DIVERSITY AT WORK A Cross-Cultural Training Manual for Literacy Tutors, Volunteers and Practitioners May, 2000 RESEARCHED AND PRODUCED BY THE CANADIAN CENTRE ON MINORITY AFFAIRS WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE NATIONAL LITERACY SECRETARIAT. EDITOR AVRIL ROBINSON
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DIVERSITY AT WORK A Cross-Cultural Training Manual for Literacy Tutors, Volunteers and Practitioners May, 2000 RESEARCHED AND PRODUCED BY THE CANADIAN.
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DIVERSITY AT WORK
A Cross-Cultural Training Manual forLiteracy Tutors, Volunteers and
Practitioners
May, 2000RESEARCHED AND PRODUCED BY THE CANADIAN CENTRE ON MINORITY AFFAIRS WITHFINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE NATIONAL LITERACY SECRETARIAT.EDITOR AVRIL ROBINSON
Agenda• Section A - • Section C – Introduction and Dynamics Of Culture Objectives - What is culture - Workshop Objectives - Why culture is important
- Caveats about culture
• Section B - - Cultural diversity Diversity At Work - Understanding Cultural - What diversity means Conditioning - Why diversity is an important issue • Section D – - Demographic change Action Steps - A new client base - Implications for Tutors - Diversity on literacy - Next Steps organizations
Increased diversity of client baseAll tutors are affectedEffective interaction with diverse people essential to achieve work objectivesGreater awareness and understanding of diversity needed to meet the challenge
To assist tutors to better understand the culture values and beliefs of their clients as well as their own beliefs and valuesTo increase awareness of the impact of cultural differences on behaviors and expectations of clients and tutorsTo identify ways in which tutors can improve communication with clients from diverse backgrounds to better achieve vocational rehabilitation objectives
The traditional client base has changedDiversity has an impact on the client-tutor relationshipFailure to adapt to change =lower learning effectiveness
Number %1. Hong Kong 96,540 7.82. Poland 77,455 6.33. P.R. of China 75,840 6.14. India 73,105 5.95. United Kingdom 71,365 5.86. Vietnam 69,520 5.67. Philippines 64,290 5.28. United States 55,415 4.59. Portugal 35,440 2.910. Lebanon 34,065 2.8Total 1,238,455 100.00
Female, minority and aboriginal clients will be an increasing part of your caseload to the year 2000 and beyondClient expectations will differ significantly from the pastTeaching approaches will have to be examined and modified
Make notes about aspects of diversity that you have experienced at teaching. Give examples of how this has affected you as a tutor. Talk about this in your small groups.
Aspects of Diversity Examples of Affects on Teaching
Increased creativity Lack of Cohesion Causes Can Lead to Inability to• Better problem definitions • Validate ideas and people• More alternatives • Agree when agreement is needed• Better solutions • Gain consensus on decisions• Better decisions • Take concerted action
Groups Can Become Groups Can Become• More effective • Less efficient• More productive • Less effective
Collective conditioning of thought and behaviour which distinguishes one human group from anotherThe sum of the common characteristics that influences what a group believes and values, and how it thinks and behaves in response to its environment
Something shared by all or almost all members of a groupSomething that older members of the group pass on to younger membersSomething that structures perceptions of the world and shapes behaviour
Learning how to act and how to expect others to act
Provides a world view which affects:•How people see themselves as individuals and members of a group•What’s considered right and wrong•How authority is viewed•How comfortable people are interacting outside the group•How much feelings and emotions are shown publicly and privately•How important education is•Which career or work is chosen•What appropriate roles are for women and men•How direct or indirect people are in communication
Learning how to act in society and how to expect others to act
Four stages of cultural conditioning• 0-7 years: Imprinting. Behaviour patterns are established through association with significant people in our lives. We observe and adopt the behaviours of those who surround us.• 8-13 years: Co-modelling. We take on the behaviour characteristics of those we admire, a form of hero worship.• 14-20 years: Peer group influence. We strive to be part of the “in crowd” and adopt those behaviours perceived to be acceptable to this group.• 21+ years: Significant emotional event. Behaviour change is a result of some traumatic event that alters the established view of the world.
Everyone is part of a culture where certain behaviours are favoured and others are notThere is diversity within culturesThere are similarities between culturesCultural conditioning is an ongoing processCultural perspectives are limiting• Appreciate what is familiar• Judge critically what is differentSome cultural learning is misinformation
Identify your own cultural biasesAvoid stereotyping • Culture helps explain group attitudes and behaviour, but not all of the group all of the timeExperience and study are needed to understand the roots and assumptions of any cultureWorking cross-culturally requires an open mind and flexible behaviourSome cultural beliefs and assumptions have to be unlearned
6. Relationships 9. Mental processes and learning • Family role and structure • In control vs. fate and luck7. Values and norms • Logical cause and effect vs. • Individual freedom and intuition and holistic thinking achievement and harmony • Learning style • Competition vs. cooperation10. Work habits • Privacy • Work as a calling vs. • Loyalty to abstractions vs. a necessary evil Individuals • Status of different kinds of work • How respect is shown • Value placed on different kinds8. Beliefs and attitudes of rewards • Religious beliefs • Initiative and self-direction vs. • Roles of women and men do as directed • Authority
Hierarchical EgalitarianInstitutionalized authority Authority by consentEach person has their role Anyone can perform any roleInequality based on differences at birth Inequality based on difference is minimizedGroup more important than the individual Both individual and group are important Decisions made for group well- being Decisions are negotiated to achieve Work an expression of group solidarity “win-win”
Orientation toward the past Work benefits individual and society Present and future orientation
Low High
Individualistic FatalisticSelf-regulation is the ideal Authority lies outside the groupRoles are self-determined Roles are assignedInequality based on survival of the fittest Inequality based on distance from powerIndividual more important than the group Group more important than the individualDecisions benefit individual interests Decisions are based on rules that can’t be
Work is for personal gain changedOrientation toward the present Work is a necessary evil
“A nail that sticks up is hammered down”“It’s every man for himself”“All for one and one for all”“What will be, will be”“God willing”“It’s not whether you win or lose it’s how you play the game”“Might makes right”“Live and let live”“Respect your elders”“Some live to work, I work to live”
Apply your understanding about differences in cultural conditioning to your own situation. Analyze your own conditioning in each of the ten areas; then analyze what you think one particular client’s conditioning has been.
Aspects of Culture Cultural Conditioning Cultural ConditioningYOU YOUR CLIENT
1. Sense of self and ____________________ ____________________ space ____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________2. Communication ____________________ ____________________ and language ____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________3. Dress and ____________________ ____________________ appearance ____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________4. Food and eating ____________________ ____________________ habits ____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________5. Time and time ____________________ ____________________ consciousness ____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________10. Work habits and ____________________ ____________________ practices ____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________
Questions
1. Which areas where there have been differences in culturalconditioning and expectations may be causing problems?
2. How could you use this information to overcome some of these cultural barriers?
3. What are you willing to do or expect differently in order to clear up any misunderstandings or erroneous assumptions?
Discounting or refusing to deal with womenSpeaking in a language other than EnglishBringing whole family/children to classesRefusal to shake hands with womenNo nonverbal feedback (lack of facial expression)No eye contactSoft, “dead fish” handshakeStanding too close when talking
Heavy accent or limited English facilityComing late to classes or being unavailableWithholding or not volunteering necessary informationNot taking initiative to ask questionsCalling/not calling you by your first nameEmphasizing formal titles in addressing peopleUnwillingness to make quick decisionsOffering “foreign” food and beverages
Understanding where you and your client are coming from can enable you to find better ways to support and motivate your clients and use the teaching relationship more effectively