SAMENVATTING
INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY
Iris Lammers
Bedrijfskunde, Saxion Enschede
,Inhoud
Chapter 1................................................................................................................................................2
Culture, Communication and Global Citizenship................................................................................2
Chapter 3................................................................................................................................................6
Working with Kluckhohn’s Variations in Value Orientations..............................................................6
Chapter 4................................................................................................................................................9
Working with Hofstede’s 6 Dimensions of Culture.............................................................................9
Chapter 5..............................................................................................................................................11
Cultural Synergy: Trompenaars 7 Dimensions and Cultural Reconciliation......................................11
Chapter 6..............................................................................................................................................14
The Growth Process in Intercultural Sensitivity................................................................................14
Chapter 7..............................................................................................................................................16
Cultural Shock While Studying Abroad.............................................................................................16
, Chapter 1
Culture, Communication and Global Citizenship
What is culture? Visible and Invisible Culture
Edgar Schein: culture consists of 3 layers, like an onion
1. Artefacts of Culture: The outer layer (material culture). Are the first things you notice when
entering a new country (bicycle lanes and tall people in the Netherlands). The first time you
enter a new company you notice the logo, house-style and dresscode. Artefacts are easy to
perceive, but intercultural communication is not about artefacts.
2. Norms and Values: The second layer. They are written and unwritten standards of correct,
desired behaviour. Norms: you have to be in time for class, values: is it good to stand up for
an elderly person on a bus? Norms and values are not as visible as artifacts, it takes time to
notice and learn them.
3. Basic Assumptions: The deepest layer. They are abstract and invisible. We learn them very
young and are unaware of their influence. Yet the perception of the world, and the
judgements we make about others, are shaped or distorted bu the basic assumptions of our
culture. Intercultural communication is about bringing basic of our own culture to our
awareness and to recognise the basic assumptions of other cultures.
Definition of Culture
It is about the familiar way we think, feel and behave. How we learned this and share the meaning of
it with others.
Culture is the collective programming of the mind, which distinguishes the member of one group of
people from another
Cultural Programming
Culture is learned (programming). We are programmed through:
Upbringing: ex. shaking hands
Socialization: by interacting with others. How firm is a desirable handshake? In Europe a firm
handshake is desirable. In Asian countries, firm handshakes are seen as aggressive.
Norms and values: standing up for an elderly person on the bus
Perception: just by looking around us we make consious or unconsious choices about how
we want to behave.
Regardless of culture, each person is an unique individual and makes choices.
There are three levels of programming:
1. Human nature: if we haven’t eaten in days, human nature makes us look for something to
eat and devour it with our hands.
2. Cultural: That we decide to put the food on a plate and eat it with fork and knife is our
cultural programming.
3. Individual: Individuals may choose not to use fork and knife, regardless of their cultural
programming or what society thinks.
INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY
Iris Lammers
Bedrijfskunde, Saxion Enschede
,Inhoud
Chapter 1................................................................................................................................................2
Culture, Communication and Global Citizenship................................................................................2
Chapter 3................................................................................................................................................6
Working with Kluckhohn’s Variations in Value Orientations..............................................................6
Chapter 4................................................................................................................................................9
Working with Hofstede’s 6 Dimensions of Culture.............................................................................9
Chapter 5..............................................................................................................................................11
Cultural Synergy: Trompenaars 7 Dimensions and Cultural Reconciliation......................................11
Chapter 6..............................................................................................................................................14
The Growth Process in Intercultural Sensitivity................................................................................14
Chapter 7..............................................................................................................................................16
Cultural Shock While Studying Abroad.............................................................................................16
, Chapter 1
Culture, Communication and Global Citizenship
What is culture? Visible and Invisible Culture
Edgar Schein: culture consists of 3 layers, like an onion
1. Artefacts of Culture: The outer layer (material culture). Are the first things you notice when
entering a new country (bicycle lanes and tall people in the Netherlands). The first time you
enter a new company you notice the logo, house-style and dresscode. Artefacts are easy to
perceive, but intercultural communication is not about artefacts.
2. Norms and Values: The second layer. They are written and unwritten standards of correct,
desired behaviour. Norms: you have to be in time for class, values: is it good to stand up for
an elderly person on a bus? Norms and values are not as visible as artifacts, it takes time to
notice and learn them.
3. Basic Assumptions: The deepest layer. They are abstract and invisible. We learn them very
young and are unaware of their influence. Yet the perception of the world, and the
judgements we make about others, are shaped or distorted bu the basic assumptions of our
culture. Intercultural communication is about bringing basic of our own culture to our
awareness and to recognise the basic assumptions of other cultures.
Definition of Culture
It is about the familiar way we think, feel and behave. How we learned this and share the meaning of
it with others.
Culture is the collective programming of the mind, which distinguishes the member of one group of
people from another
Cultural Programming
Culture is learned (programming). We are programmed through:
Upbringing: ex. shaking hands
Socialization: by interacting with others. How firm is a desirable handshake? In Europe a firm
handshake is desirable. In Asian countries, firm handshakes are seen as aggressive.
Norms and values: standing up for an elderly person on the bus
Perception: just by looking around us we make consious or unconsious choices about how
we want to behave.
Regardless of culture, each person is an unique individual and makes choices.
There are three levels of programming:
1. Human nature: if we haven’t eaten in days, human nature makes us look for something to
eat and devour it with our hands.
2. Cultural: That we decide to put the food on a plate and eat it with fork and knife is our
cultural programming.
3. Individual: Individuals may choose not to use fork and knife, regardless of their cultural
programming or what society thinks.
