The Space in Between

1. The Space in Between “Between even the closest human beings infinite distances exist yet a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky.” Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)

2. The Space in Between Intercultural Communication (ICC) for Individuals Working with Immigrants Kathryn Brillinger Dr. Yuri Kagolovsky Conestoga College Kitchener, Ontario kbrillinger@conestogac.on.ca ykagolovsky@conestogac.on.ca TESL Ontario, 2008

3. Inter-Cultural Communication Success • Everyone can experience • Everyone can contribute • Everyone can learn We need to demonstrate best practices.We will need ICC training in order to do so. Today is a great first step!

4. Goal of this Workshop • to increase awareness of Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC) and its impact on interactions

5. Striving for a Balance:Continuums NOT Stereotypes

6. O’ Canada! Riddle: What stays in one corner yet can travel all over the world? O Canada, Drew Brook-Cormack, 1000-pc jigsaw puzzle

7. The “Saris and Samosas” Approach • Assumption that English-speaking Canadians have no ‘culture’ (and no accent!) • Visible cultural differences are doable -try out clothes, foods, dances, arts etc. • Norms and values tend to be prescribed rather than described. We get upset about the wrong time orientation, distance, handshake, greeting, etc. • Core beliefs are left unexamined. We don’t ask: “What is a husband/wife/child? Who taught me to think this? What is the race/power situation? Who holds the cultural imperative? Am I privileged because I am white/female/straight/tall etc?”

8. Why does this matter? Stories, stories, stories and … a sad story of a woman who went to teach on a reservation.

9. Intercultural Communication Training Needs • personnel with intercultural skills • intercultural experts • research and knowledge in cultural practices • workplace and material internationalization (Huisman & van der Wende, 2005)

10. A Practical Model for ICC Development Yuri Kagolovsky, internationally-trained MD, MSc (Health informatics) and 2-time immigrant Kathryn Brillinger, MEd (TESL), 20 plus years experience in settlement language teaching and 10 plus years in teacher training

11. Alysha Tameera Zahra Nadia

12. Defining “Culture” • There are many different definitions of “culture” • We needed a definition that could be operationalized within the principles we identified for successful intercultural communication • Our definition is: Culture = Shared Meaning

13. “Shared” Meaning • Cognitive (concepts, ideas) • Affective (emotions) • Behavioral (procedures, rules, rituals)

14. Dimensions of Cultural Difference In addition to the categories of ethnicity, race, religion, and nationality, we need to consider • Gender • Age • Education • Profession • Socio-economic status • Sexual orientation • Wellness/illness • Abilities/disabilities, etc.

15. Cultural Boundary Lines Cultural boundaries and the groups we belong to are fluid.

16. History Politics Power Personality Geography Economy Religion Social stratification Philosophy Moral and ethical Folklore Literature Entertainment Communication Technology Fads Context: Factors Influencing Shared Meaning These factors create the context in which meaning is shared. They also impact on and are impacted by ICC.

17. Historical and Geographical Perspective • ICC is not just about Canada’s work in integrating newcomers. • These factors and their interaction with ICC have impacted and are impacting on people's lives in both beautiful and tragic ways. • Let’s do Task One to explore this.

19. Continuum of Perspectives Global Personal

20. Seven Principles of Successful ICC

21. Principle #1 We are cultural beings in our verbal, non-verbal, and pre-verbal behaviors, in which the pre- and non-verbal are often underestimated in their impact on ICC.

22. The non-verbal trumps the verbal

23. Haptics (the study of touching behaviour) Seven types of touch: *positive affect (support, appreciation, inclusion)*playfulness*control (compliance, attention wanted, response needed)*ritual (greeting/leave-taking)*hybrid (mix some of above as in a hug good-bye)*task-related*accidentalJones and Yarbrough (1985)

24. Oculesics (the study of eye contact) • attentive focus/challenging stare • shifty-eyed/respectful looking away • flirtatious up-look/“adultery of the eyes” • lustful glance/complimentary notice • attempt to control fear/bad presentation skills • attempt to access vocabulary/lack of attentiveness or ability

25. Principle #2 We are unaware of how our cultures inform our perceptions, cognitions, emotions and actions. e.g. Kathryn going to a workshop in Mexico City.

26. From Monochronic to Polychronic (Chronemics) Monochronic Concepts • one thing at a time is best - concentrate on the task at hand • time commitments/deadlines/schedules are serious • adhere religiously to plans

27. Polychronic Concepts • Do many things at once • Distractions are acceptable/interruptions are acceptable • Commit to people and relationships not time • Change plans often and easily

28. Principle #3 Culture provides unstated sets of rules by which we operate, and we unconsciously reward and punish others for following or not following these rules

29. The Persian concept of “ta’arof” involves language, discourse, culture etc. • Central concept = warm welcoming, praising, politeness and good manners • Origins in the Arabic term for “mutual recognition” • Essential ability for negotiating relationships • Involves offers, compliments, exchange of pleasantries, food, gifts, and invitations • Expression of selflessness and humility - necessary for keeping face - “shaxsiiyaet” and showing sincerity and respect - “ehteram” • Can be interpreted as empty formality or ritual courtesy by NA but runs much deeper - has no equivalent in NA culture • Iranians can be dismayed by a lack of ‘ta’arof’ in our classroom cultures (Cultural info from Eslami, 2005)

30. Principle #4 We are unaware of our own level of inter-cultural sensitivity and skills Let’s look at Bennett’s Model.

31. Changes must occur in three areas.

32. Principle #5 Building inter-cultural communication skills is an ongoing, recursive process requiring cognitive, affective and procedural changes

33. Proxemics (the study of distance in interaction) • Public (teacher to class) • Social (classmates chatting) • Personal (student asking teacher after class) • Intimate (friends in class whispering) Traditional Forms of Greeting

34. Principle #6 Inter-cultural communication is the responsibility of each person involved. e.g. The ‘soft skills’ debate for newcomers.

35. Principle 7 Inter-cultural communication necessitates a re-distribution of power. e.g. Some examples from Canadian history

36. Task Two: Your Stories • Take 2 minutes and write down a few of your own stories from your life and work. • Share one with a neighbor. • Let’s all share a story.

37. Intercultural communication is occurring and … Something has disturbedme Something has disturbedsomeone Something has disturbedthe environment

38. What Can Be Done To Improve ICC?

39. A Balanced Approach Creating A Space In Between

40. Creating a Space in Between Non-negotiable Negotiable Task Three

41. Cultural Perspective Examining other cultures provides mirrors in which we can see ourselves – what the anthropologist Margaret Mead (1934) called “the looking-glass self”

42. Development ofICC Competencies • Cognitive • e.g., knowledge of how different cultures tend to operate • Affective • e.g., awareness of how easily we can punish individuals and subvert our own goals when our cultural expectations are being violated • Psycho-motor • e.g., the ability to diagnose intercultural issues, to develop and implement strategies to improve ICC, and to assess the success of such strategies

43. Seven questions to ask ourselves when intercultural communication goes wrong: • Is it language? • Is it discourse? • Is it culture? • Is it the situation or context? • Is it a systemic barrier? • Is it someone’s personality? • Is it me?

44. Developing ICC Repair Strategies • Asking someone why they do something culturally can cause a defensive reaction • e.g., asking a Muslim why he does not shake hands with women or asking a Mennonite why they marry so early • “Why” questions can be seen as promoting potentially unfavorable comparisons and “otherness” • Therefore, we recommend an invitational approach that can create a dialogue and allow for shared meaning

45. Repair Strategies (cont.) • What does <this> mean to you personally? • What does <this> mean to you personally as a member of your group? • What does <this> mean to your group? • What does <this> mean to the community where you live? • What does <this> mean to the society of the nation/country? • Do you know the history of this phenomenon? • If <this> does not happen, what would it mean to you (your group, your community, society)?

46. Summary • We have looked at examples of intercultural communication and some strategies and principles that can be learned. • We need to increase our ICC skills. • We need to determine and exemplify best practices in ICC in our programs.

47. Inter-Cultural Communication Success • Everyone can experience • Everyone can contribute • Everyone can learn We need to demonstrate best practices.We will need ICC training in order to do so. Today is a great first step!

48. The Space in Between “Between even the closest human beings infinite distances exist yet a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky.” Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926)