Intercultural Awareness

 Introduction and Rationale

Cultural awareness is a major element of cultural competence as defined by the National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC). It is the first and foundational element because without it, it is virtually impossible to acquire the attitudes, skills, and knowledge that are essential to cultural competence.

Defining Cultural Awareness

There are varying definitions of cultural awareness. The NCCC defines “cultural awareness” as being cognizant, observant, and conscious of similarities and differences among and between cultural groups (Goode, 2001, revised 2006).

According to Winkelman (2005), awareness of cultural differences and their impact on behavior is the beginning of intercultural effectiveness. He states that “cultural self-awareness includes recognition of one’s own cultural influences upon values, beliefs, and judgments, as well as the influences derived from the professional’s work culture” (p. 9).

Cultural awareness can help faculty to:

·      Acknowledge how culture shapes their own perceptions

·      Be more responsive to culturally diverse students and colleagues

·      Be more sensitive and accessible as a mentor or supervisor

·      Be alert to cultural differences and similarities that will present opportunities and challenges to working in a multicultural environment

·      Influence the next generation of public health professionals to be culturally aware as a prerequisite toward achieving cultural and linguistic competence.

Cultural awareness includes being conscious of organizational culture and its implications for policy, practice, teaching, research, and community engagement.

Cultural awareness includes:

·      Having a firm grasp of what culture is and what it is not.

·      Having insight into intracultural variation.

·      Understanding how people acquire their cultures and culture’s important role in personal identities, life ways, and mental and physical health of individuals and communities;

·      Being conscious of one’s own culturally shaped values, beliefs, perceptions, and biases

·      Observing one’s reactions to people whose cultures differ from one’s own and reflecting upon these responses

·      Seeking and participating in meaningful interactions with people of differing cultural backgrounds.

Areas of Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills

The NCCC selected the following areas of awareness, knowledge, and skills to highlight in this curricula enhancement module. This list is not exhaustive. Faculty are encouraged to adapt and enhance the following characteristics based on the needs, interests, and areas of focus within their respective disciplines and training programs.

Awareness of:

·      Models of culture

·      One’s self as a cultural being

·      One’s biases and stereotypes

·      The fact that culture impacts health and mental health:

·      Beliefs and practices

·      Treatment and care delivery

·      Access and utilization of care

·      Status and outcome

·      Outcomes, including racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities

·      The need for ongoing self-reflection and learning

·      The impact of organizational and professional culture on practices and policies

·      Health and mental health inequities in current systems.

Knowledge of

·      Techniques for self-reflection

·      Group-specific as well as cross-cutting knowledge in applying cultural awareness to practices and policies.

Skills in

·      Integrating cultural awareness into curricula and teaching activities

·      Modeling cultural awareness across all aspects—teaching, research, and practicum

·      Communicating and interacting in a multicultural environment

·      Observing others and reflecting on one’s own thoughts and behaviors

·      Interactions with peers and other health and mental health professionals

·      Managing the dynamics of difference across cultural groups

·      Providing supervision to diverse students in multicultural environments.

10 DON’Ts

Don't carry and/or flash large sums of cash, nor exchange money at dubious-looking places or with individuals on the street. 

Don’t look like a tourist by dressing like one, appearing lost or consulting a map in public.

Don’t walk with a bag slung loosely over one shoulder, and keep your bag on the opposite side of you from the road to forestall a thief on a bike from snatching it.

Don’t carry a backpack that looks like luggage.

Don't visit dangerous locations, or walk in unfamiliar, isolated or dimly lit areas, especially at night.

Don't leave valuable items in public view; that includes your passport as well as your iPhone.

Don't drive an obvious rental car, the more nondescript the better; keep maps and travel brochures out of sight in the glove compartment.

Don't park anywhere but in well lit places, don't leave valuables in sight (lock them in the trunk), and don’t pick-up hitchhikers.

Don’t keep your vehicle, house or hotel keys on the same key ring.

Don’t store cash, jewelry, medicine or other valuables in your luggage, and never leave your luggage unattended, even for a brief moment.

10 DOs

Do be aware of your surroundings, and watch out for suspicious people or vehicles.

Do use cash substitutes such as traveler's checks or credit cards, and only carry as much money as you immediately need.

Do lock up valuables you are not taking with you in a safe in your room or use your hotel’s safe-deposit box services to store them; lock the windows and doors of your hotel room when going out.

Do make a note of your passport number; in case it is lost or stolen, knowing the number will speed up getting a replacement.

Do make a note of your credit-card numbers and the phone number to call in case you need to report it stolen and cancel it.

Do dress appropriately for your surroundings as much as you can; looking more like a local makes you less of a mark than looking like an obvious tourist.

Do put a band around your luggage as a safeguard against pilferage while in transit; suitcase locks are no barrier to a professional thief.

Do travel with companions while sightseeing or shopping; there is safety in numbers.

Do keep vehicle doors locked and windows rolled up when driving.

Do be alert for staged distractions, such as someone bumping into you, spilling a drink on you, dropping something in front of you or causing a loud commotion; an accomplice can steal your valuables and walk away while you are momentarily distracted.

When traveling it is very important to take these tips into consideration:

Packing: Remember to pack only the necessary clothes not to many, only two pair of pants and some shirts, only one fancy outfit just in case, a pair of tennis shoes and a comfortable dressy shoes.

Meet local people: Try to talk with strangers who look nice and friendly. English is spoken widely all over the world, so it’s easier to communicate with them than you might think.

Pack a scarf: This simple piece of cotton cloth is one of my most useful travel accessories with many different practical applications. It’s great for sun protection, a makeshift towel, carrying stuff around, an eye mask, and much more.

Back everything up: Keep both digital and physical copies of your passport, visas, driver’s license, birth certificate, health insurance card, serial numbers, and important phone numbers ready to go in case of an emergency.

Keep an open mind: Listen to opinions you don’t agree with. It’s arrogant to assume your views are correct and other people are wrong. Practice empathy and put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Embrace different possibilities, opportunities, people, suggestions and interests. Ask questions. You don’t have to agree, but you may be surprised what you’ll learn.

Take a first aid kit: It is very important to have the necessary medicine (cold, headache, stomachache) and bandages.

Take sewing kit: These can help you just in case you have a problem with your clothes or shoes.

Canada:

Canadians are extremely polite when it comes to mild physical faux pas such as stepping on feet or bumping into others. Often both parties will briefly apologize, including the person who was bumped. Use of the word "sorry" in this context is equivalent to "excuse me"; it should not be considered a submissive gesture.

USA:

Not looking someone directly in the eye when speaking can be seen as evasive; this is in contrast to much of the rest of the world, where looking someone directly in the eye may be rude.

Africa (Ghana):

In Ghana, asking a person to a social event (e.g. a bar or restaurant) implies that the person offering the invite will be paying for everything. Inviting a person out and then expecting them to pay for their own drinks, etc is considered extremely rude.

Arab countries:

In most Arab countries, it is considered polite and a sign of friendship to hold hands when walking. This does not have the romantic connotations it does in the West.

South and East Asia: China / Taiwan:

Giving someone a knife as a gift is a faux pas, indicating that you mean them harm or you wish to kill them.

Additionally, the bride gives her parents a fan, symbolizing that she is leaving them for her husband. (Chinese society is traditionally)