1. Building relationships through cultural lenses
Session 2
Building relationships through cultural lenses
Chad
HUSB 318: Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Human Services
David Lopez, M.S.
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

2. challenge
How do you get the expertise on all cultures in order to understand cultural differences?
Chad
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

3. Historical Background
EIGHT cultural lenses
Historical Background
Faith/Spirituality/Secularism
Generational Aspects
Power Distance
Individualist and Collectivist
Competitive/Cooperative
Uncertainty Avoidance
Time Orientation
Chad
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

4. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND LENS
Defined:
Personal culture influenced by the historical nature of the person’s country of origin
Influence of colonialism on worldview
Relationship between country of origin and the USA
Questions to Consider:
What is this person’s historical background?
How would a person’s historical background influence their relationship with you?
Bruce
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

5. ACTIVITY #2
Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Historical Background Cultural lens.
Part 1: Individually assess your own thinking about your historical background.
Part 2: Work in your small groups.
Discuss how you use the Historical Background cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.
What have you observed that may reflect the Historical Background dimension?
How did you respond?
Be prepared to share your response.
Bruce
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

6. Inequitable distribution of resources, and the community response
POWER DISTANCE LENS
Defined:
Socio-economic status, education, relationships with authority and access to decision making
Inequitable distribution of resources, and the community response
Relationship equity vs. formal and economic status
Questions:
How comfortable or uncomfortable is someone in relation to socio-economic status, education, authority and decision making?
How would Power Distance be seen in different programs within your organization?
Chad
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

7. Activity #3
Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Power Distance Cultural Lens.
Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Power Distance continuum.
Part 2: Work in your small groups.
Discuss how you use the Power Distance cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.
What have you observed that may reflect the Power Distance dimension?
How did you respond.
Be prepared to share your response.
Chad
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

8. INDIVIDUALISM and COLLECTIVISM lens
Defined:
Individualism: Social ties between individuals are loose. People are expected to look after themselves.
Collectivism: Integrated into and loyal to extended families and strong, cohesive groups
Question:
Does someone demonstrate “I” behavior or “You” behavior?
How might Individualism/Collectivism be seen in your workplace?
Emily
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

9. ACTIVITY #4
Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Individualist/Collectivist cultural lens.
Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Individual- Collectivist continuum.
Part 2: Work in your small groups.
Discuss how you use the Individualist/Collectivist cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.
What have you observed that may reflect the Individualist/ Collectivist dimension?
How did you respond.
Be prepared to share your response.
Emily
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

10. Competitive/cooperative
Defined:
Competitive cultures often value competition, assertiveness, ambition and personal wealth.
Cooperative cultures value shared leadership, relationships, quality of life and social performance.
Question:
How have changes occurred in the US among men and women when viewed through the Competitive/Cooperative lens?
How have organizations changed their facilities and/or programs to accommodate changing male/female roles in the US?
Chad
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

11. Activity #5
Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Competitive/Cooperative cultural lens.
Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Competitive/ Cooperative continuum.
Part 2: Work in your small groups.
Discuss how you use the Competitive/Cooperative cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.
What have you observed that may reflect the Competitive/Cooperative dimension?
How did you respond.
Be prepared to share your response.
Chad
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

12. Uncertainty avoidance lens
Defined:
A society’s tolerance for uncertainty
The extent individuals feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations
Cultures that avoid uncertainty appreciate punctuality and schedules
Cultures which avoid uncertainty minimize anxiety by strict laws and security measures
Question:
How comfortable or uncomfortable is someone in unstructured situations?
Where does your organization typically fall on the Uncertainty scale? What happens when people don’t share the same place on the scale?
Chad
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

13. Activity #6
To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Certainty-Uncertainty cultural lens.
Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Certainty- Uncertainty continuum.
Part 2: Work in your small groups.
Discuss how you use the Certainty-Uncertainty cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.
What have you observed that may reflect the Certainty- Uncertainty dimension?
How did you respond.
Be prepared to share your response.
Chad
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

14. Faith/spirituality/secularism lens
Defined:
Recognizing and understanding a culture’s religions and faiths.
Question:
How does faith affect how someone behaves?
Emily
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

15. Activity #7
Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Faith/Spirituality/Secularism Cultural Lens.
Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Faith/Spirituality/Secularism continuum.
Part 2: Work in your small groups.
Discuss how you use the Faith/Spirituality/Secularism cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.
What have you observed that may reflect the Faith/Spirituality/Secularism dimension?
How did you respond?
Be prepared to share your response.
Emily
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

16. Time orientation Defined:
Long-term orientation encourages thrift, savings, perseverance toward results, and a willingness to subordinate oneself for a purpose.
Short-term orientation is consistent with spending to keep up with social pressure, less savings, preference for quick results, and a concern with saving face.
Question:
How much does society value long-standing – as opposed to short term – traditions and values?
Bruce
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

17. Activity #8
Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Time Orientation Cultural Lens.
Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Time Orientation continuum.
Part 2: Work in your small groups.
Discuss how you use the Time Orientation cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.
What have you observed that may reflect the Time Orientation dimension?
How did you respond.
Be prepared to share your response.
Bruce
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

18. People born within a given period of years.
Generational lens
Defined:
Period of time when people are born, grow up and have children of their own.
People born within a given period of years.
Generations/age influence the practice of symbols, heroes, rituals and values.
Question:
Which generation does someone belong?
What considerations do we have today that didn’t exist when Baby Boomers were kids?
Bruce
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA

19. Activity #9
Purpose: To identify observations and personal responses when looking through the Generational Aspects cultural lens.
Part 1: Individually assess where you fall on the Generational Aspects continuum.
Part 2: Work in your small groups.
Discuss how you use the Generational Aspects cultural lens when you interact with someone from another culture.
What have you observed that may reflect the Generational Aspects dimension?
How did you respond.
Be prepared to share your response.
Bruce
| CULTURAL LENSES | ©2013 YMCA of the USA