2. Focus
Questions:
How might you become more interculturally
competent?
How might you help students to become more
interculturally competent?
Keep these questions in mind while you move through
the lesson.You will connect with these questions at the
end of this lesson.
6. Developmental
Model of
Intercultural
Sensitivity
[DMIS]
Provides a framework for understanding intercultural
development and awareness along a continuum from
highly ethnocentric to highly enthnorelative.
DMIS is a constructivist model which helps us to better
understand the “complex phenomena of culture &
intercultural experiences” (Cushner et al. 2022).
Based on decades of academic research and on formal
observations of cross-cultural dynamics in schools,
communities, and organizations
7. Definitions:
Ethnocentrism:
the belief in the inherent
superiority of one's own
ethnic group or culture
a tendency to view other
groups or cultures from
the perspective of one's
own
Ethnorelativism:
a belief based on deep
and heart-felt respect
for other cultures that all
groups, cultures, or
subcultures are
inherently equal
8. 1. Denial
Denial of cultural difference occurs when:
• people fail to recognize distinctions among cultures or
consider them to be irrelevant.
They reject the claim that cultural differences exist or that
they can be meaningful and consequential.
Examples: lumping other cultures into vague homogenized
categories, such as “foreigner” “immigrant” or “Asian”
Examples: stereotyping or demeaning others by assuming
that different cultural dispositions must be the result of
deficiencies in character, intelligence, physical ability, work
ethic, or other innate traits.
9. Denial
In educational
settings
The denial stage may manifest in statements such as:
“Those families just don’t value education.”
“If they really cared about their children they would
show up to more school events.”
In many cases, people at the denial stage are not
intentionally trying to denigrate other cultures or
groups, but their naiveté may nevertheless be hurtful
to others or incline them to support unjust policies.
They perceive others as less complex than themselves.
10. 2. Defense
Defense against cultural difference occurs when:
people perceive other cultures in polarized, competitive, zero-
sum, or us-against-them terms (e.g., immigrants are taking our
jobs, our traditional values are under assault, etc.)
they exalt their own culture over the culture of others (e.g., white
nationalism)
they feel victimized or attacked in discussions about bias, bigotry,
or racism (e.g., they withdraw, leave the room, break down in
tears, become defensive or hostile, etc.).
Defense may also manifest in efforts to deny people from other
cultures equal access or opportunity, such as opposition to
affirmative-action policies or diversity-hiring initiatives.
11. Defense
In educational
settings
The defense stage may manifest as:
parent protests or community opposition campaigns
against racial integration
out-of-district busing
equitable school funding
detracking (the elimination of academic tracks such as
standard, college prep, and honors)
or as the expressed fear that greater racial diversity in
the student population will inevitably lead to more in-
school behavioral problems, drug abuse, and violence.
12. 3. Minimization
Minimization of cultural difference occurs when:
people assume that their distinct cultural worldview is
shared by others
they perceive their culture’s values as fundamental or
universal human values that apply to everyone
people obscure, disregard, or neglect the importance of
cultural differences
Examples: “I don’t see color.”
“There’s just one race-the human race.”
“Deep down humans are all alike.”
13. Minimization
Minimization enables people to avoid:
recognizing their own cultural biases
learning about other cultures
undertaking the difficult personal adaptations required
to relate to or communicate more respectfully across
cultural differences
Example:The slogan “All Lives Matter” as an
antagonistic response to the Black Lives Matter
movement.
14. Minimization
In educational
settings
Examples of the minimization stage might include:
administrators discouraging black students from
forming a black-student group by encouraging them to
join an existing student group instead
responding to incidents of racial bias and bullying
among students by discussing the need for “respect”
while avoiding direct discussions of racism
“food, flags, and fun” approach to diversity or
multicultural education wherein educators celebrate
superficial aspects of cultures, but avoid uncomfortable
discussions about cultural differences or prejudice.
15. 4.Acceptance
Acceptance of cultural difference occurs when people
recognize:
different beliefs and values are shaped by culture
different patterns of behavior exist among cultures
other cultures have legitimate and worthwhile perspectives
that should be respected and valued.
Acceptance stage may also manifest as:
greater curiosity about or interest in other cultures.
People may start to seek out cross-cultural relationships and
social interactions that they might have avoided in the past.
16. Acceptance
In educational
settings
Acceptance may manifest in changes such as:
teaching students about non-white historical figures
having students read culturally diverse literature
(rather than literature selected exclusively from the
Western canon)
Implementing programs such as LGBTQ+ student
organizations that allow students to organize or
educate their peers across cultural differences
17. Acceptance
Cushner et al. (2022) noted:
acceptance does not require that one prefer, agree
with, or endorse the behaviors or values of other
cultures
acceptance means that one recognizes and accepts
the fact that different cultural worldviews exist
different worldviews shape human values, beliefs, and
behaviors
one’s own values, beliefs, and behaviors are in some
measure culturally derived and determined
18. 5.Adaptation
Adaptation to cultural difference occurs when:
people are able to adopt the perspective of another
culture
they can empathize intellectually and emotionally with
the experiences of others
they can interact in relaxed, authentic, and appropriate
ways with people from different cultures
19. Adaptation
In educational
settings
The adaptation stage may also manifest when:
people from different cultural backgrounds can discuss
their cultural experiences and perspectives in ways that
are conversant in and sensitive to the other culture
organizations embrace inclusive policies and practices
that create conditions for respectful and productive
cross-cultural interaction and teamwork among
employees
20. Adaptation
Cushner et al. (2022) stressed:
adaptation is not assimilation
assimilation is defined as the process of abandoning
one’s cultural identity to adopt a different cultural
identity (usually the identity of the dominant culture)
adaptation offers an alternative to assimilation
adaptation involves the extension of your range of
beliefs and behavior, not a substitution of one set for
another
a person doesn’t need to lose their primary cultural
identity to operate effectively in a different cultural
context
21. 6. Integration Integration is reflected in individuals who:
have multiple frames of reference
can identify and move freely within more than one
cultural group
incorporate the values, beliefs, perspectives, and
behaviors of other cultures in appropriate and
authentic ways
22. Integration
The integration stage occurs most commonly among:
members of non-dominant groups that are living in
dominant-group communities
expatriates who live for long periods of time in other
countries
“global nomads” who spend their lives traveling and
living in different parts of the world
23. Integration
In educational
settings
Integration is most likely to occur in schools that:
serve culturally diverse students and families
are staffed with adults whose demographics mirror the
diversity of the student and family population
teach a multicultural, and possibly even multilingual,
curriculum that explicitly represents and integrates the
varied cultural experiences and backgrounds of the
community
24. Developmental
Model of
Intercultural
Sensitivity
In most cases, the developmental progression of
intercultural sensitivity is a one-way phenomenon:
as people adopt increasingly ethnorelative
perspectives, they rarely fall back into ethnocentrism
(Bennett, 2004).
25. Focus
Questions:
How might you become more interculturally
competent?
How might you help students to become more
interculturally competent?
Reflect over the contents of the Developmental
Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. How would
you respond to each question?
Where do you place yourself in the continuum
of this model?Why?
28. Intercultural
Interactions
Successful intercultural interactions are at the
heart of what P-12 education is all about.
So what does it mean to interact successfully
with those from different cultures?
This is the key question underlying the concept
of intercultural competence.
29. Essential
Attitudes:
the starting
point
Respect: demonstrating others are valued
Openness: withholding judgement
Curiosity: willingness to move beyond one’s
comfort zone
Discovery: open to new ideas & situations
30. Knowledge&
Comprehension:
Cultural self-awareness (i.e., how has your culture influenced
your identity and worldview)
Culture-specific knowledge
Deep cultural knowledge
Sociolinguistic awareness (i.e, how we speak differently in
varying social contexts & how we use specific functions of
language to convey social meaning or aspects of our identity)
The importance of understanding the world from
others’ perspectives
32. Internal
Outcomes:
Acquiring & implementing these attitudes, knowledge, and skills
will cause an internal shift in us.
We will experience…
Flexibility
Adaptability
Empathy
And acquire an ethnorelative perspective.
These are aspects that occur within the individual as a result of the
acquired attitudes, knowledge and skills necessary for
intercultural competence.
At this point, individuals are able to see from others’ perspectives
and to respond to them according to the way in which the other
person desires to be treated. Individuals may reach this outcome
in varying degrees of success.
33. External
Outcomes:
The external outcomes are the synopsis of the
attitudes, knowledge and skills, as well as the internal
outcomes.
They are demonstrated through the behavior and
communication of the individual, which become the
visible outcomes of intercultural competence
experienced by others.
The definition of intercultural competence is “the
effective and appropriate behavior and communication
in intercultural situations” (Deardorff, 2009).
34. Intercultural
Competence -
Application
Intercultural competence unfortunately does not
just happen; it must be intentionally addressed.
Intercultural competence is a process – a lifelong
process.There is not just one point at which an
individual becomes completely interculturally
competent.
So we need to pay attention to the development
process – of how one acquires the necessary
knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
Critical reflection becomes a powerful tool in the
process of intercultural competence development.
36. Perspectives
on
Intercultural
Skill
Ask yourself, “How does intercultural competence inform my
work?”
Contemplate the situational challenges you face related to culture
in your daily interactions.
An important part of intercultural skill is being able to:
recognize a situation when people are in the thick of issues and
identify ways to bring those issues to the forefront.
It requires creating safe space while recognizing and
acknowledging feelings about difference.
Intercultural skill is looking at ways to manage the difference to be
more effective, as a team member or as a group.
Intercultural competence is about our relationships with each
other.
37. Perspectives
on
Intercultural
Skill
Intercultural skill is built over time, along with the ability to
identify cultural nuances.
Intercultural knowledge is especially necessary to maintain
openness despite uncertainty in challenging cultural situations.
One of the key components of intercultural competence is the
ability to be present in the moment when defense reactions are
triggered as a result of unknown circumstances, unknown actions,
and behaviors that can’t be interpreted.
Ultimately, it’s all about your mindset—how you work with and
treat people.
Are you willing to look through a lens other than your own?
38. Focus
Questions:
How might you become more interculturally
competent?
How might you help students to become more
interculturally competent?
Reflect over the contents of the Intercultural
Competence Model. How would you respond
to each question?
Where do you place yourself in the flowchart of
this model?Why?
39. References
Bennett, M. J. (2017). Development model of intercultural sensitivity. InY.
Kim (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication. John
Wiley & Sons.
Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming interculturally competent. In J. S.Wurzel
(Ed.), Toward Multiculturalism: A Reader in Multicultural
Education. Intercultural Resource Corporation.
Blockinger,C. (2015). Intercultural Competence: Achieving Elements of
Skill. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/intercultural-communication-
achieving-elements-skill-charlene/
Cushner, K. H., McClelland,A., Safford, P. & Cushner, H. (2022). Human
diversity in education: An intercultural approach. 10th ed. McGraw Hill.
Deardorff, D. K. (Ed.). (2009). The SAGE handbook of intercultural
competence. Sage.
