CELEBRATING DIVERSITY Customs and Beliefs

1. CELEBRATING DIVERSITY Customs and Beliefs

2. presented by SASKATOON OPEN DOOR SOCIETY CULTURAL BRIDGING PROGRAM This program is supported by

4. OUTLINE Understanding Culture Immigrants in Canada Beyond The Surface Intercultural Communication Beliefs and Customs

6. What is culture? How do you define culture? What is culture to you? Where does culture come from? Where do you learn culture? Why does it matter? What is its value?

7. “refers to shared patterns of learned behaviors and values that are transmitted over time, and that distinguish the members of the one group from another. In this broad sense culture can include: ethnicity, language, religion and spiritual beliefs, gender, socio-economic class, age, sexual orientation, geographic origin, group history, education, upbringing and life experiences” The Canadian Nurse Association (2004)

10. Exploring Perspectives H H Aga Khan “What is required goes beyond mere tolerance or sympathy or sensitivity – emotions which can offer be willed into existence by a generous soul. True cultural sensitivity is something far more rigorous and even more intellectual than that. It implies readiness to study and learn across cultural barriers, an ability to see others as they see themselves.”

11. Diversity & Differences We interpret what we see, but actual meaning maybe different Does not mean we need to change our culture and adapt to another one Sense of awareness that things may be different for different people Refrain from judging too quickly

12. NEWCOMERS ARE FROM…

13. IMMIGRATION CATEGORY

14. Language

15. Culture`s Link with Communications ``Language carries culture, and culture carries, particularly through orature and literature, the entire body of values by which we come to perceive ourselves and our place in the world`` (Ngugi 1986, Intercultural Communication: page 15-16)

16. • Everyone who looks or sounds the same IS the same• Everyone who looks or sounds like us IS us Assumptions Cultural Competence Workshop for Service Providers in York Region, presented by Gloria Murant and Douglas Stewart on April 28, 2003, Newmarket, ON

17. Stereotypes can lead to views about others that are typically: • Rigid • Simplistic • Overgeneralized • negative or unfavourable Stereotypes and its consequences

18. Something to think about “In any intercultural encounter, there is always a temptation to feel that the others have bad character or bad intentions, rather than to realize that they are acting according to different rules.” (Hofstede, Pedersen & Hofstede)

19. Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication increases our understanding about other cultures and it is an effective way to make our world a better place

20. Cultural Patterns Conceptual categories are useful for understanding cultural differences: High context vs Low context Individualism vs Collectivism Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance

21. High Context vs Low Context • Covert and Implicit • Messages internalised • Much non-verbal coding • Reactions reserved • Distinct ingroups and outgroups • Strong Interpersonal bonds • Commitment high • Time open and flexible • Overt and explicit • Messages plainly coded • Details verbalised • Reactions on the surface • Flexible ingroups and outgroups • Fragile Interpersonal bonds • Commitment low • Time highly organised

22. High Context vs Low Context

23. Variables in Intercultural Communications

24. Variables in Intercultural Communications Continued…

25. Intercultural Communication

26. Cultural Beliefs and Superstitions in Housing Common Chinese Beliefs and Superstitions: Numbers 4 and 8 Arched or T-shaped roads Front Door should not open directly opposite the back door Staircase should not lead straight out the front door. Entrance to the home should be on the left side of the house with a curved path and no obstructions.

27. Cultural Beliefs and Superstitions in Housing Common Beliefs and Superstitions in India Indians typically follow Vastushastra when building a home.

28. Cultural Beliefs and Superstitions in Housing Things To Keep In Mind When Constructing A House: The very first brick of a foundation must be laid in the eastern or northern part of the house. When digging the plot one must never start from the west, south or southwest direction. The very first room has to be constructed at southwest side. Construction of houses on a square or rectangular plot is extremely important and excellent from every aspect. However, if one opts for a rectangular shape, the proportion of the sides must never be more than two ratio one. Bigger sized plots are more favorable, as they tend to bring wealth. But they must not contain cleavages, or cracks. The house must always be open from every side, this means it must never be contiguous to any other building (two houses must never have a common wall). Also, a house must never be crammed between two houses. Plots with triangular shapes are extremely inauspicious. A small plot sandwiched between two bigger plots is inauspicious, and the owner of such a plot can undergo a lot of problem. http://www.vaastushaastra.com/vastuforhousestructure.html

29. Cultural Beliefs and Superstitions in Housing Housing Superstitions in the Philippines A sunken living room brings bad luck and sickness to the house. Doors that face west will bring quarrels, disease and death in the family. It is imperative that a house faces east where the sun rises to guarantee prosperity. Doors should always be on the right side of the house and the stairs should always turn to the right. Doors should not be built facing each other. Numbers 7, 11 and 13.

30. Cultural Beliefs and Superstitions in Housing Other Cultural Beliefs and Superstitions Lighting: In many Eastern cultures, it is important to have a chandelier or suspended light in the living room of the home to represent the sun. Bathrooms: In many cultures, having a powder room off the kitchen or living room is considered offensive.

31. Walk in the other person’s shoes “Hospitality is the art of making people feel special always” Francis Brenna, Hotelier Integrity & Relationship Little things make a difference Educating the client during the process

32. OUR DIFFERENCES MAKE US UNIQUE

33. REFERENCES Brick, J 1991, China: A Handbook in Intercultural Communication, National Center for English language Teaching and Research, Macquarie University, Sydney. Chaney, L H & Martin, J S 2003, Intercultural Business Communication, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Cutler, J 2005, The Cross-Cutural Trainer’s Manual – Volume 2: Activities for Cross-Cultural Training, Gower Publishing Ltd, Aldershot, UK. Elder, B 1994, Communication Skills, Macmillan Education Australia, South Yarra. Guirdham, M 2005, Communicating Across Cultures at Work, Palgrave Macmillan Ltd, Basingstoke, UK. Hermans, J & Pusch, M D 2004, ‘Culture Matters’, European Association for International Education (EAIE) Occasional Paper 16. Jandt, F E 2001, Intercultural Communication: An Introduction, Sage Publications, California. Jandt, F E 2007, (5th ed.) Intercultural Communication: An Introduction, Sage Publications, California. Lustig, M W & Koester, J 2006, Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures, Pearson Education Inc., Boston. Martin, J N & Nakayama, T K 2001, Experiencing Intercultural Communication: An Introduction, Mayfield Publishing Company, Mountain View, California. Mohan, T, McGregor, H, Saunders, S & Archee, R 2004, Communicating as Professionals, Nelson Australia Pty Ltd. Neuliep, J W 2006, Intercultural communication: A contextual approach, Sage Publications, California. Peterson, B 2004, Cultural Intelligence: A Guide to Working with People from Other Countries, Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, Maine. Reynolds, S & Valentine, D 2004, Guide to cross-cultural communication, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J. Sabath, A M 1999, International Business Etiquette: Asia & The Pacific Rim, Career Press, New Jersey. Spencer-Oatey, H 2006, Introduction: What is Culture?, viewed 9 March 2007, < http://209.15.42.137/ic.org.uk/publications/culture.pdf>. Taylor, O L 1987, Cross-Cultural Communication: An Essential Dimension of Effective Education, viewed 9 March 2007, <http://www.maec.org/cross/3.html>. Tuleja, E A 2005, Intercultural Communication for Business, Managerial Communication Series, J S O’Rourke (ed), Thomson South-Western.

34. Thank you for your time! This presentation is supported by