Life Skills : An Overview UNIT 4

Structure 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Cultural Sensitivity: Meaning and Importance 4.3 Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity 4.4 Dimensions of Cultural Sensitivity 4.5 Skills Needed to be Culturally Competent 4.6 Implications of Cultural Sensitivity 4.7 Let Us Sum Up 4.8 References and Suggested Readings 4.9 Check Your Progress - Possible Answers 4.1 INTRODUCTION

This unit illustrates and explains the meaning, concept and importance of cultural sensitivity and it tries to develop an understanding that people are not all the same as they all may appear to be. Cultural sensitivity is used and understood in a very broad connotation and is also referred by different terms such as cultural awareness, cross cultural awareness, sensitive towards different cultural identities and acceptance of different . It is one of the advanced postulates of social and cultural development. It helps to understand the happiness quotient of an individual and is regarded as yardstick of . It is very helpful for a researcher, development worker and a traveler to successfully build an understanding and win over a different with which they are interacting.

Cultural sensitivity, in today’s global market oriented society is directly related and dependent upon communication, and communication is an integral part of inter personal relationship and public relations. Cultural sensitivity is a necessary effort that one makes to become culturally competent. On a broader scale it also helps in communication development, business communication, specifically in the field of public relations, so that public relations professionals can work at their most effective levels in today’s intercultural business between two individuals, and it demystifies the myth that your culture is no better than any other culture. The understanding of cultural sensitivity will help in the development of competencies in public dealing, interpersonal environment and builds a skill to adjust and adapt with other social and cultural groups for any kind of activity. In today’s multicultural interactive world, cultural sensitivity is a necessary tool and an effort that one makes to become culturally competent. Once an individual recognizes the importance of cultural sensitivity, he or she can become culturally competent through the development of specific skills related to cultural competency. The skills needed to be culturally competent will be further explained and expanded in this unit. After reading this unit, the students are expected to: explain the meaning and importance of cultural sensitivity understand the stages and dimension of cultural sensitivity describe Skills needed to be culturally competent analyze implications of cultural insensitivity 34 Cultural Sensitivity 4.2 CULTURAL SENSITIVITY: MEANING AND IMPORTANCE

4.2.1 Meaning

Cultural sensitivity is being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist without assigning them a – positive or negative, better or worse, right or wrong. It simply means that you are aware that people are not all the same and that you recognize that your culture is no better than any other culture. Our country in particular is well known for diversified language, cultures, religions, ethnic groups including tribal communities of different geographical locations, and indigenous communities. One interacts with members of these diversified groups more frequently in workplaces, educational institutions, media and organizations of all types, and one is required to being culturally sensitive to these groups.

There are several definitions of cultural sensitivity defined from different perspectives and from different discipline background, but this one gets the idea across the best. Cultural sensitivity implies that both groups understand and respect each other’s characteristics. This is always a challenge, and even more so in big country with a large population size where the is itself very heterogeneous in nature. Cultural sensitivity is the knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of other cultures, in other words the ability to appreciate, respect and ability to adjust with people with different backgrounds without making it obvious that one is trying to adjust without any appreciation. Cultural sensitivity can also be defined as “the willingness, ability and sensitivity required to understand people with different backgrounds”, and acceptance of all forms of social and .

Cultural sensitivity means the acceptance of those differences and not believing that one’s own culture is superior. The term “cultural competence” is often used to describe those skills acquired to embody cultural sensitivity, particularly in the workplace. Cultural sensitivity inculcates flexibility to learn, respect, accept and appreciate different cultures, languages, , living, dressing and food habits.

Having the knowledge and understanding of what defines culture is the first step in becoming more culturally sensitive. The most popular concept of culture is the iceberg model, in which we can see that only some aspects of culture are visible to us and many more are hidden. Like an iceberg, where we can only see the top reaching out of the water, culture only shows us a few visible aspects and hides most of it under the seas. Cultural sensitivity is the effort an individual makes to see beyond the tip of the iceberg and try to understand the aspects of culture that are hidden, but make up the base and the majority of the culture (Lutz, 2017). 4.2.2 Importance of Cultural Sensitivity

After learning about one’s own culture, a person can take that knowledge and compare his culture to another. When a person tries to learn and understand a different culture, he also enriches his own understanding of different culture 35 Life Skills : An Overview especially about the manner and behavior pattern of its people. This makes him empathetic towards the new culture and he becomes more sensitive towards the people from different culture. Becoming culturally aware of one’s own cultural norms and of other’s cultural norms is the initial step toward understanding the differences among cultures and being able to use one’s understanding to better communicate and interact within a new culture. With a deeper understanding of both cultures, an individual can recognize the differences and the similarities between the cultures and readjust his thoughts and actions to better understand the new culture and communicate with the individuals from that culture (Lutz, 2017). The cultural sensitivity is vital to the society, organizations as well as nation states. Some of the important benefits of cultural sensitivity are as follows: i) At the outset cultural sensitivity promotes cultural diversity and pluralism. Owning one’s own culture and respecting other culture promotes . ii) Cultural sensitivity is vital to promote inclusive development. To be sensitive to one another culture is the feature of inclusion and it builds a cohesive society. iii) Culture sensitivity broden the attitude of the people and promotes communication among the people of different culture. It helps to develop healthy understanding. iv) It is one of the important instruments to strengthen social and cultural integration in the pluralistic society where people belonging to different community and practicing different culture co-exist. v) Culture sensitivity would help the nation states in resolving communal conflict and peace building. vi) One of the advantages of the cultural sensitivity is that it will encourage and . vii) Last but not the least it will play an important role in national integration. 4.3 STAGES OF INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY

There are many areas of differences between upbringing of two individuals based on the parental background, educational level, religious background, exposure, location and many other factors which condition the thinking, , language and behavior. Let us try to understand this with the help of examples, persons raised in different religious background learns from the values and ethos prevalent in different religions. Persons grown in the family of Sikh, upper caste Hindu, lower caste Hind, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian will have entirely different ways of life, food habits, customs and traditions. Similarly, persons grown up in a rural area; urban area; metropolitan city or in the suburbs will have differences amongst themselves on various counts. The difference of growing up in wealthy, or poor family; growing up with two moms or divorced parents; growing up in Asian, African, European or Arab neighborhood will have again range of differences. The areas of differences that may require cultural sensitivity are endless. All of our experiences and lack of experiences impact our cultural sensitivity for better or worse. This understanding on the different stages of cultural sensitivity will be very helpful and will make us feel more confident in any new situation arising while interacting with a person from a completely different background. 36 According to Milton Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity Cultural Sensitivity there are six stages that a person must go through to become culturally sensitive: denial, defense, minimization, acceptance adaptation, and integration. Knowing and understanding these six stages of cultural sensitivity can empower oneself to handle in culturally diverse situations with a deeper knowledge and sensitivity to others’ experiences. Taking an honest inventory throughout the six stages of becoming culturally sensitive can enhance communication skill with those around. Our relationships and interactions with others can be enhanced when one can see other’s worldviews outside of one’s own. Further, our own worldviews may expand and grow by taking in and being open to other’s perspective. No one knows exactly what someone else’s life has been like. Every day people encounter adversities based on their cultural upbringing and difference from others, and people make lot of mistakes by saying inadvertently culturally offensive statements or comments, and as a result one has to face embarrassing situations sometimes. The most common mistake prevalent in our society is that a person tends to evaluate other people’s culture based on their own culture. The Six Stages to becoming more culturally sensitive are: 1) Denial: In the Denial stage one may find only one’s own beliefs, values, and behaviors to be real. When in the Denial stage one does not notice other cultures, or may look at other cultures in a very vague way. For example, someone in this stage would say, “As long as we speak the same language, there’s no problem.” One may differentiate the person as a “foreigner” or “immigrant.” 2) Defense: Within the Defense stage, one is able to acknowledge that the differences are there and take one of two directions with one’s views. One will see own culture as the most evolved or least evolved. The dominant culture (the white male for example) sees the Defense stage as an attack on their values (what the non-dominant culture sees as privileges). People who fall into this category of the Defense stage may say things like “they’re taking our jobs.” 3) Minimization: People in the minimizer stage may start to categorize the differences into more generalized categories in order to see similarities, for example physical features. One may find oneself saying something like “After all, we’re all human!” Another example of a generalized category is religion, where one may minimize all the different denominations or religions and state “we’re all creatures of God.” 4) Acceptance: Within the acceptance stage of cultural sensitivity, a person does not necessarily “agree” with the other worldviews, but they acknowledge the other cultures as having just as much value as the one that they identify with. People in the acceptance stage tend to be more inquisitive towards others, asking many questions to try to understand for themselves, rather than rely on previous prejudices. You might find yourself saying, “I do not eat pork, but that doesn’t mean you do not have to eat pork, as well.” 5) Adaptation: In the adaptation stage one is able to experience another culture and behave according to what is culturally appropriate. Behaving according to the cultural rules allows oneself to feel empathy within different contexts. Adaptation does not mean giving up your own beliefs, behaviors, and values. Instead, it adds to the original beliefs, behaviors, and values within the different experienced contexts. 37 Life Skills : An Overview 6) Integration: The last stage of becoming more culturally sensitive is Integration. At this stage one will have the ability to stay true to oneself and its own worldview but also move in and out of different cultures appropriately and easily. It further makes oneself to adapt and take on multiple perspectives within each of these cultures with little to no stress to the people within these different cultures due to a marginalized self-identity.

In the above section , you have read cultural sensitivity-meaning and importance and stages of intercultural sensitivity. Now, answer the questions given in check your progress 1. Check Your Progress 1 Note: a) Write your answer in about 50 words b) Check your answer with possible answers given at the end of the unit Q1. Write the meaning and importance of cultural sensitivity ...... Q2. What are the major stages in becoming culturally sensitive? ......

4.4 DIMENSIONS OF CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

Being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist and have an effect on values, learning and behavior, and people have to understand and respect each other as they are and interact with them for day to day activities. Hence, a set of skills is needed that allows oneself to understand and learn about people whose cultural background is not the same as their own. Hence, it is important to develop a solid framework to understand the various stages of cultural sensitivity or “intercultural sensitivity” that a person may experience. At this stage of cultural sensitivity, people don’t recognize cultural differences and experiences. They believe their culture is the only “real” one and they tend to interact in homogenous groups and to stereotype everyone else. They develop empathy for other cultures. One of the main purposes of becoming more culturally competent is to become more effective in your relationships with colleagues, and consumers or clients.

A few dynamics of cultural sensitivity are: (i) cultural diversity; (ii) cultural pluralism; (iii) ; and (iv) cross-cultural communications. 38 i) Cultural Diversity Cultural Sensitivity Diversity is defined in the dictionary as “the condition of being different.” A crucial mistake many people make is to equate diversity with “race” and “culture”. They think diversity is about “what Hispanics are like” or “what Europeans are like”. This approach is inherently flawed because it reinforces stereotypes and promotes an “us versus them” mentality. Diversity also extends far beyond race and culture to include a number of dimensions of differences. The two major dimensions of diversity are primary and secondary diversity. The primary dimensions are things that we cannot change: such as age, race, ethnicity, , physical qualities and . The secondary dimensions include topics such as income, education, religious beliefs, military experience, geographic location, parental status and marital status. ii) Cultural Pluralism Cultural Pluralism can be defined as an arrangement in a society where multiple smaller cultures assimilate in mainstream society but also maintain their cultural uniqueness without being homogenised by the dominant culture. The difference in cultural pluralism can be observed between homogeneous societies like Israel, Japan, South Korea which have only one dominant culture and hence no need to accommodate other cultures and heterogeneous societies like United States of America, India, United Kingdom, etc. However, while a lot of societies are heterogeneous i.e. they have multiple cultures, that does not necessarily mean that they are also culturally plural because cultural pluralism requires not just the existence of different cultures within a society but also respect for these cultures by the dominant culture. India has always been proud of its culturally plural society. India has a dominant north Indian, Hindi speaking culture, however cultures from the south and northeast India coexist simultaneously with mutual respect and admiration, let us take the example of South Indian cuisines like (Dosa, Idli, Vada, Uttapam), dance forms (Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Bihu), literature (Sangam literature) are not only respected in the rest of the country but gets an equal space in the cultural display. Religious pluralism in the form of the prevalence of mosques, gurudwara, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi temples and their open religious celebration often joined in by their Hindu friends is a testament to India’s religious pluralism. iii) Cultural Assimilation Cultural assimilation is the process by which a person or a group’s language and/or culture come to resemble those of another group. The term is used to refer to both individuals and groups, and in the latter case it can refer to either immigrant diasporas or native residents that come to be culturally dominated by another society. Assimilation may involve either a quick or gradual change depending on circumstances of the group. Full assimilation occurs when new members of a society become indistinguishable from members of the other group. Whether or not it is desirable for an immigrant group to assimilate is often disputed by both members of the group and those of the dominant society. iv) Cross Cultural Communications 39 Life Skills : An Overview Cross is a field of study that looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavor to communicate across cultures. Cross-cultural communication endeavors to bring together the relatively unrelated fields of with established areas of communication. At its core, cross-cultural communication involves understanding the ways in which culturally distinct individuals communicate with each other. Its charge is to also produce some guidelines with which people from different cultures can better communicate with each other. Cross cultural communication thus refers to the communication between people who have differences in any one of the following: styles of working, age, nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

4.5 SKILLS NEEDED TO BE CULTURALLY COMPETENT

There are many opinions and views regarding becoming culturally sensitive. Being culturally sensitive is also referred as being inter culturally sensitive, there are variations to what skills are specifically needed to become inter culturally sensitive. Some of the important skills that are considered common themes in becoming inter culturally sensitive are that the individual must have an open attitude, be self-aware, have an understanding of the cultures language, nonverbal behavior, silent languages, values and adjusting nature which affect thinking and decision-making processes. Now, we can elaborate the above mentioned skills so as to further explain them in detail. i) Open Attitude: An open attitude is about developing a global mindset. The requirements to achieve this open mindset are to challenge assumptions, avoid quick judgments, tolerate ambiguity and complexity, exercise patience, and pursue learning, which means that an individual must be willing to learn, try and experience new things. ii) Self-awareness: Understanding one’s own culture has been referenced numerous times, but the importance of self-awareness cannot be stressed enough. Intercultural sensitivity education should include self-awareness building, because cultural understanding of similarities and differences are referenced to a person’s home culture. There are many questions one must ask himself when improving self-awareness, such as “What are my cultural values, beliefs and attitudes? iii) Verbal Language: The verbal languages of cultures create an obvious divide and can make understanding and communication between cultures impossible. Even being able to speak a second language does not aid in understanding as much as being a native speaker. Just because two individuals can speak the same language does not mean they fully understand each other. iv) Nonverbal Behaviors: Nonverbal behavior comprises 80-90 percent of a culture’s communication, which are commonly taken for granted subconsciously. Because of the subconscious nature of nonverbal language, understanding becomes increasingly difficult. Nonverbal behavior communicates the context of a situation. Consequently, a situation’s context can be interpreted numerous ways because of the differences in nonverbal behaviors across cultures. 40 v) Silent languages: There are five silent languages Hall established through Cultural Sensitivity his : time, space, material things, friendships, and agreements (Hall, 1976). These five languages are not openly discussed within a culture, but are a part of the communication styles of the individuals of a culture. vi) Time Frame: The language of time is an abstract influence on the communication and actions of individuals; “time is not something we continuously think about in terms of its meaning; we think about it in terms of its effects on our lives, usually in a subconscious manner” (Rudd & Lawson, 2007). Each culture has a distinct view of time, which creates difficulty when approaching tasks and schedules with different cultures (Hall & Hall, 1987). So, understanding the influence of time on one’s own culture and the different culture is an important concept when trying to create successful communication between cultures. vii) Space: The language of space is the special relationship individuals have between each other, i.e. the physical space between humans. What is considered appropriate space and inappropriate space is heavily influenced by culture. Depending on the context of the interactions between individuals, whether it is a personal or business interaction, decides the accepted physical space. Greetings and introductions, such as handshakes, are common invitations into an individual’s personal space. viii)Material Things: The silent language of material things offers a visible display of what a culture believes is important. This language is used when “assessing individuals from that culture,” such as by the clothes an individual wears, the house a person owns, or the car he drives. The language of material things can also be seen through the level of individualism and collectivism of a culture. Cultures that are more individualistic will hold material things in greater importance than collectivistic cultures. ix) Friendship: Friendship is another silent language and can be often overlooked in importance because of its misunderstood nature. Friendships are essentially how a culture values relationships with others. x) Agreement: The silent language of agreements plays an important role in becoming culturally sensitive, especially in the communication and business world. Agreement is a language highly dependent on other silent languages, such as friendship and the ability to the individuals involved. The ability to trust the individuals is a direct correlation to how a culture views the responsibility of individuals involved in the agreement. xi) Values: Values provide the foundation for a culture and an individual’s communication and behavioral guidelines. Values also define societal priorities and accepted behaviors, and “are so deeply embedded in our psyche that we do not question them at all.

Institutions within a culture also vary depending on the culture referenced. The definition of family may include just the immediate family, like in Western cultures, as opposed to Asian and Latin European cultures’ definition of family that also includes grandparents. Education systems influence the cultural development of a country in relation to the control of the educational system. If education is controlled at a national level, then the educational curriculum will be the same across the culture, but if the education system is separated within a 41 Life Skills : An Overview culture, such as the United States’ decision to control curriculum at a state level, then the curriculum will vary across the culture. Religion also has many moral implications within a culture, specifically on the basis of explaining what is considered right and wrong. This can influence an individual from one culture on his outlook towards communication and interaction with an individual from a differing culture.

The aesthetic component is also important when trying to understand culture, especially the nonverbal language of a culture. Many aspects of cultural appreciation of beauty are not stated aloud, but understood subconsciously (Rudd & Lawson, 2007). Beauty can be seen in art music, color, scenery, dance, and more; which is important to understand when trying to communicate or discuss an event or business deal, because what one culture may value for its beauty, another may find offensive. With an understanding of a culture’s values, an individual can relate his own values to the values of the differing culture and realize the importance of certain aspects of the culture.

4.6 IMPLICATIONS OF CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

Cultural sensitivity has larger implications on the development of the society as well as nation states. Some of the implications of cultural sensitivity are narrated below: i) At the outset, to become an educated global citizen, an individual must be culturally sensitive and culturally competent. Cultural competency is a necessary attribute of a sensitive person, as this allows the individual to become effective in intercultural communication. Becoming culturally competent does not occur from basic knowledge of a culture, but from an understanding of both an individual’s culture and understanding of the differing culture. There is a difference between knowledge of a culture and an understanding of a culture. An understanding is a deeper level of knowledge that allows one to put cultural knowledge into practice. For a person working in a multicultural society, this understanding will help in grasping the subtle social issues, culture provides the meaning for the various forms of communication behaviors, such as spoken language or nonverbal gestures, as well as the rules and norms that governs when and how these behaviors should be used. With the guidance and understanding of culture, public relations professionals can better structure and interpret messages for diverse cultures. ii) As there are so many factors that go into communication, such as language (traditional or slang), the importance of who is speaking, the context, nonverbal cues, and the reader engagement, the target culture must be understood. In relation to understanding a culture’s values, a public relations practitioner must be able to apply the knowledge of values in culture-specific terms and situation-specific terms. The values a culture holds guides societal priorities and accepted behaviors and therefore need to be treated with importance when communicating in the public relations field. iii) For any working professionals including public relations professionals, understanding the thinking and decision-making process of cultures is essential to effective intercultural communication. By applying the knowledge and understanding of a culture, these professionals can 42 communicate in a way that is understandable, meaningful and memorable Cultural Sensitivity to audiences around the globe, which is a main objective in communication. To better understand and successfully communicate with that culture, public relations practitioners must be able to critically analyze the messages, events, and situations presented by multiple cultures and provide multiple points of view (Creedon & Al-Khaja, 2005). By becoming culturally sensitive and competent, a sensitive working person and a global citizen will be able to analyze cultures and provide multiple cultural viewpoints. In the above section you have read about the dimensions of cultural sensitivity, skills needed to be culturally competent and implications of cultural sensitivity. Now, answer the questions given in check your progress 2. Check Your Progress 2 Note: a) Write your answer in about 50 words b) Check your answer with possible answers given at the end of the unit Q1. Explain the various dimensions of cultural sensitivity? ...... Q2. Which are the major skills needed to be culturally sensitive? ......

4.7 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we dealt with the meaning, concept and importance of cultural sensitivity. At the outset, it has examined different terms such as cultural awareness, cross cultural awareness, sensitive towards different cultural identities and acceptance of different cultures. This unit has also explained various stages of intercultural sensitivity, various dimensions of cultural sensitivity and major skills needed to be culturally competent. It also discusses the various implications of cultural sensitivity it the context of today’s globalization and an urgent need for global understanding and cooperation where the concept of social and cultural development is on the front. It also helps to understand the happiness quotient of an individual which is regarded as yardstick of cultural competence. It is very helpful for a researcher, development worker and a traveler to successfully build an understanding and win over a different culture with which they are interacting.

43 Life Skills : An Overview 4.8 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS Creedon, P., & Al-Khaja, M. (2005). Public relations and globalization: Building a case for cultural competency in public relations education. Public Relations Review,31(3), 344-354. Feng, A. (2009). Becoming interculturally competent through education and training (M. Byram & M. Fleming, Eds.). Tonawanda, NY: Multilingual Matters. Haghirian, P. (2012). Successful cross-cultural management: a guide for international managers. New York: Business Expert Press. Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. New York: Anchor Books. Hall, E. T., & Hall, M. R. (1987). Hidden differences: doing business with the Japanese. New York: Anchor Press/Doubleday. Lutz, Sarah A. (2017). “Cultural Sensitivity: Importance, Competencies, and Public Relations Implications”. University of Tennessee.Honors Thesis Projects. Rudd, J. E., & Lawson, D. (2007). Communicating in global business negotiations a geocentric approach. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. 4.9 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS – POSSIBLE ANSWERS Check Your Progress 1 Q1. Write the meaning and importance of cultural sensitivity. Answer: Cultural sensitivity is the knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of other cultures, in other words the ability to appreciate, respect and ability to adjust with people with different backgrounds without making it obvious that one is trying to adjust without any appreciation. Cultural sensitivity can also be defined as “the willingness, ability and sensitivity required to understand people with different backgrounds”, and acceptance of all forms of social and cultural diversity. Q2. What are the major stages in becoming culturally sensitive? Answer: There are six stages which finally helps in becoming culturally sensitive, starting from denial stage, where one finds one’s own values, and behaviors to be real. It is followed by defense stage where one considers his own culture as the most evolved. This is followed by minimization stage where people categories the differences into more generalized categories. It is followed by acceptance stage where one does not agree with other worldviews, it is followed by adaptation stage where one is able to experience another culture and finally the integration stage which makes oneself more sensitive culturally. Check Your Progress 2 Q1. Explain the various dimensions of cultural sensitivity Answer: The various dimensions of cultural sensitivity are cultural diversity, cultural pluralism, cultural assimilation and cross cultural communications

44 Q2. Which are the major skills needed to be culturally sensitive? Cultural Sensitivity Answer: The major skills needed to be culturally sensitive are open mind, self awareness, verbal language, nonverbal behaviors, silent languages, time frame, space, material things, friendship, agreement and values.

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