Intercultural Learning and Experience

Intercultural Learning and Experience

By Ph.D. Gilberto Hernández Quirós

The process of gathering information through imagery that triggers and evokes sensorial understanding and perception is the result of looking both inwardly and outwardly.  The development of cultural awareness has to do with the way we perceive and look at different cultures in the most objective way possible.  It is a continuum which goes from ethnocentrism at one end of the spectrum to some sort of adaptation or interaction at the other.

• Ethnocentrism
• Awareness
• Understanding
• Acceptance/respect
• Appreciation/valuing
• Selective Adoption
• Assimilation-adaptation-biculturalism-multiculturalism

Ethnocentricism is quite evident from birth as we begin identifying with and affirming that which gives us sustenance and a sense of belonging and fullness.  We need to believe that one's group is right and must be defended against depredations of nature and of other human beings.  Ethnocentrism does have its negative side as it can lead to mutual destruction among human beings which perceibe each other as a threat and try to impose their own way over the other.

Assertion of personal and cultural superiority is palpable in ethnocentric people and/or societies which overtly project themselves as the right and only way credible.  The latter is accompanied by a denigration of other cultures and different ways of conducting life.  The ethnocentric impulse is to divide the world into two or even various parts just as religion has been split into different denominations.

Awareness takes us into that journey of being aware of other cultures and not just to self-awareness.  If we wish to move from mere ethnocentrism, then we need to embrace an attitude of openness towards validating the fact that difference does not necessarily mean or imply enemy and threat.  We need to be humble enough to look outwardly and become aware of differences without a judgemental position.

Understanding goes beyond liking someone or something.  It requires an attitude of  genuinely valuing and respecting differences without a wishy washy behaviors.  Truthful understanding happens when we truly accept and welcome differences for the sake of sharing and happy living.

Acceptance and respect depend primarily on observable recognition and validity of cultural differences that we encounter.  Success in doing so is probably the result of not comparing or judging such differences against our own.

Appreciation and valuing is that sensation that we experience when we put into perspective the strengths and weakenesses of a culture and appreciate and value specific aspects of it.  We all know of cultures which may be more artistic, intelectual, athletic or even physically gifted.

Selective adoption takes place as we, consciously or unconsciously, respond to characteristics encountered in the other culture which are felt to be useful or desirable to emulate.  We do incorporate certain features or attitudes which take the form of adjustment or adaptation basically to enable the person to function more effectively in the other culture.  In other words, we find aspects of the other cultural pattern simply more comfortable or satisfying.  Nevertherless, we need to avoid losing the essense of our very own culture and project ourselves naturally without falling into wrongful imitations.  Mother cultures must be respected and never underestimated.

Assimilation and acculturation to and/or with a foreign culture requires some good dose of primary culture and language.  The question is how it takes for an individual to wholly assimilate an alien culture.  Assimilation or acculturation follow a process of acceptance, welcoming, embracing and adoption of new cultural patterns, mindset and cultural conditioning and behavior.  Those of us who have lived abroad understand what it´s like to be immersed in an environment where most things and ways of conducting life are different.  Little by little we begin to fully understand and welcome such differences to the point that they become part of our lives.  It is a sensation of acquiring something new into your life.

Adaptation is directly related to cultural learning with the adaptive proces whereby we adjust to the stresses and challenges of experiencing other cultures.  Adapting to this new culture and mode of behaviour is a must in order to feel comfortable and to function effectively within it.  Additionally, it is essential to be able to learn the gestures, pace, body language, language among other aspects to be able to adapt and/or at least develop role playing qualities.  Many people may role play effectively but will resist as much as possible the encroachment of the second culture on his or her own.

Biculturalism or being fully bicultural is the process of developing a dual cultural personality which is equally functional back and forth.  Biculturalism may be seen as the ideal end to the intercultural learning process.  However, adaptation may also be as acceptable especially knowing that oftentimes people must function biculturally as a minority group if they wish to succeed in mainstream society.  Biculturalism is the resulf of truthful acceptance of another culture, and it goes beyond the preference of role-playing rather than internalizing the foreing culture.  Some people may be great imitators or role players, but they that doesn't necessarily mean they have accepted and welcomed the new culture.  Role playing as such does not make them bicultural. 

Multiculturalism is a wider concept as it implies being fluent in more than two cultures.  Multiculturalism is achieved as we learn the framework of internacultural communication and cross-cultural human relationships and successfully apply such framework to multicultural situations.  Multicultural situations can vary from a multicultural classroom to a multicultural city and/or work environment where daily perceptual differences based on cultural conditioning may be experienced. 

The worldwide society should definitely be taught how to respect multicultural differences and avoid imposing one culture over the other.  We should all be equipped to be able to function effectively and deal with diversity.  A multicultural worldwide society would be that which has mastered the knowledge and developed the skills necessary to feel comfortable and communicate effectively with other people regardless of their origin or ethnic group.  Foreign language learning as well as multicultural learning will allow us all as a worldwide society to avoid feeling anxiety, defensiveness or even disorientation.  We all need intercultural experiences from early education to be able to better understand each other.