1. Being Comfortable with the
Uncomfortable
Intercultural Dialogue

2. What is Culture?
Objective #2: Articulated why intercultural dialogue is essential as Student Affairs Professionals
(Haug, 2014)

3. "I Got Hot Sauce
In My Bag"
Objective #1: Gained cultural self-awareness

4. "I Got Hot Sauce In My Bag"
Does this item represent you culturally in any way? If so, how?
How does this item represent the culture/environment you live in?
How can this item be beneficial to someone else?

5. Pre-Assessment
Objective #1: Gained cultural self-awareness
Objective #2: Articulated why intercultural dialogue is essential as Student Affairs Professionals
Objective #4: Utilized the skills of cultural lifelong learning to improve daily interactions in student affairs
through assessment

6. What do you believe
intercultural dialogue
is?
Conversations about perspective,
attitudes, and beliefs, and beliefs
by people from a variety of
cultural backgrounds and
differences.
- Kelsey Bowling

7. What do you believe
intercultural dialogue
is?
Different groups of people
sharing diverse points of view
and making the effort the
effort to learn about and work
with one another efficiently.
-Danielle Graham

8. What do you believe
intercultural dialogue
is?
Learning to communicate
with people from other
cultures and backgrounds.
-Katie Mcgrath

9. What Will You Learn?
At the end of this workshop, participants will have...
1. Gained cultural self-awareness
2. Articulated why intercultural dialogue is essential as Student Affairs
Professionals
3. Differentiated Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions after applying to various
cultural examples
4. Utilized the skills of being a cultural lifelong learner to improve daily
interactions in student affairs through self-assessment
5. Prepared to embrace cultural ambiguity and become a contributing team
member in uncomfortable situations

10. Why is it important in Student Affairs?
Objective #2: Articulated why intercultural dialogue is essential as Student Affairs Professionals
1. Developing
Competence
3. Moving through
Autonomy to
Interdependence
4. Developing
Mature
Interpersonal
Relationships
5. Establishing
Identity
7. Developing
Integrity
(Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010)

11. King and Magolda (2005)
Development of Intercultural Maturity Model
ATTRIBUTE
 Understanding
 Sensitivity to others
 Sense of oneself that enabl
one to listen to and learn
from others
DIMENSION
 Cognitive
 Interpersonal
 Intrapersonal
(Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010)

12. What is Your Comfort
Zone?
Share what makes you comfortable in a conversation.

13. Safe Space Brave Space
(Arao and Clemens 2013)

14. How People From Different Cultures Approach
The Table
1. Establishing contact
2. Relationship building
3. Team building activities
4. Expression of emotion
5. Level of disclosure
6. Variation in time
7. Hierarchical vs. Horizontal
8. Impact of power
(International Extension Curriculum, n.d.)

15. Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions

16. Hofstede's Culture Dimensions
 Geert Hofstede (1928 - )
 Dutch Social Psychologist , IBM
 Conducted one of the most
comprehensive studies of how
values in the workplace are
influenced by culture
(National Culture, n.d.)

17. Hofstede's Cultural Dimension's
National scores range from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest)
A score of 50 is considered midlevel but rankings are relative
Because culture is so complex and dynamic, problems of reliability and
validity make it very difficult to measure.
Two people from the same culture will have disagreements on how to
accurately and articulately describe their own culture
Culture is not personality
(National Culture, n.d.)

18. Hierarchy
High Power Distance
 A cultural dimension where a group of people
accept an unequal distribution of power
 A person from a large power distance culture
will misperceive low power distance as
disrespectful, improper or rude
 Examples: Malaysia (104), Guatemala (95),
Panama (95)
Low Power Distance
 A cultural dimension where a group of people
accept an equal distribution of power
 A person from a low power distance culture
will misperceive a high power distance as
bossy/rigid or servile/cowardly
 Examples: Austria (11), Israel (13), Denmark
(18)
United States = 40
Low Power Distance
(Murniadi, 2014)

19. Gender
Masculine
 Gender specific roles are valued and clearly
distinct
 Achievement, ambition, acquisition of material
goods are valued
 An emphasis on fighting and achievement
 A person who is culturally more masculine
may perceive a person who is culturally more
feminine as weak for men and masculine for
women
Feminine
 Gender specific roles are not valued
 Service to others, support for the unfortunate,
and nurturance are valued
 A person who is culturally more feminine may
misperceive a person who is culturally more
masculine as aggressive for men and "baby
doll" for women
United States = 62
Masculine
(Murniadi, 2014)

20. Identity
Individualism
 The tendency to emphasize individual
identities, beliefs, needs, goals, and views
rather than those of the group
 As countries have become richer, they move
toward the individualist end of the spectrum
(wealth makes it easier to take care of
themselves)
 An individualist will misperceive a collectivist
as dishonest, corrupt
 Examples: Australia (90), UK (89)
Collectivism
 The tendency to focus on the goals, needs,
and views of the in-group rather than
individuals' own goals, needs, and views
 Collectivism can be seen as adaptation to
poverty and limited resources
 A collectivist will misperceive an individualist
as insulting, dishonest, and rude
 Examples: Guatemala (6), Ecuador (8)
United States = 91
Individualistic
(Murniadi, 2014)

21. Truth
Low Uncertainty Avoidance
 A culture in which people enjoy being in
ambiguous situations
 Countries with weak uncertainty avoidance
believe in many truths and are more tolerant
with practices that deviate from traditions
 A person from a weak uncertainty avoidance
culture will misperceive a strong uncertainty
avoidance person as rigid and paranoid
 Examples: Singapore (8), Jamaica (13), Denmark
(23)
High Uncertainty Avoidance
 A culture in which people are threatened by
ambiguous situations
 Countries with strong uncertainty avoidance
tend to be more dogmatic and are not
friendly toward outsiders
 A person from a strong uncertainty avoidance
cultural will misperceive a weak uncertainty
avoidance person as unprincipled and
immoral
 Examples: Greece (100), Portugal (99)
United States =46
Low Uncertainty Avoidance
(Murniadi, 2014)

22. Virtue
Short Term Orientation
 Values quick results
 Concerned with short term enjoyment
 A person who is short term oriented will
misperceive a person who is long term
oriented as cold and stingy
 Examples: West African countries
Long Term Orientation
 A cultural dimension that values perseverance
and tenacity
 Concerned with long term prosperity
 A person who is long term oriented will
misperceive a person who is short term
oriented as irresponsible and careless with
money
 Examples: Japan (88), China (87)
United States = 26
Short Term Orientation
(Murniadi, 2014)

23. Hofstede Resource
http://geert-hofstede.com/

24. Bundt Cake
Objective #3: Differentiated Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions after applying to various cultural examples
(Kakaweb, 2008)

25. Break
Workshop will resume at 6:10 PM

26. Importance of
Communication
 Nonverbal communication is "silent" communication
and includes the use of gestures, postures, position,
eye contact, facial expressions and conversational
distance.
Objective #2: Articulated why intercultural dialogue is essential as Student Affairs Professionals
Words
7%
Tone,
Volume,
Inflection,
and
Intonation…
Nonverbal
55%
Nonverbal
55%
There are three kinds of nonverbal communication in
a multicultural context:
1. Nonverbal behaviors that exist in all cultures, but
which are assigned different meanings in various
cultures.
2. Nonverbal behaviors that exist in some cultures,
but which are assigned different meanings within
respective cultures.
3. Nonverbal behaviors that have meaning in one
culture but no meaning at all in other cultures.
Tolerance.org

27. Objective #5: Prepared to embrace cultural ambiguity and become a contributing team member in uncomfortable situations

28. Objective #5: Prepared to embrace cultural ambiguity and become a contributing team member in uncomfortable situations
Activity

29. Team Building Activity
Objective #5: Prepared to embrace cultural ambiguity and become a contributing team member in uncomfortable situations
What difficulties, if any, did your team face when planning this
event?
Being many of the assigned behaviors were culturally oriented, how
could you have seen to it that individual needs were met and that all
contributions were respected and accepted in a positive way?
How could you apply what was learned from this activity to your
work as student affairs professionals?

30. UNESCO
The world is more and more
interconnected but it does not
mean that individuals and
societies really live together – as
reveal the exclusions suffered by
millions of poor, women, youth,
migrants and disenfranchised
minorities.
Today there is more information,
technology and knowledge
available than ever before, but
adequate wisdom is still needed to
prevent conflicts, to eradicate
poverty or to make it possible for
all to learn in order to live in
harmony in a safe world.
http://en.unesco.org/themes/intercultural-dialogue

31. In social justice and diversity education, do we focus
on what we have in common or what differs?
“I have found the most effective strategy is not to
focus on one at the exclusion of the other. Instead
of creating an ‘either/or’ dichotomy, we must
advance to a ‘both/and’ approach. As long as you
only acknowledge only one of these approaches,
you will never be successful in building the bridge
essential to connecting the gap between the have
and the have nots” (123-124, Cullen).

32. We're all in this together.
When you leave what is
comfortable and familiar
in order to take on
something new and
exciting, it is natural to feel
unsettled and even afraid.
This is where the support
of your colleagues is most
important.
Dreyer, J. S. (2015)

33. The Door To Ubuntu
Is gratitude, and it is always open.
Nelson and
Lundin, 2010.
The path to Ubuntu is marked by
humanity; we follow the path from
person to person.
The spirit of Ubuntu is found
through community.
Community is created when you
find unity of purpose with others.

34. Ubuntu
Starts with recognizing and
embracing the humanity, the
equality, and the value of each
person.
Nelson and
Lundin, 2010.

35. (Stone and Church, 1973,
p.499)
"[T]he adult with a capacity for true
maturity is one who has grown out of
childhood without losing childhood‘s
best traits.
[They have] incorporated these into a new pattern
of simplicity dominated by adult stability, wisdom,
knowledge, sensitivity to other people,
responsibility, strength and purposiveness”
[They have] retained the basic emotional
strengths of infancy, the stubborn autonomy of
toddlerhood, the capacity for wonder and
pleasure and playfulness of the pre-school years,
and the idealism and passion of adolescence.

36. Life-Long
Culture Learning
 Needs to be learned more consciously
 Is not separate from learning one’s own
(home) culture
Culture shapes the way we see the world. It therefore has the capacity to bring
about the change of attitudes needed to ensure peace and sustainable
development, which, we know, form the only possible way forward for life on
Planet Earth. (...) When we speak about culture, we are looking at ways of living
as individuals and ways of living together. A ‘living culture’ is one which—almost
by definition—interacts with others, in that it involves people creating, blending,
borrowing and reinventing meanings with which they can identify.
- Frederico Mayor, Preface, World Culture Report 1998, UNESCO

37. Life Long
Learning
Medel-Anonuevo, 2001,
pg. 12
Research shows that if you were an
active learner when you were
young, you will stay that way when
you are older.
 Learning provides opportunities to
develop:
 The capacity to integrate new experiences
 And adapt to new situations
 We seek to learn because it enables us to:
 Change
 Sustain or improve skills, knowledge, and
attitudes

38. Life Long
Learning is
Change
Medel-Anonuevo, 2001,
pg. 12
 Self- growth
 Self-actualization
 The development of self-efficacy
 Skill development
 Knowledge acquisition
 Creativity development

39. HOW CAN YOU LEARN FOR A LIFETIME?
Options
 Watch a movie about another culture.
 Have a conversation with someone from
another culture.
 Make a friend from another culture.
We all learn differently, therefore you can seek
your own ways of learning about another culture.

40. Snowball Activity
Objective #4: Utilized the skills of cultural lifelong learning to improve daily interactions in student affairs through assessment

41. SNOWBALL ACTIVITY
QUESTIONS
1. How can you become a better
intercultural team member?
2. How can you build an
intercultural community?
3. How can you incorporate culture
& communication in your daily
life as a Student Affairs
professional?

42. Objective #1: Gained cultural self-awareness
Objective #2: Articulated why intercultural dialogue is essential as Student Affairs Professionals
Objective #3: Differentiated Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions after applying to various cultural examples
Objective #4: Utilized the skills of cultural lifelong learning to improve daily interactions in student affairs through assessment
Objective #5: Prepared to embrace cultural ambiguity and become a contributing team member in uncomfortable situations
Are You Comfortable With The Uncom

43. Objective #5: Prepared to embrace cultural ambiguity and become a contributing team member in uncomfortable situations

44. May each of you discover the success and happiness
that comes from embracing the humanity of all
whom you encounter.
Nelson and Lundin, 2010

45. References
[30 Rockers]. (2014, February 8).Parks & Rec ice rink campaign [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nojC6fP56VI
Arao, B., & Clemens, K. (2013). From safe spaces to brave spaces: A new way to frame dialogue around diversity and social justice. In L. Landreman
(Ed.), The art of effective facilitation: Reflections from social justice educators (pp. 135-150). Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Cullen, M.J. (2008). 35 dumb things well-intentioned people say: Surprising things we say that widen the diversity gap. Garden City, NY; Experts
Academy Press.
Dreyer, J. S. (2015). Ubuntu. International Journal Of Practical Theology, 19(1), 189-209. doi:10.1515/ijpt-2015-002
Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college theory, research, and practice (2nd
Edition ed.). San Francisco, California, United States of America: Jossey-Bass.
Fried, J. (2012). Transformative learning through engagement: Student affairs practice as experiential pedagogy. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Haug, E. [Eva Haug]. (2014, March 29). What is culture? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me2HlTQPS40
I got hot sauce in my bag #formation [Vine post].Retrieved from https://vine.co/v/i1AbY0LL0OD
Intercultural Dialogue. (2013). Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://en.unesco.org/themes/intercultural-dialogue
International Extension Curriculum. (n.d.). Building intercultural team relationships. Retrieved
from https://ag.purdue.edu/ipia/iec/Shared%20Documents/Module%201/1.6.S6.pdf

46. [Kakaweb]. (2008, October 21). Potatoes – My Big Fat Greek Wedding [ Video file]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQC6cLJhTek
King, P. M., & Magolda, M. B. (2005). A developmental model of intercultural maturity. Journal Of College Student Development,
46(6), 571-592. doi:10.1353/csd.2005.0060
London, Y. [Youmanity London] (2014, June 13). UNESCO peace & intercultural dialogue [Video file] Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6kZ9_X6bPA
Medel-Anonuevo, C., Ohsako, T., Mauch, W., & United Nations Educational, S. E. (2001). Revisiting Lifelong Learning for the 21st
Century.
Murniadi, K. (2014). Hofstede cultural dimensions [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved
from https://learn.kent.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_86615_1&content_id=_3013333_1&mode=rese
National Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21, 2016, from http://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html
Nelson, Bob and Lundin, Stephen, (2010). Ubuntu!: An Inspiring Story About an African Tradition of Teamwork and Collaboration
New York: Crown Publishing Group.
Stone. L. Joseph and Joseph Church (1973). Childhood and Adolescence: A Psychology of the Growing Person. New York: Random
House.​