Multiculturalism - Science topic

Dear Stéphane Ndondji Kaludi,

Thank you for your thought-provoking question. Indeed, it is possible to carry out sociolinguistic studies using data from chats on social networks. These platforms provide a wealth of spontaneous language data, reflecting various sociolinguistic factors such as age, gender, geographic origin, and multilingualism, as you rightly pointed out.

To address such studies, the methodology would need to carefully consider data collection, ensuring the ethical handling of participants' consent and anonymity, particularly given the personal nature of social media interactions. Data analysis could involve both qualitative and quantitative approaches, depending on the research focus. Tools like corpus linguistics, discourse analysis, and sociolinguistic variation analysis would be invaluable for examining the interplay of linguistic features across different sociolinguistic categories.

If you're considering writing or co-writing an article on this topic, it would be a fascinating exploration of how digital communication reflects and shapes sociolinguistic realities. I'd be interested in discussing this further and possibly collaborating on this project.

Best regards,

Prof. Gutemberg Rapôso

Cultural values and beliefs shape individuals' attitudes towards learning and education. In cultures that prioritize academic achievement and continuous learning, participants may be more motivated to engage in training programs. Conversely, in cultures where education is not highly valued or where there are competing priorities, participants may be less motivated to participate actively. Hofstede's Cultural Dimension Theory can be of help in your research.

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El multiculturalismo puede afectar a la eficacia de los programas de intervención social , dado que diferentes culturas pueden tener necesidades y perspectivas únicas. Los enfoques exitosos a menudo incorporan la diversidad cultural en el diseño de las intervenciones, fomentando la sensibilidad cultural, la participación comunitaria y la resiliencia para abordar las diversas realidades de los beneficiarios. La colaboración con líderes y miembros de la comunidad, así como la capacitación en competencia cultural para el personal, son competentes clave para garantizar la efectividad del programa y la diversidad cultural.

I can only address this question with mathematical structures. The individual self is multi-dimensional manifold embedded with an much, much larger manifold of infinite dimensions. One may think of it as a vector space of tremendous size. As vast as it is, a human existence is but a small subspace of the infinite dimensional manifold. When released from physical existence, the aspects of individual self convolve with the larger space. In some sense, you may refer to that as the commonality.

every society has a specific culture that distinguishes it from others and gives it its own special character of life, with the emergence of globalization and the openness it has caused to other societies, cultural friction has occurred, and cultural privacy began to gradually disappear in exchange for the emergence of cultural pluralism, within one society, if it is excessive, this is called cultural invasion.

indeed the extent to which universities facilitate diversity, equality and integration is reflected in their promotion, recruitment and selection, award of tenure at all levels of their institution. The extent, intensity, duration and levels of this disconnect should be researched. moreover accreditation agencies globally should treat this as a major criterion/requirement for the award of accreditation.

"Culturally responsive" teaching / classroom could be a relevant key term? Interested to see what others say here!

Dear Professor Sundus F Hantoosh ,

I thank you very much for your message. I will analyse everything carefully.

Yours sincerely,

Gianluigi Segalerba

The comprehensive penetration and development of AI into human society can have both positive and negative effects on the cultural governance model. Here are some potential impacts:

1. Preservation and promotion of cultural heritage: AI can be utilized to digitize and preserve cultural artifacts, historical documents, and traditional knowledge, making them more accessible to a wider audience. AI technologies such as natural language processing and machine learning can also help in the translation and preservation of endangered languages.

2. Increased cultural diversity and inclusivity: AI can enable greater participation and representation of diverse cultural groups in decision-making processes. By analyzing large datasets and identifying patterns, AI systems can provide insights into the needs and preferences of different communities, leading to more inclusive policies and governance models.

3. Enhanced cultural exchange and understanding: AI-powered translation and communication tools can break down language barriers, facilitating cross-cultural communication and fostering mutual understanding. Virtual reality and augmented reality applications can provide immersive experiences that promote cultural exchange and empathy.

4. Challenges to cultural authenticity and diversity: The increasing reliance on AI-generated content and algorithms can raise concerns about the authenticity and diversity of cultural expressions. There is a risk of homogenization or appropriation of cultural practices as AI technologies become more influential in shaping content creation and consumption.

To protect and promote cultural citizenship with more diverse democratic participation in the rapidly changing post-digital era, the following measures can be considered:

1. Ethical and inclusive AI development: Ensure that AI systems are developed with diversity, fairness, and inclusivity in mind. Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and involve diverse cultural and social groups in the design, development, and deployment of AI technologies.

2. Transparency and accountability: Establish clear guidelines and regulations for AI systems to ensure transparency in decision-making processes. This includes making AI algorithms and data sources transparent and accountable to prevent biases and discrimination.

3. Education and digital literacy: Promote digital literacy and cultural awareness among citizens to empower them to navigate the AI-driven digital landscape. Educate individuals about the potential impact of AI on cultural governance and encourage critical thinking and responsible use of AI technologies.

4. Collaboration and participation: Foster collaboration between policymakers, cultural institutions, technology experts, and communities to develop policies and practices that promote multicultural governance. Involve diverse cultural groups in decision-making processes and encourage their active participation in shaping cultural policies and practices.

5. Continuous monitoring and evaluation: Regularly monitor the impact of AI technologies on cultural governance and assess their effectiveness in promoting diversity, inclusion, and cultural citizenship. Adjust policies and practices based on feedback and evaluation results to ensure ongoing improvement.

Ultimately, ensuring and promoting multicultural governance in the future AI world requires a multidimensional approach that values diversity, inclusivity, transparency, and active participation of all stakeholders involved.

One way to become aware of bias in your teaching is by reflecting on your own assumptions and beliefs about students from different cultures. Consider asking yourself the following questions:

How do I perceive students from different cultural backgrounds?

Am I making assumptions about certain students based on their cultural background?

Do I provide equal opportunities and expectations for all students in my classroom?

Am I giving enough consideration to cultural differences when planning lessons or activities?

Am I using inclusive language and materials in my teaching?

You can also seek feedback from your students and colleagues. Ask for honest feedback and be open to constructive criticism. Engage in conversations about diversity and inclusion and actively listen to the perspectives of others.

It sounds like your lecture and forthcoming publication will focus on the complex relationships between rights, liberalism, and multiculturalism, drawing on the work of various scholars in the field. It's interesting that you will be analyzing both the potential benefits and drawbacks of group rights within liberal theory, as well as examining the tensions between toleration and the protection of individual liberties within multicultural contexts.

One suggestion I would offer is to perhaps also consider incorporating perspectives from non-Western thinkers and scholars, particularly given the conference's emphasis on the Gandhian way and constructive programs for sustainable development. Examining how non-Western societies approach these issues and how they might challenge or enrich Western liberal and multicultural perspectives could provide a valuable contribution to the discourse. Additionally, you might consider exploring how these debates around rights, liberalism, and multiculturalism intersect with issues of sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in terms of how they impact marginalized and vulnerable communities around the world.

Overall, it sounds like your work will be tackling some important and timely issues, and I wish you the best of luck with your publication and ongoing research.

Thank you for your comment. I agree with the point that it differs from country to country and that it is less complicated when the languages belong to the same linguistic grouping. Although bilingualism in schools and families is a successful reality in many countries and cultures, it is important to consider the different aspects of bilingual education. It should also be pointed out that a bilingual education is not the same as a multicultural education. The point of reflection in this discussion is to understand how multilingualism is a component of the strategies embedded in national educational policies. Although the subject has already been well studied, I think that there are still many gaps which are reflected in a poverty of learning such as the one mentioned in the last World Bank report [https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/what-is-learning-poverty].

My question would be why do you feel the need to come up with a justification? Should not the authors of the original work have provided such a (hopefully convincing) justification for retaining 3 factors when their empirical analyses supported only 2?

I have conducted research in several minority groups, and always found that if possible, it is always preferable to distribute a given scale in one's native language, even if he/she is fluent in other languages. The best way to do this in my opinion (although this is not always feasible), is: (1) Back-translation of scales; (2) Conducting a small pilot study among the minority group in order to receive feedback on the relevance of items to the group (for example, this process helped us in removing certain items which were not relevant and/or offensive to specific minority groups); (3) Continuing with the main research.

I also think it is important to conduct a CFA for the scale after data collection, to demonstrate that the scale's internal structure remains strong for the study group.

Hope this helps!

Re i-memes and Social Media, check out this PowerPoint about Humor and Journalism where we show that Western Tall Tales became Urban Legends, which became Q-Anon Conspiracy Theories. We also discuss humor in the news and humor in fake news.

International Society for Humor Studies: http://www.humorstudies.org/ .

Alleen and Don Nilsen’s The Language of Humor (Cambridge University Press, 2019) is now available. We have developed a PowerPoint to accompany each of the twenty-five chapters of the book as follows:

Chapter 1: Introduction & Humor Theories Chapter 2: Humor in Anthropology & Ethnic Studies Chapter 3: Humor in Art Chapter 4: Humor in Business Chapter 5: Humor in Computer Science Chapter 6: Humor in Education Chapter 7: Humor in Gender Studies Chapter 8a: Humor in Geography I (International Humor: Books, Conferences and Organizations) Chapter 8b: Humor in Geography II (International Humor: Examples and Discussion) Chapter 9: Humor in Gerontology Chapter 10: Humor in History Chapter 11: Humor in Journalism Chapter 12: Humor in Law Chapter 13: Humor in Linguistics Chapter 14: Humor in Literature Chapter 15: Humor in Medicine and Health Chapter 16: Humor in Music Chapter 17: Humor in Names and Naming Chapter 18: Humor in the Performing Arts Chapter 19: Humor in Philosophy Chapter 20: Humor in Physical Education Chapter 21: Humor in Politics Chapter 22: Humor in Psychology Chapter 23: Humor in Religion Chapter 24: Humor in Rhetoric and Composition Chapter 25: Humor in Sociology We’re sending you a PowerPoint indicating how humor is important to your particular discipline. Please let us know if you would like to receive any of our other humor-related PowerPoints (see above). Thanks. Don and Alleen Nilsen don.nilsen@asu.edu alleen.nilsen@asu.edu .

This one?

A positive value could be viewed and appreciated differently in different cultures. It is imperative for whoever practice positive psychology to be multiculturally equip with more awareness, knowledge and skills about one own unfriendly aspects regarding certain diverse cultures and able to differential how to manage it. Failure to see own weaknesses and bias towards other cultures is sure recipe to conflict

If the IT sector company is a public company whose securities are listed on the stock exchange, the results of the financial analysis, including the ratio analysis, can be compared to the increase in the company's share in the markets where certain IT products or services are sold. You can also conduct market research and take into account the issue of brand recognition of the company and its offer from potential customers. Technological aspects, including the technologies used, compared with direct competitors can also be taken into account. If other categories of information are also available, it is possible to carry out a multi-faceted technical and economic analysis.

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Marilyn Loden's Implementing Diversity is a very good resource to start with, although not very recent.

Out of experience, I'd say the first determinant is the existence of a strategy acknowledging the need to create cultural diversity in organizations. Without it, it's just window dressing.

Manu Vasudevan Unni see if the attached article is of any use. I'm not sure if your stating a purpose or asking a question. Happy to discuss further. :)

Good luck

Ethical values must be taught

Alwin Paul Alias He Him very interesting question, I'm on stand by :)

"In the year of 2020 I think you should be able to request the Multicultural Inventory."

Actually, you're not! You have to fill in the agreement form and pay 100$ to use it for one research purpose, I tried a few days to write Mrs. Roysircar on getting the items... [https://www.antioch.edu/new-england/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/12/MCI-Agreement-form.pdf]

But there are plenty of other multi- and intercultural measurements, maybe you find yourself another useful one? For example here: [https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022113492891]

This article is one of the best things to read about: Planning in the multicultural city: Celebrating diversity or reinforcing difference?

https://faculty.bemidjistate.edu/mlawrence/Fincher.pdf

Thanks for helping.

Please take a look at this link.

In today's fiction when myth is been revisited implies there lies ample scope for study within our folklore. (Considering myth as a pivotal element that emerged due to folklore primarily).

Content that will enhance values are always a welcome in professional as well as non professional courses.

Folklore apart with its grace that exhibit culture and ethnicity contains immense values with universal appeal.

This adds the scope of bringing ethnic tales as a medium to glance the versity of lessons ready to beam to generations who can hold

Comparative literature may be part of the cultural studies, or the contrary, if the literary text reflects really its cultural origins.

In the environment of globalization it is most important for persons to be culturally competent in all aspects including communications. This means that the person not only understands the spoken or written word but also the nuances, body language (if applicable) and cultural context behind the conversation.

@ Dr. Bradley:

So the benefits of immigration related decisions can be of many kinds, either economic or multidimensional. The host society obviously have to decide about them, preferably through democratic process, at a national (and local) level. Otherwise, European Americans might share the fate of Indigenous peoples and Western Europeans will also be minorities in their own countries (i.e. Great Replacement). And it is not only about rights; there are obligations as well. Anyway, I was interested in evidence, not ideology.

@ Dr. Caplan:

Thanks, I have to look it up. What you say strengthens my initial assumptions.

Here are some ideas:

Bletz, M. (2016). Immigration and acculturation in Brazil and Argentina: 1890-1929. Springer.

Ramos, D. (1986). Community, control and acculturation: a case study of slavery in eighteenth century Brazil. The Americas, 42(4), 419-451.

Bastide, R. (2007). The African religions of Brazil: toward a sociology of the interpenetration of civilizations. JHU Press.

Fujii, Y., & Smith, T. L. (1959). The acculturation of the Japanese immigrants in Brazil (No. 8). University of Florida Press, School of Inter-American Studies.

Ginsberg, A. M., & Gioielli, M. M. (1979). A Comparative Study of Acculturation and Adaptation of Descendants of Japanese Born in Brazil (Nissei) Compared with Japanese and Brazilians. Human Development, 22(5), 340-357.

Bletz, M. E. (2003). Whiteness of a darker color: Narratives of immigration and acculturation in Brazil and Argentina, 1890--1930.

Van Den Berghe, P. L. (1976). The African Diaspora in Mexico, Brazil and the United States. Social Forces, 54(3), 530-545.

Regardless of singular or multicultural perspective I think Maslow's pyramid states with basic needs and carries on until the highest wants of a normal being. Moreover, Maslow's theory is not scientifically proved but it's his own theory which turns out to be famous and referred academically all over the world.

Dear Ximu Xu and Stephen Dobson, I feel your artcle will demonstrate that student learning is affected by multiple factors, having different emphasis depending on the location of the learning.

I agree with what is indicated by S. Béatrice Marianne Ewalds-Kvist .

Good question

I have been doing research on social entrepreneurs, and among them very accomplished physicians. I found in those excellent medical doctors very strong soft skills like empathy, and also, a strong sense of willingness to understand and appreciate the patient's culture. There is a lot to be done in 1. Teaching Empathy , 2. Teaching cultural sensitivity.

Thanks for the article.

Hi, Rajan,

I recommend Marsiglia and Kulis' Diversity, Oppression, and Change: Culturally Grounded Social Work (Lyceum Books, 2015). I have a book review of it that I can share with you. You may also want to look at my article with Mary Caplan on Understanding Fringe Economic Behavior. I can also share this. It is a meta-ethnography applying the sociological theories of Pierre Boudieu. His seminal work on this is The Logic of Practice.

My take away from all of this is that we err when we attempt to define culture in a macro context. Each of us exists in interlocking and overlapping Bourdieusian fields with their on social rules. It is this micro culture that is most determinative of our behaviors, and the level of culture most likely to be overlooked by researchers.

I recommend to contact Prof Paul M. Zulehner from Vienna.

Bartosz, it depends what are you understanding as multiculturalism (it could mean demographic multiculturalism, multicultural politics, multicultural ideology...). Here I give you some general references (mostly not only from Great Britain) that could be useful:

1- Nathan, M. (2011). The Economics of Cultural Diversity: Lessons from British cities . THESIS

2- The Oxford Handbook of Multicultural Identity (2014)

Edited by Benet-Martinez and Hong.

3- Verkuyten, M. (2008). Support for Multiculturalism and Minority Rights: The Role of National Identification and Out-group Threat, Social Justice Research, 22, 31-52.

Dear Saman Dizayi,

It does uncover the cultural dominance. Language is the carrier of culture and influence the processes and manifestations of social formation. Especially, in the 19th century literature.

I wrote this poem.

Dear\ Mohammed Sabrin

pls read this article :-

The identity of migrants is part of the identity change that is part of the most complex phenomenon of globalization migrants are driven by perceived needs but also by dynamics above them. Their access to an identity of their property is limited.

Many thanks for your answers and advices. I will consider your prospectives and really appreciated. Thanks

Dear Ane.

Urie Bronfrenbrenner's ecological approach to human development is a must regarding your question. You can learn a from reading some of his books and papers.

Kind regards,

Orlando

Dear Raj I don't deny that India is not a secular and democratic state even I am not saying that Indian Constitution is not giving religious freedom to its citizens. Although Indian constitution is based on democratic and secular principles no problem in that. However, do u think India is secularism and democratic experience is successful. To my understanding India is democratic in constitution but when it comes to practice there is lot of democratic failure and plenty of challenges to secularism. You need to look at that thing. Thats why i asked what strategies India needs to adopt to maintain a balanced and sustainable society. How to handle situations where there are challenges to both mentioned ideals of democracy...

I think the question is too broad and so it needs to be narrowed down or reworded! Both migration and consumption are big concepts and identity of an individual or a group of people can be changed and/or reconstructed when people migrate to another country! Dietary practice is just one aspect of identity, which can immensely be influenced by the movement of people from one place to another. Think about the diverse identities of diasporas in transnational world!

I follow

Historical analysis might be helpful in building interfaith dialogue. Some journalists have already begun the conversation by tracing the British Queen's lineage to the Arab World. Acknowledging this might open many doors regarding shared identity.

Hello to everybody

Please take into account that question is about the stars point of multicultural design, as political plataforma, to deal with culture and diversity... It is very important to distinguish the socisl and real fact (cultural diversity) from our ideas and proposals to deal with it, like multicultural one.

Dear Soumia Erraji,

Here are some possible questions for your interviews.

-How do you approach culturally-sensitive topics in your class/lecture?

-In which ways do you aim to diversify the readings and literature so as to represent the ethnic backgrounds of your students?

-How do you encourage class participation from students who come from 'passive' learning educational backgrounds?

Many thanks for your insights Frederic!

Querido Diego,

Great question. I am critical on both sides of the equation.

First of all, I am critical of the notion of human rights, along with many of the leading theorists of international law. I'll mention just one example, David Kennedy of Harvard who is quite critical of human rights. My own perspective as a global health specialist and cultural psychiatrist is that human rights are only as useful as one's ability to exercise them and that is dependent upon power and privilege. So it's all very nice to assert rights as a principle, quite another to ensure them as a matter of policy. And only a very few nations in the world ensure the rights of their citizens and even fewer the rights of foreigners, visitors, migrants, and refugees.

A broader critique is that human rights and their allied concerns is a kind of sop for neoliberalism, hiding the real horrors of hegemonies and monopolies and dressing up their injustices with a humanitarian face. That is why the serious left is critical of human rights.

I am for pluralism and living with difference - I am for the notions of porosity, divergence, syncretism and other ideas that argue for many, divergent voices in any society and in the world that enrich us and edify us. I am not comfortable with multiculturalism as a Canadian federal policy or in any other country. I am not comfortable with multiculturalism when that means privileging one group of people against another such as affirmative action due to past injustices. This engenders strong reactions and is ultimately self-defeating. That is why I believe that, depending on how one defines the two key terms - human right and multiculturalism - they are either not in conflict or very deeply so. For example, if one sees human rights as universal then some interpretations of multiculturalism could be seen as tipping the scales in favour of one group against others. If one sees multiculturalism as a way of rectifying and redressing past omissions and commissions such colonization and Eurocentric assumptions, then one may be tempted to ironize the notion of universal human rights.

I do not hold by such self-serving definitions and am equally uncomfortable with each of these terms on their own and believe they are destined to be in conflict. We need new ways of imagining a better world, not new ways of continuing and maintaining parochial, partisan views of the world. This won't make me popular with anyone but it's what I believe to be true and good.

Warm wishes for the season from southern Brazil,

Vincenzo Di Nicola

Université de Montréal &

The George Washington University

In a comprehensive review of recent research on geometry education, we concluded that more research is needed "both on how to provide teachers and students with more opportunities to engage in visuospatial reasoning and how to find ways to adequately assess and value such reasoning"; see:

Sinclair, N., Bussi, M. G. B., de Villiers, M., Jones, K., Kortenkamp, U., Leung, A., & Owens, K. (2016). Recent research on geometry education: an ICME-13 survey team report. ZDM: Mathematics Education, 48(5), 691-719. 

A pre-print is downloadable at the link below:

Excellent Question. This is one of my favorit subjects, as a perofessor.

Let’s look fitst at our role as professor and try to apply what we do at the college/university level to the school level.

Here is what I do as a professor of Social Work, Who also teach about diversity.:

Group Discussion: Highlighting & Appreciating Diversity: Teaching about diversity to a diverse group of students can be very challanging, especially when students represent different identities, privilages, ages, gender, religion, socioeconomic classes, races, ethnicities, immigration statuses, sexual orientations, disabilities, and the like. However, I firmly believe that exposure to diversity lends itself to good knowledge and practice.  Students who engage with peers of  diverse backgrounds are better prepared to practice any profession with a wide range of diverse populations. I encurage a group discussion method where students reflect, discuss, debate, explore, agree/disagree. For example, I encurage students to share their own personal experiences with race/ethnic/gender/religion/ immigration/ and disabilities based discrimination; provide a safe space for group discussion, inspire interactive communication style, while mainting a respectful way in disagreeing with each other. I encourage students to share their experiences, both personal and professional ( at the uniooversity level), and to engage in meaningful dialogue with one another regarding these experiences. My role as a professor and as a facilitator is to create a safe, supportive, and encuraging environment, where mutual learning may occur.  Students have told me that this class discussion and dialogue between them has been very enlightening, and enjoyable.

Diverse Curriculum and activities: A diverse  classroom is usually embodied some challanging topics. In teaching and wortking with a diverse classroom, I put delligent efforts in diversifying my course materials before each session by sublmenting each topic with a list of in class and online activities including short videos, case studies, news paper articles, or presenting a brief segment of a radio talk. To increase interactive online discussion, I seek students’ reflection, using their own critical thinking, while interacting with one another by having each reply to at least one of their classmate posting. 

Case studies: I also diversify my teaching methods using different case studies that best reflect on the course materials.  through Moodle ( Blackboard) activities examples or come up with their own topics that matter to them. This teaching technique help students to use interactive communication while creating a more  inclusive classroom. Some times, I  introduce a topic using the “Not-knowing position,” admitting or pretending not being an expert while seeking students feedback and views of the  discussed topic. By doing so, I become not only a teacher but also a learner along side my students. I work collaboratively and together with students to create a safe, supportive, and  encuraging environment.

Dear Alan

The questionnaire seeks to establish if virtual project team members are trained on culture before participating in virtual teams and if so, on which elements of culture the training is done. It also seeks to establish if responds feel such training is necessary for team collaboration. 

I have attached the questionnaire, your response to the questionnaire will be highly appreciated.

 Dear Khandker,

Thank you for your interesting question. These links may interest you.

Fernando thank you for your observation. Papert's seminal postulation is certainly acceptable without any question or doubt. However, in my experience I have found a large discrepancy between the declared goals of the use of educational technology in the heterogeneous classroom and the practical results of its use. If I may present my own perception I would say that while technology has made a profound positive contribution to medicine and health, to commerce and industry and to the military, there has not been a commensurate contribution of technology to education. 

You can read this interesting book, even it is quite an old one :

Dusenge V., Sibomana R. (2004) Auto-organisation des réfugiés dans les camps à l'Est du Zaïre (1994-1996), Namur (Belgium) : Presses universitaires de Namur.

Also an article :

Contal M. H., Revedin J., Vers une nouvelle éthique pour l'architecture et la ville, Sustainable Design, Vol. 1-2-3-4. 2011-2014-2016.

Finally, many humanitarian associations have done some empirical researches, even it is not scientific ones, it could be really usefull. For example, in Calais and Dunkirk (North of France), many expériences have been made, i.e. in Calais's jungle.

Hope it could help you,

Christophe Gibout

There are many aspects of communication which differ from culture to culture, including how loud we talk, the directness with which we speak, how much emotion we express in various situations, the rules for turn taking, the use or avoidance of silence, and many non-verbal aspects of communication like posture, eye contact, proximity, touching, tone of voice, etc. that occur almost totally beneath our conscious awareness. It is clear that communication patterns develop very differently in individualistic and in group-oriented cultures. With the increased globalization of workplace settings across most industries, today’s managers need a more precise understanding of intercultural communication in an effective management strategy. it is important to have a plan in place and keep these points in mind:

1 Know Your Team: 2. Do Your Homework: 3. The Platinum Rule:

Skilled professionals who are leaders in their field can provide not only the knowledge, but the personal experience to make the concepts come alive.

You might have a look at my book below where here are a number of comparative figures regarding different areas (Education, Health, Employment, etc). And an article in attach published in Ute Eickelkamp (ed.) Growing Up in Central Australia: New Anthropological Studies of Aboriginal Childhood and Adolescence, Oxford, Berghahn Books : 239-272. ISBN hardback 978-0-85745-082-1 ; ebook 978-0-85745-083-8

Dear Nezhart;

Please follow the Hofstede centre, it is operated by itim International, a network based consultancy with the endorsement of Prof Geert Hofstede on the field of the Cultural dimension theory, Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture.

For more detailed, see the following link and maybe they could be of your interest:

Best regards

I would echo Ivo Carneiro de Sousa's suggestion to reflect on your question and set against the critical perspective offer by Frieire - sometimes now we cite him but do not engage with him and there has never been a greater need to engage critically with scholarship in an isomorphically homogenised world of learning and culture!

Dear Kiran, I am not sure whether "multiculturalism" and "assimilation" are "models". I think that "multiculturalism" is mainly a demographic expression that accounts for the cultures that exist in a "mixed" community. In fact, I understand that "multiculturalism" does not even mean that people are "trapped" in their culture forever in a sort of cultural ghetto. Assimilation is a description of how a person comes into another culture and adopts its characteristics. It is probably an individual thing, more that a community thing. Assimilation is usually necessary insofar as a foreigner needs to learn the language, enough of the cultural traits of his or her new community. etc. But those "negotiations" need not constitute a change from one culture to the other. 

Best regards, Lilliana 

Contemporary societies are complex and the role of education is changing as a consequence of societal Change.  Multiculturalism describes the existence, acceptanceof multiple cultural  traditions within a single jurisdiction usually considered in terms of the culture associated with an ethnic group. Many people living within multicultural and plural societies are pluricultural. Pluricultural individuals are people with the competences of knowledge, disposition and linguistic and behavioral skills required to function as a social actor within two or more cultures.. Interculturality refers to the capacity to experience and analyze cultural otherness, and to use this experience to reflect on matters that are usually taken for granted within one’s own culture and environment. Interculturality finally involvesevaluating one’s own everyday patterns of perception, thought, feeling and behaviour in order to develop greater self-knowledge and self-understanding. Interculturality thus enables people to act as mediators among people of different cultures, to explain and interpret different perspectives. Interculturality does not involve identifying with another cultural group or adopting the cultural practices of the other group. Interculturality entails a number of underlying cognitive, affective and behavioural competences. These include knowledge ( knowledge about other cultural groups and their products and practices and knowledge about the ways in which people of different cultures interact), attitudes (such as curiosity, openness, respect for otherness, and empathy), skills of interpreting and  relating (for example, interpreting a practice from another culture and relating it to practices within one’s own culture), skills of discovery (such as the ability to search out and acquire new knowledge about a culture and its practices and products), and critical cultural awareness (that is, the ability to evaluate critically the practices and products of one’s own and other cultures). An intrinsic aspect of analyzing intercultural social activity is the reflective process of relating new knowledge to one’s own self-understanding and values. Sensitivity is an important element in attempting to understand another's way of life, but part of the reflective process is to relate new understanding to one’s own values and beliefs with tolerance and respect for those of others. It involves a positive attitude towards diversity, seeing the meeting between people with different beliefs and cultural practices as enriching for all, and seeing one’s own individuality as being developed through meeting ‘otherness’. This is the process of intercultural dialogue which underpins the achievement of social cohesion.

I think that Canada and Australia wanted to avoid the empty concept in place in Britain and therefore their definitions and policies are much more developed, after all these are countries that needed migrants but they had to think well how to choose their citizens (and they implemented points-based systems for a reason - to evaluate human capital skills).

What is valid for cheap labour is also valid for international students or jobs in the US going to China and India. Some research papers have pointed out that there were excellent foreign students among terrorists in the UK and US. The same goes for some regulations in the US regarding aviation pilots because it is easy to start such a course, no matter one's status.

Multiculturalism is not as positive as it sounds but the receiving country is also responsible for security, selection and business (incl. universities) compliance with local and national laws. 

Reflection on the Law - Morality relation as a way to rethink basic goals of Law. In other words, the question is did we reach full potentiality of Law as strictly positive rules without taking moral dimensions in account? What is the place of values in creating Law rules especially when we have in mind anticipating dimension of Law. Can we answer the contemporary challenges without revisting that complexed relation of Law and Morals?

Dear Zurina

Yes You can use thematic analyses with observation and field notes.

I share with you same bibliography:

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.

Boyatzis, R. E. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Sage.

Stella, A., & Woodhouse, D. (2007). Benchmarking in Australian higher education: A thematic analysis of AUQA audit reports. Melbourne, VIC: Australian Universities Quality Agency.

Regards

Maria Joao C Teixeira

I don't necessarily agree that Jobs are "offered" (your term) based on education. Here's a really interesting editorial (with very good links) (though the point is arguing agains STEM obsessions, I think it relates well to your question).  http://www.dailycal.org/2014/03/07/employability-myth-humanities/ - and the author makes the point that, "Part of the reason college graduates of any major are having difficulty getting steady work of any kind is because all young people (with or without a college degree) can’t find employment all that easily. This salient detail is lost on many in the business world"

The author sums up the argument as, "“It doesn’t really matter what you major in at college; what’s important is where you go to school and what you want to do for a living.”"

You may also find the "anti-meritocracy" discourses useful - e.g., http://ojs.uwindsor.ca/ojs/leddy/index.php/phaenex/article/view/3302

Hi Fran,

Thanks for starting an interesting conversation topic. I am currently working on my PhD which looks at how young people engage with interculturality in their everyday lives. My understanding is that intercultural communication is mainly dealt with in the fields of applied linguistics and sociolinguistics and intercultural learning is studied in the field of education. So my impression is that scholars of intercultural communication focus on language use whereas it is conspicuously absent from discussions of intercultural learning. With regards to the distinction between intercultural communication and intercultural learning, I am dealing with something similar. I’m working with the term ‘thinking diversity’ to describe critical understandings of self and Other that don’t necessarily involve interpersonal interaction, and ‘living diversity’ to describe interacting successfully with Others that does not involve the kind of critical reflection and understandings generated by ‘thinking diversity’. When the two are enacted simultaneously I think of it as ‘doing interculturality’. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this.

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I appreciate your concern in this regard . Just as Donald Trump does not represent  all Americans , the extremists don't represent all Muslims, I wonder why it needs to be emphasized so much. Its not that complicated . I really loved the way Pres.Obama expressed his concern on the issue during his recent visit to a mosque, that's how other enlightened social scientists can reach out as well.

I think it depends on what you exactly mean by "Multicuturalism". On the one hand you have respect and equity for all cultures, with all having equitable access to resources.Then you have the coalition building/breaking (depends on the identity) colorblind Multiculturalism which says everyone is equal (not equitable) and has equal opportunities, and US identity politics. This 2nd outlook attempts to negate the histories of the Maafa, colonialism and Manifest Destiny by claiming an equal playing field for hard workers, ignoring the intersectionality of an individual that allow or deny one economic and political equity. 

Hi Bruno,

I apologise for my tardy response - from a Giddensian perspective you are correct in saying that the 'migrant' is the agent and the 'outside' is the structure. But it is important to define the 'outside'. The 'outside' could be seen as a macro-level structure - i.e. the erction of borders by governments which reinforce what migrants do at the agency level. But also, the 'outside' could be interpreted at a meso-level structure: that is, the interaction of the migrant (agent) in relation to their wider social group (structure) which co-constitutionally reproduces the norms, values and customs of what the migrant does or does not do.

Hello Lucia,

For cohabiting couples I think universities will be an effective way to reach intercultural couples. In particular universities in Eastern U.S. and Canada will likely get you significant numbers of potential participants. The Central Canadian Universities below have both high levels of international students and are multiethnic populations - student associations, depts. of Psych etc. are first line contacts: 

Carleton University: www.carleton.ca

McMaster University: www.mcmaster.ca

University of Ottawa: www.uottawa.ca/welcome.html

Queen’s University: www.queensu.ca