Intercultural MeetingsThe rewards of stepping outside your comfort zone

Prof Alison PhippsDr Giovanna Fassetta

Overview

• What is GRAMNet• Intercultural approach to diversity

– De-centring– Openness and questioning– Cultivating curiosity– Experiencing and engaging– Remembering the body

• Dealing with difference • Q&A

GRAMNet

• Launched in December 2009, the Network brings together researchers and practitioners, NGOs and policy makers undertaking research and knowledge exchange with migrant, refugee and asylum communities in Scotland and internationally

• GRAMNet has over 200 members and collaborates with almost 40 different partner organisations

GRAMNet’s aims

• GRAMNet partners work collaboratively to generate relevant research to answer pressing questions facing migrants and those who provide them with support.

• GRAMNet aims to bring the best of relevant and up to date academic research to those working on the frontline of service delivery, policy and campaigns

GRAMNet online presence

GRAMNet website: www.glasgow.ac.uk/gramnet

GRAMNet blog: https://gramnet.wordpress.com

Comfort zones

Activity

Take 2 minutes and write down your personal answer to the following:

1)In your household describe where exactly you keep eggs and jam at home2)Describe the stages (in order) involved in making a cup of tea.

De-centring

‘De-centring’ shows us that our ways of doing things (our practices) are not simply given, natural or correct. We have learned them from others.

Who taught you where the eggs/jam live? Who taught you to make a cup of tea?

Openness and questioning

In former ‘expertise’/ multicultural approaches to diversity you would learn lots of facts about religions and cultures

In an intercultural approach it is important that you do not pretend to know or be an expert on other cultures.

Ask, don’t assume you know.

Cultivating curiosity

Describe and dialogue

Curiosity is the basis of intercultural approaches. These have developed out of anthropology and carefully, respectfully and ethically describing in detail how people live, rather than judging people for their differences.From description (where I keep the eggs/jam) comes understanding (because that’s where my mum kept them!) and then empathy and understanding.

Experiencing and engaging

Try out new things from other cultures. Be confident that this will not threaten you but will enrich your work and understanding.

Meeting, greeting and eating are at the core of the social bond.

Activity

Have a conversation together about the weather in a language other than English for 2 minutes.

Greet each other first and then talk about the weather. If you manage this try talking about football or the price of milk.

Remembering your body

Intercultural approaches are based on human interactions and material interactions (relationships with objects and with people).

These are not based on cognitive, pre-digested knowledge (looked up on Wikipedia!) but on experiences shared with others and learned from others.

They are experienced physically.

Dealing with difference

Difference is a normal part of lifeDifference is ordinaryFear of difference is a greater problem than differenceThe fear is rooted in an ‘expert’ model of cultureYou do not need to be an ‘expert’ in cultures to be able to respect difference and diversityFeeling uncomfortable is a natural responseBut it can be overcome, and this can be very rewarding

Questions and feedback?

alison.phipps@glasgow.ac.ukgiovanna.fassetta@glasgow.ac.uk