Chapter 5: Intercultural DevelopmentConsidering the Growth of Self & Others

Presentation By:Donnelle Bivens, Kirsten Bergin, Kellie Childers,

Kelly Laccinole, Jamie Pursley, and Ashton Walker

ELED 4292 Multicultural Education: Instructing Urban LearnersUNC Charlotte

Developmental Models of Ethnic & Racial Identity

Ethnic Identity: Social meaning of belonging to a particular ethnic

group

Racial Identity: Race is socially defined on a basis of physical

criteria. Ethnic Group is socially defined on a basis of

cultural criteria.

5-Stage Model of Racial Consciousness

(Cross, 1991 & Spring, 2004)

Pre-Encounter: Negative stereotypes become part of a person’s identity. (Self-Fulfilling Prophecy)

Encounter: Questioning the negative stereotypes from the previous stage. Racial Profiling: constructing a set of behaviors

based on race, and using that to determine guilt.

Immersion-Emersion: discard ethnic self-hatred, and take on new identity

Immersion: complete immersion in a person’s ethnic cultureCauses people to see importance of

contributions to greater society. (Ex. Influence of Italian art on Western art)

Internalization: people become “fully multicultural” and adopt view of culture that is accepting and critical.

*There is also another model by Banks (1988) that focuses on more of a global society.

5-Stage Model of Racial Consciousness

(Cross, 1991 & Spring, 2004)

Intercultural Competence

Interculturally competent people have three things in common: They are able to manage the psychological stress

that accompanies most intercultural Interactions They are able to communicate effectively across

cultures-verbally and nonverbally They are able to develop and maintain new and

essential interpersonal relationships

Intercultural Competence

Interculturally competent individuals are able to:• solve problems and take appropriate risks • shift their frame of reference as required • recognize and respond appropriately to cultural

differences• listen empathically• perceive others truthfully • maintain nonjudgmental approach to

communication• gather appropriate information about another

culture

Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

Model provides a framework for understanding individual development and awareness along a continuum from highly ethnocentric to highly ethnorelative

Ethnocentric Stages of the DMISDenial

inability to see cultural differencesreflective of individuals who isolate or

separate themselves in homogenous groups

“stupid questions syndrome” have ideas about stereotypic knowledge

Children are socialized to believe that their view is the view of the world, instead of learning that their view is only one view of the world

Ethnocentric Stages of the DMIS

Defense Recognition of cultural difference coupled with

negative evaluations of those whose culture is different from one’s own

When forced into contact with others, individuals become defensive

Prefer to separate themselves from others because they don’t have categories for dealing with difference

Ethnocentric Stages of the DMIS

MinimizationDiscovery of commonalityBegin to recognize and accept

superficial cultural differences (eating customs) but continue to believe that all humans are essentially the same

Believe that physical traits do not matter as long as they treat everyone the same

Believe all people have the same needs because they ignore influence of culture

Ethnorelative Stages of DMISAcceptance

Ability to recognize and appreciate cultural differences in terms of values and behaviors

Categories of difference are consciously expanded and elaborated, with an understanding that others are “not good or bad, just different”

Begin to seek out cultural difference May respect and value cultural differences but not

necessarily agree with all they see

Ethnorelative Stages of DMISAdaptation

More flexible and competent in their ability to communicate across cultures

Driven by a need for action and cognitive empathy 2 forms of adaption exist

CulturalBehavioral

Conscious intention with flexible and permeable category boundaries

Ethnorelative Stages of DMISIntegration

Internalization of bicultural or multicultural frames of reference

Can identify and move freely within more than one cultural group

Able to facilitate constructive cultural contact between cultures and tend to become cultural mediators

Rare and difficult level to achieve

Summary

IdentifyingEthnic Identity

You identify yourself as belonging to a social group with whom you have cultural commonalitiesCustomsShared language

Racial Identity Physical

characteristics identify you as belonging to a specific group, such as:Skin colorFacial features

Growing OurselvesPeople can grow from being

ethnocentric to becoming ethnorelative and open minded.

Through these steps and recognizing one’s state of mind, we can become the culture that we as teachers wish to foster: an understanding and welcoming community in which cultural differences are seen merely as spectrums of the same rainbow.

Summary“Intercultural development is how they

develop their ability to understand and interact more effectively with people different from themselves. The developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (DMIS) was introduced as one means to understand how people can grow from being ethnocentric to becoming more ethnorelative in their orientation.”

Most students and teachers will go through the DMIS model and it is important that one is given the support to understand what to do in certain situations.

References: Cushner, K., McClelland, A., & Safford,

P. (2012). Human diversity in education: An intercultural approach. (Seventh ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.