According to (Matsumoto, 1996), culture is the set of beliefs, values, behaviours, and attitudes dissimilar for each person but shared by a group of individuals, conveyed from one generation to the next. This essay argues why cultural self-awareness is an important component for the development of cultural intelligence. This claim is addressed with the support of current authoritative sources which provide the framework for making such a claim. This will be seen by, defining the terms of cultural self-awareness and cultural intelligence then discussing why cultural self-awareness can help prevent misunderstanding other cultures. Subsequently, it examines how self-awareness can helps an individual to recognise how others regard them. In addition, …show more content…
Cultural self-awareness is defined as being aware of one’s values, beliefs and attitudes concerning ethnicity, culture and race, along with one’s cognizance of the socio-political significance of group membership regarding oppression, cultural privilege (Smith-Augustine, Dowden, Wiggins, & Hall, 2014). By being culturally aware, this can result in cultural intelligence which refers to a person’s capacity to function successfully in social environments with individuals from diverse cultures (Bernardo & Presbitero, 2017). Thus, cultural self-awareness means being cognizant of our cultural elements whilst cultural intelligence is the ability to understand another one’s …show more content…
(Brislin et al., 2006) maintains that what if individuals know what is considered intelligent quintessential behaviour in other cultures and how it compares with intelligent behaviour in the cultures of their own socialisation, they will have a completer understanding of why they must do to modify successfully during overseas assignments. Not to mention, culturally aware people achieve cultural intelligence through the three step process of recognition, respect and reconciliation (Brislin et al., 2006). Recognition according to (Ben-Nun, 2012) is when culturally aware people become aware of the other, leading to the next stage of respect which means showing regard for the worth of something or someone. The last stage is reconciliation whereby parties in conflict create new relations of peaceable coexistence founded on acceptance, mutual trust, consideration and cooperation of each other’s needs (Ben-Nun, 2012). This is apparent when I had a banquet with relatives. Towards the end of the end of finishing my plate of food, I was informed that it was impolite to leave behind an empty plate as this signified you questioned the generosity of the host. Being encouraged not to waste food since I was young, this was undoubtedly a culture shock though I knew I had to adjust my behaviour if I were to be culturally intelligent. Knowing how to adjust behaviour is
The idea of cultural context allows perspective to be placed on the subject of intelligence. We now can say that each culture puts its emphasis on a specific point in the scheme of intelligenc...
Cultural intelligence is the capability that could give insights on how to cope with multi-cultural situations and how to engage properly in intercultural interactions. It is the individual’s ability to interact effectively in culturally diverse situations (Brislin, Worthley & Macnab, 2006). We could consider the cultural intelligence as constantly improving concept; something we can develop over time and it is not only changes through experience, but also through knowledge as well, which includes communication with other
In such a multicultural world, being knowledgeable and understanding of not only your cultural background, but that of others is essential. Building my awareness on cultures different from my own, and how it shapes an individual’s identity, will foster my personal and professional development. Subsequently, I conducted a cultural interview with an individual whose cultural background differed from my own. Several similarities and differences between our cultures were apparent in the interview, specifically in the areas of race, ethnicity, language, values, and worldview.
Becoming aware of a culture supersedes the individual emotions you may experience in trying to understand how a group of people have become, through their own experience, different from the identity that you have attained from your own culture. “Cultural awareness is one being aware of their personal attitudes, beliefs, biases, and behaviors that may influence the type of care they are able to render in an environment.” (Mopraize)
Culture often means an appreciation of the finer things in life; however, culture brings members of a society together. We have a sense of belonging because we share similar beliefs, values, and attitudes about what’s right and wrong. As a result, culture changes as people adapt to their surroundings. According to Bishop Donald, “let it begin with me and my children and grandchildren” (211). Among other things, culture influences what you eat; how you were raised and will raise your own children? If, when, and whom you will marry; how you make and spend money. Truth is culture is adaptive and always changing over time because
Cultural intelligence is quickly becoming the focus for companies looking to diversify into the global market. When focusing on a business strategy, maintaining the conceptual mindset of business as a mission (BAM) is crucial, not only for increasing the company’s success, but individual leaders within the business (Tunehag, 2008). One of the strategies to focus on while improving an approach of BAM is the concept of cultural intelligence. Furthermore, individuals capable of self-study and improvement will begin to see an increase for their company, as well as, God’s kingdom when their focus is in alignment with the teaching of the Holy Bible.
We all come from different backgrounds with different cultural influences. In this paper I will compare my value systems with those of others. I will look at my own personal unconscious biases and how I can overcome these blind spots. I will discuss ways of how I can grow in my cultural competence.
Understanding race, ethnicity, and culture is an extremely important aspect of being a counselor. If an individual does not have cultural identity of their own or understand his or herself as a cultural, ethnic, or racial individual, it may be difficult to help your clients. Understanding and being aware of your cultural identity will help the counselor be conscious of their own prejudice. Being aware of your own prejudice towards any culture, race, or ethnic group may help you redirect your negative thinking into a positive active role as a counselor. Having awareness will make an individual an improved counselor able to empathize and understand any individual who seeks therapy.
Cultures are infinitely complex. Culture, as Spradley (1979) defines it, is "the acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experiences and generate social behavior" (p. 5). Spradley's emphasizes that culture involves the use of knowledge. While some aspects of culture can be neatly arranged into categories and quantified with numbers and statistics, much of culture is encoded in schema, or ways of thinking (Levinson & Ember, 1996, p. 418). In order to accurately understand a culture, one must apply the correct schema and make inferences which parallel those made my natives. Spradley suggests that culture is not merely a cognitive map of beliefs and behaviors that can be objectively charted; rather, it is a set of map-making skills through which cultural behaviors, customs, language, and artifacts must be plotted (p. 7). This definition of culture offers insight into ...
Cultural intelligence (CQ) is defined as an individual’s capability to adapt and function in situations that involves new cultural setting. CQ is regarded a useful tool as it can allow an individual to work in effectively multi-cultural settings. An individual can develop CQ competencies through personal experiences such as travelling/studying abroad, working in a firm that is established from a culture different from their own and also studying the many ways people of different cultures function.
... we are able to characterize the nation’s personality. Cultural awareness will outline each individual temperament coming as one whole.
In addition, research for this project enabled me to identify five essential elements for acquiring cross cultural competency which I will use as guidelines in conflict resolution in my future occupation:
Concerning my cultural awareness, I scored a 43 out of 50. This score seems accurate to me, as I have been working towards becoming a more culturally competent person since becoming a social work student. Being culturally competent is an ongoing process, and I believe it would be incredibly difficult to be fully competent as there are so many different and ever changing cultures. Although a perfect score may be attainable, I believe my score shows my cultural awareness to be satisfactory with room for improvement.
Cultural sensitivity occurs when people recognize and are aware that each country or various ethnic groups of people have their own set of experiences, beliefs, values, and language that affect their perceptions toward life. Addressing Cultural sensitivity permits people to comprehend that there are differences between cultures. Furthermore, having awareness in the differences between cultures permits a culturally competent person to communicate effectively with others that are outside of one’s realm. Some of the differences of Cultural sensitivity can be discovered while traveling outside of the country, such as through Cross-cultural sensitivity experiences. Likewise, a culture has its own norms and beliefs to how one should dress; how one should greet others, such as by referring to a significant individual by his or her first name or surname (comprehending which name should be stated first in foreign names); and/or what foods are permitted to eat or forbidden to eat or understanding what may offend a person (e.g. not accepting a home cooked meal). There are norms, taboos, cultural cues, and cultural etiquette standards that are significant to learning about one’s culture before exploring another country or while working with people who are from your country but who are part of another racial group. It takes time and patience to build a high level of Cultural sensitivity. Educating oneself with a culture’s psychology and its norms is significant toward achieving an increasing awareness toward Cultural sensitivity.
The word 'culture' is often described in terms of concrete ideas or social artifacts. Gary R. Weaver describes some common conceptions such as "good taste," "art or music," or "something that people in exotic foreign lands had."1 However, culture in the context of international assignments relates to how people perceive the world and the influence this perception has on their actions. It is culture on the interpersonal level. Different cultures can perceive the same thing differently, which leads to miscommunication and misunderstanding when one crosses into another culture not their own.