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)

The Space in Between Intercultural Communication (ICC) for Individuals Working with Immigrants

Kathryn BrillingerDr. Yuri Kagolovsky

Conestoga CollegeKitchener, Ontario

kbrillinger@conestogac.on.caykagolovsky@conestogac.on.ca

TESL Ontario, 2008

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!

Goal of this Workshop

• to increase awareness of Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC) and its impact on interactions

Striving for a Balance:Continuums NOT Stereotypes

O’ Canada!

O Canada, Drew Brook-Cormack, 1000-pc jigsaw puzzle

Riddle: What stays in one

corner yet can travel all over the

world?

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?”

Why does this matter?

Stories, stories, stories and … a sad story of a woman who went to teach on a reservation.

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)

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

Zahra

AlyshaTameera

Nadia

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

“Shared” Meaning

• Cognitive (concepts, ideas)

• Affective (emotions)

• Behavioral (procedures, rules, rituals)

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.

Cultural Boundary Lines

Cultural boundaries and the groups we belong to are fluid.

Context: Factors Influencing Shared Meaning

• History• Politics• Power• Personality• Geography• Economy• Religion• Social stratification• Philosophy• Moral and ethical

• Folklore• Literature• Entertainment• Communication

Technology• Fads

These factors create the context in which meaning is shared. They also impact on and are impacted by

ICC.

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.

Continuum of Perspectives

Global Personal

Seven Principles of Successful ICC

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.

The non-verbal trumps

the verbal

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*accidental Jones and Yarbrough (1985)

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

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.

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

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

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

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)

Principle #4

We are unaware of our own level of inter-cultural sensitivity and skills

Let’s look at Bennett’s Model.

Changes must occur in three areas.

Principle #5

Building inter-cultural communication skills is an ongoing, recursive process requiring cognitive, affective and procedural changes

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

Principle #6

Inter-cultural communication is the responsibility of each person involved.

e.g. The ‘soft skills’ debate for newcomers.

Principle 7

Inter-cultural communication necessitates a re-distribution of power.

e.g. Some examples from Canadian history

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.

Intercultural communication is occurring and …

Something has disturbed me

Something has disturbed someone

Something has disturbed the environment

What Can Be Done To Improve ICC?

A Balanced Approach

Creating A Space In Between

Creating a Space in Between

Non-negotiable Negotiable

Task Three

Cultural Perspective

Examining other cultures provides mirrors in which we can see ourselves – what the anthropologist Margaret Mead (1934) called

“the looking-glass self”

Development of ICC 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

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?

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

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)?

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.

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!

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)