Multicultural Awareness

Iceberg Theory

You As A Culturally Diverse Entity

Source: Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe, Managing diversity: A complete desk reference and planning guide, 1993

Who Are You?

You belong to multiple circles(e.g. North American, student,etc.)

Source: Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe, Managing diversity: A complete desk reference and planning guide, 1993

What is Culture?

How would you define culture?

Definition of Culture

Culture is “the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others.”

(p.4)

Source: Geert Hofstede & Gert Jan Hofstede, Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind, 2005

Human Nature

Culture

Personality

Universal

Specific togroup or category

Learned

Specific toindividual

Inherited andlearned

Source: Geert Hofstede & Gert Jan Hofstede, Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind, 2005

Inherited

Three Levels of Uniqueness in Mental Programming

NationalCulture

CorporateCulture

PersonalCulture

THREE CULTURES MODEL

Source: Gardenswartz, L. et.al, The global diversity desk reference, 2003

Iceberg Theory:Sources of Differences Between Countries and Groups

IDENTITYLanguageFoodRules, Laws

Values (Software of the mind)

Adapted From: Geert Hofstede & Gert Jan Hofstede, Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind, 2005

Culture is like an iceberg.Most of what we know about people is hiddenbelow the surface (theirthinking, values, etc.)

Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity

Denial Defense Minimization Acceptance Adaptation Integration

Source: M.J. Bennett, The Intercultural Communication Institute

Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity

Ethnocentric Stages Denial of differences Defense against difference Minimization of difference

Ethnorelative Stages Acceptance of difference Adaptation of difference Integration of difference

Source: M.J. Bennett, The Intercultural Communication Institute

Example:INDIA

INDIA FACTS

Population: 1 billion 16.7% of world’s population Median Age: 24.9

Literacy Rate: 59.5% English Speaking: 350 million

Religions

Religions: Hindu 80.5% Muslim 13.4% Christian 2.3% Sikh 1.9% Other 1.8% Unspecified 0.1%

Food

Religious value (Non-violence, halaal, caste taboos)

Symbolic value (fasting) Societal value (hospitality)

Gujarati Thali

This is a typicalvegetarian mealin the state ofGujarat, India.