Attitudes & Behaviour

“Cultural Awareness”

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 Structure of Presentation

◆ What is Culture?
◆ Understanding Cultural differences
◆ Dealing with Cultural differences
◆ See some experiences…

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 Take this to your reality

◆ During this class …

◆ Talk about your experiences…
◆ If you agree or no!
◆ Talk about you contact with other
cultures…
◆ Express your thoughts!

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 Culture

A shared system of
◆ meanings,
◆ beliefs,
◆ values
◆ behaviours
through which experience is
interpreted and carried out
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 Culture Is ..

◆ Relative
◆ Learned
◆ Collective
◆ Changes over time
◆ Complex responsive process

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 Forces Shaping Individual
Culture
Urbanization Nationalism Colonisation
Education

Migration
Industrialization
Personal
Minority
Experience Culture Social
background
Values
World-views
Cross-
Ethnic
cultural Beliefs
background
Adjustments Behaviours
Profession
Religion
Gender Language

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 Dangers!

◆ Stereotypes

◆ Prejudice

◆ Ethno-centric perspectives

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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Eating habits

◆ Asia - chop sticks

◆ Europe - knife and fork
◆ Clean right hand in some countries
◆ Common plate

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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Eating habits

◆ Beef
◆ Pork
◆ Horse
◆ “Everything that moves”

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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Eating habits

◆ Pork not eaten by Muslims for

religious reasons
◆ Christians keep horses, dogs and
cats as pets
◆ Fish is neutral

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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Religion

◆ Religion – an important place in

many societies
◆ Knowledge of religion of host
nation very important
◆ Respect religious beliefs

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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Family and Gender

◆ Elders are highly respected in

some cultures
◆ Understand family ties
◆ Different gender beliefs and
views
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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Communication

◆ Language is culture specific

◆ Avoid use of idiomatic
expressions
◆ Humour

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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Body Language

◆ Gesture/body language have

different meanings
◆ Smile will never be misunderstood
◆ Polite handshake is accepted in most
cultures

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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Dress Code

◆ Depends on culture, customs,

traditions and climate
◆ Adapt to local customs

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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Traffic

◆ Peacekeeper die in traffic

accidents
◆ Different traffic conditions
◆ Respect local traffic laws
◆ Adapt to local conditions
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 Understanding Cultural
differences
Time

◆ People have different concept of

time
◆ Need to understand
◆ “You have the clock, we have the
time”
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 Building Cultural Awareness

◆ Understand your own culture

◆ Understand and accept logic of
other cultural frameworks
◆ Cultural differences as unique
and creative problem-solving
opportunity
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 Host Country’s Culture

◆ Knowledge of history, culture,

customs and traditions
◆ Background for the conflict
◆ Expectations from “Blue Berets”

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 Cultural Shock

◆ Unfamiliar:
– Language
– Climate
– Currency
– Road signs
– Colleagues
◆ Adaptation process

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 The Adaptation Stages

◆ Honeymoon
◆ Initial
confrontation
◆ Adjustment crisis
◆ Recovery

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 The Adaptation Stages

STAGE SITUATION APPROACH REACTION

First exciting Excitement;

Honeymoon contact with Observe Curiosity;
new culture Slight concern

Confusion;
First intensive Solve Mystified
Initial
feeling with problems in about;
confrontation
new culture familiar ways Others
behaviour

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 The Adaptation Stages

STAGE SITUATION APPROACH REACTION

Frustration;
Experimentation
Adjustment Problems Anger;
with new
crisis intensify behaviours Confusion
about

New New culture is

Sense of
strategies to understandable
belonging to
Recovery help one ;
culture Enjoying many
function
emerges aspect of it
effectively

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 Cultural Awareness

“If you are

◆ Humble
◆ Respectful
◆ Friendly

you will always be fine”

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 Case Studies

◆ The market place

◆ The toiletexperience
◆ To walk hand in hand
◆ Movement control at the airport
◆ The gift

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 Summary

◆Cultural awareness is increased by

giving you the most common
examples
◆ This is the first step to handle
cultural differences positively, avoid
conflicts due to misperception and to
make you interact positively with
host cultures
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 Summary

◆ Closely related to “Code of

Conduct”, where you get written
rules.
◆ In culture you may find few written
rules, but make sure, you know and
obey them

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