Facilitator name Organisation name

1. Facilitator name Organisation name Supported by funding from the Australian Government - Department of Immigration and Citizenship under the Settlement Grants Program funding program

2. Cultural Awareness in Volunteering Programs: Workshop Outline • Why we need cultural awareness • Our Values and Opportunities • Benefits to the Organisation • Benefits to Communities • How to develop cultural awareness • Understanding cultures • Understanding cultural adaptation • How to work across cultures • Hints for fostering acceptance and belonging • Working together; finding the 3rd Culture

3. Why We Need Cultural Awareness in Volunteering Programs • Our Values • Service • Respect • Inclusion • Our Opportunities • Build awareness and use of our services • Develop strong community relationships • Attract volunteers from new communities

4. 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

5. The Benefits to Our Organisation of Developing Cultural Awareness • Better understanding of the needs and views of the wider community • Engagement with new communities • Improved community awareness of our values, goals and services • Stronger community relationships based on the values of mutual understanding, respect, acceptance and belonging

6. The Benefits to Our Organisation of Developing Cultural Awareness • Ability to recruit and support volunteers from culturally diverse backgrounds who bring us • New perspectives • New skills • Languages • Knowledge of and networks in new and emerging community cultures • A wider pool of potential volunteers and future staff

7. The Benefits to Culturally Diverse Community Members of Volunteering • Increased understanding of available services among diverse communities • Increased understanding of and adjustment to Australian society • Improved English and communication skills • Increased relationships and networks • Increased sense of acceptance and belonging

8. To Attract and Support Culturally Diverse Volunteers We Need To; • Understand the nature of culture and its influence on relationships • Learn about our own and other cultures • Inform culturally diverse communities about our services, values and opportunities • Adapt our recruitment and support processes to meet culturally unique needs • Help recently arrived volunteers understand our national and organisational cultures

9. Understanding the Motivations of Culturally Diverse Volunteers • Motivations to volunteer are common across all cultures • Volunteering is seen in different ways but ‘helping the community’ is a universal value • Length of residence in Australia, age and gender influence volunteers’ motivations more than their cultural background does

10. Understanding the Motivations ofCulturally Diverse Volunteers Volunteers who are recent arrivals to Australia tend to be more motivated by; • Sense of duty to the broader community • Making social contacts and having fun • Improving English skills • Gaining skills and work experience • Gaining acceptance and a sense of belonging

11. Understanding the Motivations ofCulturally Diverse Volunteers Volunteers who have been in Australia for a longer time tend to be more motivated by; • Helping their own communities • Personal satisfaction • Putting spiritual beliefs into practice

12. Understanding the Motivations ofCulturally Diverse Volunteers: Stages of Settlement in a New Country 1. Survival 2. Establishment 3. Embracing their immediate community 4. Moving into the wider community. This can be assisted by volunteering.

13. Steps that Volunteer Organisations Can Take During the Stages of Settlement • Raise awareness. Explain ‘how we are relevant to you’ • Clearly express our organisation’s values: community safety, water safety, family health, healthy sport, helping vulnerable people, saving lives • Seek to match your organisation’s values, with those of the community and members • Act to build trust

14. Ways of engaging with communities • Speak with community groups about the role of the organisation and its services • Create ‘new’ volunteering roles that provide a bridge between organisations and communities • Review orientation and training information for plain English and simplicity • Review internal policies and procedures • Cultural awareness training for current volunteers and staff

15. Key Points: Culturally Diverse Volunteers • Are available and want to volunteer • Bring extra value to your organisation • Will value what your organisation represents • Want to learn more about the culture of volunteering in Australia • May need your organisation to provide culturally aware support

16. Understanding CultureWhat is "Culture"? • The learned and shared behaviour of a society • A society’s ‘common sense’ • A society’s set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features • “It’s the way we do things around here.”

17. Cultural Diversity in Australia:Group Profile Group Profile • Your name • Your country of birth • Your parents’ country or countries of birth

18. Cultural Diversity in Australia:Community Profile Community Profile • Which culturally diverse communities do you and others in the organisation work with? • Which newly arrived culturally diverse communities might we work with in future?

19. Understanding Cultural DifferencesHigh ContextLow ContextCultures Cultures Spanish Greek Italian Arabic English African USA Vietnamese Australian Indian Swedish Chinese German Aboriginal Organisational Cultures Cultures

20. 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.

21. Grouping elements to form logical categories to make sense of a complex world Australians tend to be individualistic Germans tend to value efficiency and formality U.S. Americans tend to praise personal success highly Categorising people as a group, ignoring individual differences Australians are selfish Germans are uptight Americans are show-offs Generalising vs Stereotyping

22. 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?

23. The Four Basic Elements of Cross-Cultural Communication

24. 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!” Joking “Just kidding. Can’t you take a joke?”

25. Verbal Behaviour Jargon “Downsizing. Ramp up.” Slang “Bludger. Whinger.” Swearing“G’day you old bastard.” Metaphors“Don’t beat around the bush.” Idioms “Pull yoursocks up.” Proverbs “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”

26. Non-Verbal Behaviour: Body Language Questions • How far apart do people normally stand? • How much eye contact is expected? • How much do people touch each other? • What do gestures mean? • How do people greet each other? • How do people physically show respect? • How do facial expressions convey meaning? • What are personal hygiene expectations?

27. Non-Verbal Behaviour: Object Language • Signs and designs carry cultural messages. e.g hats, flags, tatoos, crosses or crescents • Objects and artifacts have significant meanings; e.g. roses, art, monuments, medals • Different dress standards are expected • Adornments and accessories send signals about the wearer

28. Non-Verbal Behaviour: Environmental Language • Colours can be very significant: e.g.red for wealth, blue for piety, yellow for royalty • Architecture and town design influences and reflects society • People need differing amounts of personal space in public, in the workplace, in homes • Styles of buildings, office layout, furniture and lighting send messages

29. Communication Style • Ways of stating your case: direct or roundabout • Tolerance of silence • Use of humour and irony • Speech rules, politeness, turntaking in conversation • Different meanings of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ • Structuring information, views of what is logical: particular, general

30. Values and Attitudes What we believe is right. How we feel about the world and how we judge other people and situations. Values are the least visible element of cross-cultural communication. “Keep your eye on the things that cannot be seen.” Confucius

31. Values and Attitudes • [Our Organisation’s] Values • Insert • Insert • Insert

32. 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.

33. The Dimensions of Cultural ValuesHigh ContextLow ContextCultures Cultures Spanish Greek Italian Arabic English African USA Vietnamese Australian Indian Swedish Chinese German Aboriginal Organisational Cultures Cultures

34. 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”

35. High Context Cultures Collectivist Being Long term view Given status Verbal agreements Formal Low Context Cultures Individualist Doing Short term view Achieved status Written agreements Informal Values and Attitudes

36. 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 and networks. • Strong sense of self-reliance but weaker sense of identity, self-worth, competence, security, belonging and acceptance. Looking backward.

37. 5 Stages of Cultural Adaptation • Most people experience distinct psychological stages when adapting to a new culture, from first contact to full adjustment. • Some people adapt more easily and quickly than others. • Understanding that it is a common experience helps us to adjust to new cultures and enables us to help others adjust to Australian culture.

38. Common Fears About Entering Another Culture • 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

39. Understanding Australian Culture Newcomers to a culture take time to understand; • The basis of relationships; equality, individualism, status • Informality and formality • Ways of handling conflict • Humour • Gender and generational relationships • Language; verbal and non-verbal

40. Stages of Cultural AdaptationStage 1: Contact/ Honeymoon • Differences are interesting • We are insulated by our own culture • Perceptions of new culture screened by own culture • Excitement, stimulation, discovery • Curious, assured, positive

41. Stages of Cultural AdaptationStage 2: Disintegration/Disorientation • Differences have more impact and begin to intrude on our sense of well-being • We miss the cultural support of our home culture • We misread or miss new cultural cues • We may feel confused, isolated, apathetic, inadequate. We lose some self-esteem • We may become depressed, withdrawn

42. Stages of Cultural AdaptationStage 3: Reintegration/Irritability and Hostility • We begin to reject and criticise the new culture • We can feel angry, nervous, anxious, frustrated • We become pre-occupied with our likes and dislikes • We become more self-assertive, opinionated • Growing self-esteem and determination

43. Stages of Cultural AdaptationStage 4: Autonomy/Adjustment & Integration • We recognise and understand the differences and similarities • We become more self-assured, confident, relaxed, warm to others • We can negotiate most new situations • We feel assured of our ability to deal with new experiences in the new culture

44. Stages of Cultural AdaptationStage 5: Independence/Biculturality • We become more accepting of differences and similarities, valuing the diversity within our adopted society • We are able to fully express our personality with trust, humour and affection • We are once again fully capable of choice, and of creating meaning for situations

45. The Intensity of the Cultural Adaptation Experience Increases when… • Cultures and 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 the majority • We have lost status, power and control

46. Cultural Adaptation: Questions for Volunteer Involving Organisations • What stages of adaptation are being experienced among the community? • Do staff and other volunteers understand the effects and stages of cultural adaptation? • How can we best respect the feelings of recently arrived volunteers and support them in adapting to Australia and our organisation?

47. Cross-Cultural Bridge Building: The Iceberg Metaphor Visible: Words & Actions Invisible: Values & Attitudes B A

48. 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 Cross-Cultural Bridge Building: The Iceberg Metaphor

49. Cross-Cultural Bridge Building • 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 comfortable and acceptable

50. Key Factors for Cross-Cultural Bridge Building • 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’