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PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck Intercultural aspects

Intercultural Competencies in Higher Education"

some issues and experiences

with an intercultural train-the-trainer course at

the Nekrassow University of Kostroma Russia

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Why? Intercultural competencies in Higher Education

What? Learning Goals and Learning Contents

Best practice / Lessens learned : Example Russia

Experiences with an intercultural train-the-trainermodule:How? Teaching Methods: Which instruments?What? Contents of intercultural trainings

Overview

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Definition of Culture

A pattern of basic assumptions invented, discovered

or developed by a given group (as it learns to copewith its problems of external adaptation and internalintegration ....) taught to new members as thecorrect way to perceive, think and feel in relation to

these problems. (Edgar Schein 1985)

This silent language includes a broad range ofevolutionary concepts, practices and solutions toproblems which have their roots ... in the sharedexperiences of ordinary people. (Edward T. Hall1959)

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Why? Intercultural competencies in Higher Education

Globalization:

Need for intercultural co-operation in science and society

Bringing together ideas; synergy effects

Learning of disputing (a lot of cultures have no experiencein free debating (changing arguments))

-> The Higher Education has to take into account modulesor subjects for gaining intercultural competencies

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Example Russia

Especially in regions like Russia or Middle Asia thereis the need to learn open mindedness for culturaldifferences beyond folklore and exotic.

In the last 100 years there was no chance to identifydifferences as cultural moulded; so people have noexperience in anticipating cultural conflicts and indeveloping productive solutions.In times of opening to the western world students andscientists need such learning chances to be able to join

in international scientific dialogues (keyword: arguingculture) complementing their specialized knowledge.

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What? Learning goals

Intercultural (self and foreign) awareness is much more

useful than learning dos and donts of concrete cultures

-> Learning goals: To adopt knowledge about foreign culture norms To reflect the own cultural programming To coordinate action modes which are different

by culture To understand strange cultures

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7/22PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck Intercultural aspects

Intercultural Competencies in Higher Education:Empathy and changing perspectives

Sympathy is based on cultural similarities;Empathy is based on the acceptance of differences

The most important mechanism is the processof changing perspectives (G.H. Mead) : put oneself in somebodys shoes

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German rules Russian rules

?

2 Perspectives

overlappingunderstanding

co-construction

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Intercultural competencies at the University Kostroma:Activities

1. Developing a curriculum for an interdisciplinarysubject

2. Conducting a train-the-trainer (multiplicators)

programme

3. Research on differences in learning and teaching

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Experiences with anintercultural train-the-trainer-course in Kostroma (Russia)

best practices and lessons learned

Different points of interest

Different understanding of topics

Different activities as ways of learning

Different social learning settings

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Different points of interest. Example - definitions of culture

Deterministic definition: culture as collective programming of themind (Hofstede)

Semiotic definition: culture as developed in communicationprocesses (system of meaning) (Geertz)

Everyday life definition: culture as manners

Cultural studies definition : culture as an expression of the power-ful people media are important transmitters (Birmingham School)

Conclusion: The aspect of power, media and culture(cultural studies) is in Russia much more important than inGermany!

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Different understanding of topics

The words strange or foreigners dont exist inthe Russian language. Its difficult to understandconcepts for which your language has no word.

This aspect refers to another traditional coping withforeigners as we are experienced.

Conclusion: We have to take in mind that there is notthe same point of view.

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Open discussions as we know in Germany areunknown in Russia; but reflections that follow artisticapproaches like painting (individual cultural trees) oracting (nonverbal welcome rituals) are morepracticable than in Germany; the same is with

analysing written material (about cultural standards).Conclusion:Russian students are unable to discuss withoutcommon ground (e.g. brainstorming) but they are very

well in debating about wordings.At the beginning its useful to use a methodologicalmixture so you can find out the best instruments.

Different activities as ways of learning

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Example: Cultural Standards

Hall: Germany monochronic time orientationRussia polychronic time orientation

Hofstede: Germany individualismRussia collectivism

Task: Reading and discussing wordings about thesecultural tendenciesStudents reflected the relativity of cultural standardsStudents discussed about self-picture and foreign-picture

Conclusion: The cultural standards dont fit perfectly toan huge and varied country like Russia.

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Different social learning settings

In games we very often implement the role of theneutral observer. Russian students hated this role anddidnt manage it well.

Why: They are collectivistic programmed and so

nobody wants to be put outside the collective.

Conclusion:1. The teachers have to be neutral observers.

2. We have to develop new (collectivistic) methods tocompensate the functionality of an neutral observer.

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Needs for Research

Cultural standards an euro-centric concept? How tooptimize?

Cultural differences in teaching and learning content and methodological consequences for thetransfer of intercultural competencies modules

How to resolve cultural conflicts? The concept of

changing perspectives in intercultural interaction hasto be developed

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Thank you!

[email protected]

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Adler, N. (1997): International dimensions of organizational behavior (3rd ed.), Cincinnati (South-Western College Publ.)Assmann, A. & Assmann, J. (1990): Das Gestern im heute.. Medien und soziales Gedchtnis,in: Funkkolleg "Medien und

Kommunikation, Studienbrief 5. Hrsg. vom Deutschen Institut fr Fernstudien an der Universitt Tbingen, Weinheim,41ff.

Birmingham SchoolGeertz, C. (1994): Dichte Beschreibung. Beitrge zum Verstehen kultureller Systeme,Frankfurt/M. (suhrkamp)Hagemann, O. (2003): Introspektion und Empathie in der Arbeit mit Strafgefangenen, in: Kumbruck, C., Dick, M. n& Schulze,

H. (Hrsg.): Arbeit Alltag - Psychologie. ber den Bootsrand geschaut . Heidelberg (Asanger), 299-314.Hall, E.T. & Hall, M.R. (1985 ): Verborgene Signale . Hamburg (Gruner & Jahr)Hofstede, G. (1991 ). Culture and Organizations:,London (McGraw-Hill).Hofstede, G. (2006). Lokales Denken, globales Handeln. Interkulturelle Zusammenarbeit und globales Management.

Mnchen: DTV-Beck.

Kumbruck, C. & Derboven, W. (2005): InterkulturellesTraining., Heidelberg (Springer) .Lewis, R.D. (1998 ): When cultures collide . London (Nicholas Brealey Publishing).MachlMead, G.H. (1968): Geist, Identitt und Gesellschaft.(engl. Original 1934), Frankfurt/M. (Suhrkamp).Mole, J. (1990): Mind your Manners . London (Industrial Society Press), (dt. Euro-Knigge fr Manager (1993)). Frankfurt/M.

(Campus).Thomas, A. ( 2003) (Hrsg.): Kulturvergleichende Psychologie,Gttingen (Hogrefe)Thomas, A. (2006): Interkulturelle Handlungskompetenz Schlsselkompetenz fr die moderne Arbeitswelt, in: SGAOP:

interkulturell / international: arbeiten, fhren + kooperieren. Dokumentation der 14. Jahrestagung Zrich 6.10.2006 .Thomas, A., Kammhuber, S. & Schroll-Machl, S. (Hrsg.)(2003). Handbuch Interkulturelle Kommunikation und Kooperation.Band 2: Lnder, Kulturen und interkulturelle Berufsttigkeit.Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Thomas, A., Kinast, E.-U. & Schroll-Machl, S. (Hrsg.)(2003). Handbuch Interkulturelle Kommunikation und Kooperation. Band 1: Grundlagen und Praxisfelder.Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Trompenaars, F. (1993 ): Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business: London: EconomistBooks.

Yoosefi, T. & Thomas, A. (2003): Beruflich in Russland . Gttingen (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht).

References

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Basics: Definitions of Culture

the book of rules for the social game

(Hofstede 2006) ->social interaction andintercultural misunderstandings

recipe for survival

(Lewis1998) -> understanding of the roots (history,ecological)

collective programming of the mind which distinguishesthe members of one category of people from another (Hofstede 1991) -> unconsciousness; socialisation;psychological mechanisms: emotions, cognition, behaviou

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Cultural Iceberg

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PD Dr Christel Kumbruck Intercultural aspects

Picture(me)

Picture(me)

the

thingsof theworld

German perspectiveRussian perspective

Self picture(I) Self picture

(I)

Self- und Foreign picture

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