session 2 building relationships through cultural lenses 1| cultural lenses | ©2013 ymca of the usa...

Session 2

Building relationships through cultural lenses

1 | CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

HUSB 318: Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Human Services

David Lopez, M.S.

challenge

How do you get the expertise on all cultures in order to understand cultural differences?


EIGHT cultural lenses

• Power Distance

• Individualist and Collectivist

• Competitive/Cooperative

• Uncertainty Avoidance

• Time Orientation


• Historical Background

• Faith/Spirituality/Secularism

• Generational Aspects

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND LENS

Defined:

•Personal culture influenced by the historical nature of the person’s country of origin

•Influence of colonialism on worldview

•Relationship between country of origin and the USA

Questions to Consider:

•What is this person’s historical background?

•How would a person’s historical background influence their relationship with you?


ACTIVITY #2

Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Historical Background Cultural lens.

•Part 1: Individually assess your own thinking about your historical background.

•Part 2: Work in your small groups.

•Discuss how you use the Historical Background cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.

– What have you observed that may reflect the Historical Background dimension?

– How did you respond?

•Be prepared to share your response.


POWER DISTANCE LENS

Defined:

•Socio-economic status, education, relationships with authority and access to decision making

•Inequitable distribution of resources, and the community response

•Relationship equity vs. formal and economic status

Questions:

•How comfortable or uncomfortable is someone in relation to socio-economic status, education, authority and decision making?

•How would Power Distance be seen in different programs within your organization?


Activity #3

Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Power Distance Cultural Lens.

•Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Power Distance continuum.


•Discuss how you use the Power Distance cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.

– What have you observed that may reflect the Power Distance dimension?

– How did you respond.



INDIVIDUALISM and COLLECTIVISM lens

Defined:

•Individualism: Social ties between individuals are loose. People are expected to look after themselves.

•Collectivism: Integrated into and loyal to extended families and strong, cohesive groups

Question:

•Does someone demonstrate “I” behavior or “You” behavior?

•How might Individualism/Collectivism be seen in your workplace?


ACTIVITY #4

Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Individualist/Collectivist cultural lens.

•Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Individual-Collectivist continuum.


•Discuss how you use the Individualist/Collectivist cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.

– What have you observed that may reflect the Individualist/ Collectivist dimension?




Competitive/cooperative

Defined:

• Competitive cultures often value competition, assertiveness, ambition and personal wealth.

• Cooperative cultures value shared leadership, relationships, quality of life and social performance.

Question:

•How have changes occurred in the US among men and women when viewed through the Competitive/Cooperative lens?

•How have organizations changed their facilities and/or programs to accommodate changing male/female roles in the US?


Activity #5

Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Competitive/Cooperative cultural lens.

•Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Competitive/ Cooperative continuum.


•Discuss how you use the Competitive/Cooperative cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.

– What have you observed that may reflect the Competitive/Cooperative dimension?




Uncertainty avoidance lens

Defined:

•A society’s tolerance for uncertainty

•The extent individuals feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations

•Cultures that avoid uncertainty appreciate punctuality and schedules

•Cultures which avoid uncertainty minimize anxiety by strict laws and security measures

Question:

•How comfortable or uncomfortable is someone in unstructured situations?

•Where does your organization typically fall on the Uncertainty scale? What happens when people don’t share the same place on the scale?


Activity #6

To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Certainty-Uncertainty cultural lens.

•Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Certainty-Uncertainty continuum.


•Discuss how you use the Certainty-Uncertainty cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.

– What have you observed that may reflect the Certainty-Uncertainty dimension?




Faith/spirituality/secularism lens

Defined:

Recognizing and understanding a culture’s religions and faiths.

Question:

•How does faith affect how someone behaves?


Activity #7

• Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Faith/Spirituality/Secularism Cultural Lens.

• Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Faith/Spirituality/Secularism continuum.

• Part 2: Work in your small groups.

• Discuss how you use the Faith/Spirituality/Secularism cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.

– What have you observed that may reflect the Faith/Spirituality/Secularism dimension?

– How did you respond?

• Be prepared to share your response.


Time orientation

Defined:

Long-term orientation encourages thrift, savings, perseverance toward results, and a willingness to subordinate oneself for a purpose.

Short-term orientation is consistent with spending to keep up with social pressure, less savings, preference for quick results, and a concern with saving face.

Question:

How much does society value long-standing – as opposed to short term – traditions and values?


Activity #8

• Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Time Orientation Cultural Lens.

• Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Time Orientation continuum.

• Part 2: Work in your small groups.

• Discuss how you use the Time Orientation cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.

– What have you observed that may reflect the Time Orientation dimension?


• Be prepared to share your response.


Generational lens

Defined:

•Period of time when people are born, grow up and have children of their own.

•People born within a given period of years.

•Generations/age influence the practice of symbols, heroes, rituals and values.

Question:

•Which generation does someone belong?

•What considerations do we have today that didn’t exist when Baby Boomers were kids?


Activity #9

Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Generational Aspects cultural lens.

•Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Generational Aspects continuum.


•Discuss how you use the Generational Aspects cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.

– What have you observed that may reflect the Generational Aspects dimension?




session 2 building relationships through cultural lenses 1| cultural lenses | ©2013 ymca of the usa...

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