Facilitator name Organisation name
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Transcript of Facilitator name Organisation name
Supported by funding from the Australian Government - Department of Immigration and Citizenship under the Settlement Grants Program funding program
Facilitator nameOrganisation name
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Volunteering in Australia
• Introduction to [Organisation]• Why we exist• What we do• What our volunteers do• How you can get involved in volunteering with us
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Cultural Awareness for Volunteering in Australia: Workshop Outline
• Volunteering in Australia• What is volunteering?• The benefits of volunteering
• Cultural Awareness• Understanding culture and cultural adaptation• Working with Australians: Finding the 3rd Culture
• How to Volunteer• Volunteering Opportunities• Becoming a Volunteer
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What is “Volunteering”?
Volunteering is seen in different ways and is called by
different names, but ‘helping the community’ is a universal
value in all cultures.
People all over the world offer their help to others free of
charge. They do this for friends (informally) and through
organisations (formally).
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What is “Volunteering”?
• Formal volunteering is an activity which usually takes place through organisations and is done
• To benefit the community and the volunteer
• Of the volunteer’s own free will
• For no financial payment
• In designated volunteer positions only
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Who Volunteers in Australia?
• Over 6 million Australians are volunteers, helping organisations in;• Emergency services• Welfare• Environment and conservation• Teaching• Fundraising• Managing and administration
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The Benefits of Volunteering:Why do people volunteer?
• Helping their community
• Personal satisfaction
• Making friends and having fun
• Gaining skills and work experience
• Putting values and beliefs into practice
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What are some other benefits of volunteering for new & emerging community members to Australia?
• Increase your understanding of the services available to your community
• Help your community and society
• Increase your understanding of and adjustment to Australian society
• Improve your English skills
• Increased acceptance and belonging
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Why does [our organisation] want newcomers to Australia to volunteer?
• New perspectives and ideas
• New skills
• Languages
• Understanding different communities
• Contacts in new communities
• A wider pool of volunteers and future staff
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Why does [our organisation] want new people to Australia to volunteer?[Our Organisations’] Values
• [Our Organisation’s] Values• Insert, eg. Service to the community• Insert, e.g Respect for all people• Insert, e.g Inclusion of all people
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The importance of values
• Your values are important to you and others
• They define what you believe
• They guide how you behave and how you expect others
to behave
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All Cultures Share Core Human Values
• Respect for human dignity
• Respect for basic rights
• Good citizenship
• The Golden Rule: Do unto others…
These values are expressed and upheld in culturally different ways.
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Linking personal and organisational values through volunteering
• Choosing the ‘right’ organisation for you to volunteer with
is important
• Learning about the values of an organisation is an
important first step
• A successful volunteering experience =• Matching your values with those of an organisation and • Helping the organisation fulfill its mission
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Cultural Diversity in Australia:Group Profile
• Group Profile
• Your name
• Your country of birth
• Your parents’ country or countries of birth
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High Context Low Context Cultures Cultures
Spanish
Greek Italian
Arabic English
Vietnamese Australian
Japanese U.S.A
Korean Swedish
Chinese German
Aboriginal Organisational
Cultures Cultures
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Cultural Diversity in Volunteering: Key Statistics* for South Australia
• 21% born in more than 200 countries: • 10% from English-speaking countries• 11% from non-English speaking countries
• Top 10 new migrant source countries: • United Kingdom, India, China, Philippines, Afghanistan,
South Africa, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and Iran
• Other new and emerging communities: • Sudan, Thailand, Congo, Burma, Bhutan, Iraq, Kenya,
Liberia, Zimbabwe, Burundi and Ethiopia*ABS Census 2006
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Understanding CultureGeneralising vs Stereotyping
• When we study and compare cultures we need to make general observations of the way people do things.
• But we also need to remember we are dealing with individuals, not cultures.
• It is necessary to understanding the difference between generalising and stereotyping.
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Generalising vs Stereotyping
• Australians tend to be individualistic
• Germans tend to value efficiency and formality
• U.S. Americans tend to praise personal success highly
• Australians are selfish
• Germans are uptight
• Americans are show-offs
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Understanding CultureWhat is "Culture"?
• The learned and shared behaviour of a society, its ‘common sense’.
• A society’s set of spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features.
• “It’s the way we do things around here.”
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Understanding Culture: What’s “different” about Australian culture?
• Obsession with sport• Families don’t always live nearby or stay in close touch• Many people don’t practice a religion• Being expected to be actively involved in your childrens’
education• Strangers asking “How are you today?”• Being invited to a party and asked to “bring a plate” or told
it’s “B.Y.O.”
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Understanding "Culture"
The central question to ask about different cultural views and actions is:
“Why?”
Why do ‘they’ do things that way?
Why do ‘we’ do things this way?
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The Four Basic Elements of Intercultural Communication
Verbal Behaviour What we say and how we say it • Accent & tone
• Volume & rate • Idiom & slang
Non-Verbal Behaviour What we say without talking • Body language• Object language• Environmental language
Communication
Style
How we prefer to express ourselves • Making a point• Ways of speaking• Ways of interacting
Values and Attitudes What we believe is right • Beliefs & feelings• Ethics & standards• Prejudices
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Verbal Behaviour
Accent: “I love/can’t stand that accent!”
Tone of Voice:“Don’t take that tone with me”
Volume: “Why do they talk so loudly?”
Rates of Speech: “Australians talk so fast!”
Jargon and Slang: “Ramp up.” “Bludger”
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Verbal Behaviour
Metaphors: “Don’t beat around the bush.”
Idioms: “Pull your socks up”
Swearing: “G’day you old bastard.”
Joking: “Just kidding. Can’t you take a joke?”
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Verbal Behaviour: Australian Humour
• Making sarcastic or cynical comments about others, giving them insulting nicknames• WHY? Testing a person’s sense of self-importance
and ‘sense of humour’. A social levelling tool.• RESPONSE: Laugh it off. Return the ‘favour’
• Making fun of, mocking other’s achievements• WHY? ‘Tall poppy syndrome’ – another way of social
levelling and reducing power imbalance• RESPONSE: Accept in a spirit of joking humility.
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Verbal Behaviour: Australian Humour
• Casual and constant joking and banter or teasing humour at work.• WHY? Informality is valued. Joking is a way of being
friendly and a good way of getting things done. • RESPONSE: Don’t take offence. Don’t interpret as not
being serious about work.
• Telling ‘tall tales’ – untrue stories or facts – in a serious voice to trick the listener.• WHY? Social levelling by reducing others’ seriousness
and testing their sense of humour• RESPONSE: Laugh at the trick. “You had me there!”
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Verbal Behaviour: Australian Swearing
• Swearing ‘casually’, inserting rude words into general conversation. (More neutral tone of voice.)• WHY?Another form of informality and social levelling • RESPONSE: Don’t take it personally. Don’t interpret it as
anger or aggression
• Swearing ‘seriously’ to intentionally insult, criticise or complain. (Harsh or loud tone of voice.)• WHY? Expressing anger, disapproval, aggression. • RESPONSE: Apologise for, or verbally defend, your
actions or intentions.
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Verbal Behaviour: Organisational Culture and Etiquette Introductions and Conversation
• Direct approach to people is acceptable
• Introduction by third party valuable
• Use of first names on first meeting
• Some topics of conversation, such as politics and religion can be ‘unsafe’ but opinions are respected, and frankness valued
• Humour, including banter, is appreciated
• Language: Ask if terms, jargon, slang, idiom are confusing.
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Non-Verbal Behaviour: Australian Norms
• People normally stand about 1 meter apart
• Direct but not intense eye contact is expected
• Except for handshakes, people don’t touch each other very much. Women don’t always shake hands
• If unsure, ask about what dress standards are expected
• People only kiss friends in public and only once on the cheek.
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Communication Style: Australian Norms
• State your case directly, not indirectly
• Silence in a conversation is uncomfortable
• Use of humour and irony is common
• Impolite to interrupt someone, but turn taking in conversation takes practice
• ‘Yes’ means ‘yes’
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Communication Style: Organisational Culture and Etiquette
• Low on formality and high on informality
• First name basis very early
• Hierarchy is recognised but little deference is shown
• Titles and honorifics rarely used
• More respect for achievement than position
• Dress codes fairly relaxed – but observe others and ask if not sure
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Communication Style: Meetings
• Punctuality is highly valued. Call if running late (late = 10-15 minutes)
• Never arrive unannounced. Arrange meetings well ahead if possible.
• Meetings are time- and agenda-driven
• Some small talk at beginning is acceptable and expected, but only briefly
• People tend to get to the point quickly
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Dimensions of Cultural ValuesHigh Context Low Context Cultures Cultures
Spanish
Greek Italian
Arabic English
Vietnamese Australian
Japanese U.S.A
Korean Swedish
Chinese German
Aboriginal Organisational
Cultures Cultures
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The Dimensions of Cultural Values
• High Context Cultures• Members share and need to have a deeper, more complex
body of understood experience and assumptions as the basis of cooperation. “Who you are”
• Low Context Cultures• Members have and need less shared knowledge as basis
for cooperation. Defined roles and codes take the place of assumptions. “What you do”
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Values and Attitudes
High Context Cultures
• Collectivist• Being-oriented• Long term view• Given status• Verbal agreements• Formal
Low Context Cultures
• Individualist• Doing-oriented• Short term view• Achieved status• Written agreements• Informal
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Australian Organisations: Values and Attitudes
• Organisations value equality and fairness, but these
are not always practiced
• Informality is a sign of equality
• Structures are flatter, communication between levels
is more direct
• Groups recognise members as individuals first,
group members second
• Change is part of working life
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Australian Organisations: Values and Attitudes
• Strong focus on time efficiency and deadlines
• Planning is usually short term
• Results are more important than relationships
• Workplace relationships do not necessarily or usually
extend into personal life
• People work to live, not live to work
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Understanding Cross-Cultural Adaptation
• Immigrants: Change by choice• Own decision. Preparation. Resources. Networks.• Stronger sense of identity, self-worth, competence, security,
belonging and acceptance. Looking forward.
• Refugees: Change by chance• Others’ decision. Little or no preparation. No or very few
resources. Limited or no networks.• Weaker sense of identity, self-worth, competence, security,
belonging and acceptance. Looking backward.
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Common Intercultural Fears
• Making a fool of oneself
• Being ridiculed, offended or embarrassed
• Embarrassing or offending someone
• Giving or getting wrong information
• Making or forming a bad impression
• Becoming or appearing confused
• Being excluded, rejected, lonely
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Stages of Cultural Adaptation
1: Contact/Honeymoon
2: Disintegration/Disorientation
3: Re-integration/ Irritability & Hostility
4: Autonomy/Adjustment & Integration
5: Independence/ Biculturality
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Stages of Cultural AdaptationStage 1: Contact/ Honeymoon
• Differences are interesting
• Insulated by own culture
• Perceptions of new culture screened by own culture
• Excitement, stimulation, discovery
• Curious, assured, positive
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Stages of Cultural Adaptation Stage 2: Disintegration/Disorientation
• Differences, contrasts have more impact, begin to intrude
• Loss of cultural support from home culture
• Misreading new cultural cues
• Confusion, isolation, apathy, feelings of inadequacy, loss of self-esteem
• Depression, withdrawal
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Stages of Cultural AdaptationStage 3: Reintegration/Irritability and Hostility
• Differences are rejected• Anger, rage, nervousness, anxiety, frustration• Suspicion, rejection, exclusion, opinionated• Rejection of the new culture• Pre-occupation with likes and dislikes• Self-assertive• Growing self-esteem
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Stages of Cultural AdaptationStage 4: Autonomy/Adjustment & Integration
• Differences and similarities are recognised
• Self-assured, confident, relaxed, warm
• Can negotiate most new situations
• Assured of ability to deal with new experiences
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Stages of Cultural AdaptationStage 5: Independence/Biculturality
• Differences and similarities valued, accepted, important
• Trust, humour, love, full expression
• Capable of choice, creating meaning for situations
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The Intensity of the Cultural Adaptation Experience Increases when…
• Cultures & languages are very different
• We are immersed in the new culture
• We feel isolated from our own culture
• We have little intercultural experience
• Our expectations are not met
• We are visibly different from majority
• We have lost status, power and control
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Cultural Adaptation: Summary
• Most people experience similar feelings and stages of disorientation in a new culture
• Can result in a range of issues, emotions and behaviours
• Adaptation happens at different speeds for different people
• Involvement in volunteering can help people adjust to the new culture
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Cross-Cultural Bridge Building: Learning How to Communicate and Work As Equals
• In Australia, we will always come into contact with people from many different cultures, with• Different perspectives• Different experiences• Different ways of doing things
• The key to living and working as equals is to communicate across the invisible gaps between cultures and understand the values that are shared.
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Bridging Intercultural Gaps: The Iceberg Metaphor
Visible: Words & Actions
Invisible:
Values & Attitudes A B
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Bridging Intercultural Gaps: The Iceberg Metaphor
• Culture A: Visible• Little eye contact• Low volume speech
• Invisible: Values • Respect• Politeness
• Interpretation of B• Aggressive & Rude
• Culture B: Visible• Direct eye contact• High volume speech
• Invisible: Values • Equality• Directness
• Interpretation of A• Evasive & Weak
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Bridging Intercultural Gaps: Building the Bridge
• Talk about and explain your feelings and reactions to observed words and actions
• Ask about the other’s feelings and reactions to your words and actions
• Explore and agree on ways of communicating that are mutually acceptable
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Key Factors for Bridging Intercultural Gaps
• Understand your own cultural values, assumptions and expectations• Why do we behave the way we do?
• Learn about those of other cultures • Why do they behave the way they do?
• Discover ways to work as equals• Discuss and explain key differences• Find the ‘Third Culture’
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Cross-Cultural Bridge Building Finding the Third Culture
1 2
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Cross-Cultural Bridge Building: Finding the Third Culture
When people from differing cultures meet and talk about their preferred ways of communicating and working, they build a bridge of understanding between them that enables them to work together as equals in a ‘third culture’
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Cultural Awareness in Volunteering: Close
“Differences do not necessarily mean barriers; they can become bridges to understanding and the enrichment of our lives.” Robert Moran, Managing Cultural Differences, 1991
In [Our Organisation] we welcome and celebrate our differences as we work together to help our community.
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How to Become a Volunteer in [Our Organisation]
• Volunteering opportunities• List
• What is expected of you• Commitment etc
• What you can expected of us• Training• Support etc
• How to apply• How to apply
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[Our Organisation Logo]
• [Our Organisation] welcomes you…