are your personal goals for your experience in the host culture? 11. What are your expectations regarding natives of the host culture (e.g. your host family)?

Cultural Introspection:

1. What would you say is the ultimate symbol of America? Explain. 2. What makes American culture different from your host culture? 3. What are some of America’s strengths? Weaknesses? 4. What are some general values we hold as a society? Would you describe them as good? Bad? Should they be different? 5. How do you think the fact that you were born / raised in North America will affect your perceptions of the host culture? Be specific. 6. From what you already know about the host culture, what are some of its strengths? Weaknesses? 7. What is culture shock? How do you propose to move beyond it? 8. How do you think you can be a good guest in your host culture?

CCE — Reflection Resources [Konyndyk] – Last updated 12/02 2 Academic Introspection:

1. What are your academic / learning goals for your college education? [List at least 3.] How might your experience in the host culture enhance / change them? 2. How do you plan to achieve these goals? Be specific. 3. What are your expectations of the ______academic program? (level of difficulty, teaching styles, etc.) 4. What strategies can you use, if you find yourself out of your depth academically? culturally?

Spiritual Introspection:

1. What does going to church represent for you? 2. Have you ever talked about your faith to a non-Christian? How did it make you feel? Explain. 3. Do you think there is “a time and a place” to talk about your personal faith? 4. In general, how do you react to people you meet who hold a faith very different from your own? 5. Is faith culturally conditioned? How? Give specific examples from your own culture. 6. How do think faith might be culturally embodied in your host culture?

CCE — Reflection Resources [Konyndyk] – Last updated 12/02 3 During the cross-cultural engagement experience, students can reflect on the following:

At the beginning of their cross-cultural engagement experience:

1. How do members of the host culture spend a typical day? How does that compare to N. American culture? 2. What are some of the first cultural differences that you have noticed so far? (Give at least 3 of them.) 3. How did you handle them? (Be specific for each difference.) 4. How did you interpret them? (Ditto.) 5. What is totally different from what you expected in the host culture? 6. What has surprised you the most so far? 7. Are you experiencing culture shock? Explain. If so, how are you dealing with it? 8. How do you think a person from the host culture might experience culture shock in North America? 9. What custom in your host culture have you been unable to explain? 10. Talk about the food of your host culture.

Mid-point in their cross-cultural engagement experience:

1. What are you doing to get to know people in the host culture? Are there things that have worked well? Not worked so well? Why do you think that is? 2. How are the people of your host culture similar to you? How are they different? 3. What cultural phenomenon did you observe today? How did it make you feel? How would you explain it to another member of your own culture? What might be a cultural explanation for it (from the point of view of the host culture)? 4. What are some of the cultural embodiments of faith in your host culture? Explain. 5. How would you compare the host culture with N. America in terms of the following: a. language b. marriage & family life / life stages / expected behaviors c. educational system d. socio-economic issues (wages, cost of living, taxes, patterns of consumption, equality, etc.) e. faith issues / religion (beliefs, symbols, places, objects, language, etc.) f. food g. clothing h. shopping for basic needs, etc. i. politics / government j. property k. health care l. media

CCE — Reflection Resources [Konyndyk] – Last updated 12/02 4 m. the arts (music, visual art, architecture, dance, etc.) n. values / morals / ethics o. expectations p. social issues q. lifestyle r. recreation s. other 6. What are some of the traditions and cultural expectations in your host culture that surprised you? Give specific examples. 7. How did you handle these surprises? 8. How would you describe the worldview of your host culture? 9. How does the host culture view N. American culture? Be specific. 10. Who are the leaders in your host culture? Who are the “movers and shakers?” 11. What is your most embarrassing experience thus far? 12. Are there inequalities in your host culture? Explain.

After the cross-cultural engagement experience, students can reflect on the following:

1. The ultimate cultural question: “What motivates people of the host culture to behave the way they do?” Or to put it another way: “What are some of the underlying patterns of beliefs, values and interpretations which motivate the behavior you have observed?” Give some specific examples and explain. 2. What are some of the aspects of the host culture that you would like to take back to N. American culture with you? Why? 3. If there was one thing you could change about your host culture, what would it be? 4. If there was one thing you could change about your native culture, what would it be? 5. What have you learned about yourself through this cross-cultural experience? 6. What have you learned about your own culture through this experience? 7. What have you learned about your faith? 8. Will you maintain connections with people in the host culture? How? Why? 9. How would you prepare a native from your host culture to come to N. America? 10. What are the strengths of your host culture? Weaknesses? 11. Compare your answers in # 5 to what you wrote BEFORE you had your experience. What is different? 12. What was the high point of your stay? Low point? 13. If you were to make a poster of your time in the host culture, what would you put on it? 14. How might you experience “reverse culture shock” when you return to your home culture? How will you deal with that?

CCE — Reflection Resources [Konyndyk] – Last updated 12/02 5 Criteria for Evaluation of Journals / Discussions

 comprehensive and accurate description  ability to move beyond description to reflection on deeper meanings  evidence of openness to understand people and host culture  ability to make connections between host culture and native culture  evidence of thoughtful responses to journal questions  evidence of meeting the 5 CCE objectives

CCE — Reflection Resources [Konyndyk] – Last updated 12/02 6