Intercultural Competencies

in Higher Education"
some issues and experiences

with an intercultural train-the-trainer course at

the Nekrassow University of Kostroma Russia

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Overvie w
Why? Intercultural competencies in Higher Education

What? Learning Goals and Learning Contents

Best practice / Lessens learned: Example Russia Experiences with an intercultural train-the-trainer module: How? Teaching Methods: Which instruments? What? Contents of intercultural trainings

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Definition of Culture
A pattern of basic assumptions invented, discovered or developed by a given group (as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration ....) taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to these problems. (Edgar Schein 1985)

This silent language includes a broad range of evolutionary concepts, practices and solutions to problems which have their roots ... in the shared experiences of ordinary people. (Edward T. Hall 1959)

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Why? Intercultural competencies in Higher Education

Globalization:

Need for intercultural co-operation in science and society

Bringing together ideas; synergy effects

Learning of disputing (a lot of cultures have no experience in free debating (changing arguments))
-> The Higher Education has to take into account modules or subjects for gaining intercultural competencies

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Example Russia
Especially in regions like Russia or Middle Asia there is the need to learn open mindedness for cultural differences beyond folklore and exotic. In the last 100 years there was no chance to identify differences as cultural moulded; so people have no experience in anticipating cultural conflicts and in developing productive solutions. In times of opening to the western world students and scientists need such learning chances to be able to join in international scientific dialogues (keyword: arguing culture) complementing their specialized knowledge.

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

What? Learning goals

Intercultural (self and foreign) awareness is much more useful than learning dos and donts of concrete cultures

-> Learning goals: To adopt knowledge about foreign culture norms To reflect the own cultural programming To coordinate action modes which are different by culture To understand strange cultures

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Intercultural Competencies in Higher Education: Empathy and changing perspectives

Sympathy is based on cultural similarities;

Empathy is based on the acceptance of differences

The most important mechanism is the process of changing perspectives (G.H. Mead): put oneself in somebodys shoes

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

2 Perspectives
German rules Russian rules

overlapping understanding co-construction

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck Intercultural aspects

Intercultural competencies at the University Kostroma:

Activities
1. Developing a curriculum for an interdisciplinary subject 2. Conducting a train-the-trainer (multiplicators) programme 3. Research on differences in learning and teaching

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Thesis

1. Teaching and learning are cultural determined! 2. So intercultural teaching and learning have to take into account intercultural aspects in a double way!

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Experiences with an intercultural train-the-trainer-course in Kostroma (Russia)

best practices and lessons learned

Different points of interest Different understanding of topics Different activities as ways of learning Different social learning settings

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Different points of interest. Example - definitions of culture Deterministic definition: culture as collective programming of the
mind (Hofstede)

Semiotic definition: culture as developed in communication

processes (system of meaning) (Geertz)

Everyday life definition: culture as manners

Cultural studies definition: culture as an expression of the powerful people media are important transmitters (Birmingham School)

Conclusion: The aspect of power, media and culture (cultural studies) is in Russia much more important than in Germany!
PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck Intercultural aspects

Different understanding of topics

The words strange or foreigners dont exist in the Russian language. Its difficult to understand concepts for which your language has no word. This aspect refers to another traditional coping with foreigners as we are experienced. Conclusion: We have to take in mind that there is not the same point of view.

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Different activities as ways of learning

Open discussions as we know in Germany are unknown in Russia; but reflections that follow artistic approaches like painting (individual cultural trees) or acting (nonverbal welcome rituals) are more practicable than in Germany; the same is with analysing written material (about cultural standards).
Conclusion: Russian students are unable to discuss without common ground (e.g. brainstorming) but they are very well in debating about wordings. At the beginning its useful to use a methodological mixture so you can find out the best instruments.

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Example: Cultural Standards Hall: Germany monochronic time orientation Russia polychronic time orientation

Hofstede: Germany individualism Russia collectivism Task: Reading and discussing wordings about these cultural tendencies Students reflected the relativity of cultural standards Students discussed about self-picture and foreign-picture Conclusion: The cultural standards dont fit perfectly to an huge and varied country like Russia.

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Different social learning settings

In games we very often implement the role of the neutral observer. Russian students hated this role and didnt manage it well. Why: They are collectivistic programmed and so nobody wants to be put outside the collective.

Conclusion: 1. The teachers have to be neutral observers. 2. We have to develop new (collectivistic) methods to compensate the functionality of an neutral observer.

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Needs for Research

Cultural standards an euro-centric concept? How to optimize?

Cultural differences in teaching and learning content and methodological consequences for the transfer of intercultural competencies modules How to resolve cultural conflicts? The concept of changing perspectives in intercultural interaction has to be developed

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Thank you! kumbruck@uni-kassel.de

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

References
Adler, N. (1997): International dimensions of organizational behavior (3rd ed.), Cincinnati (South-Western College Publ.) Assmann, A. & Assmann, J. (1990): Das Gestern im heute.. Medien und soziales Gedchtnis, in: Funkkolleg "Medien und Kommunikation, Studienbrief 5. Hrsg. vom Deutschen Institut fr Fernstudien an der Universitt Tbingen, Weinheim, 41ff. Birmingham School Geertz, C. (1994): Dichte Beschreibung. Beitrge zum Verstehen kultureller Systeme, Frankfurt/M. (suhrkamp) Hagemann, O. (2003): Introspektion und Empathie in der Arbeit mit Strafgefangenen, in: Kumbruck, C., Dick, M. n& Schulze, H. (Hrsg.): Arbeit Alltag - Psychologie. ber den Bootsrand geschaut. Heidelberg (Asanger), 299-314. Hall, E.T. & Hall, M.R. (1985 ): Verborgene Signale. Hamburg (Gruner & Jahr) Hofstede, G. (1991). Culture and Organizations:, London (McGraw-Hill). Hofstede, G. (2006). Lokales Denken, globales Handeln. Interkulturelle Zusammenarbeit und globales Management. Mnchen: DTV-Beck. Kumbruck, C. & Derboven, W. (2005): InterkulturellesTraining., Heidelberg (Springer) . Lewis, R.D. (1998 ): When cultures collide. London (Nicholas Brealey Publishing). Machl Mead, G.H. (1968): Geist, Identitt und Gesellschaft. (engl. Original 1934), Frankfurt/M. (Suhrkamp). Mole, J. (1990): Mind your Manners. London (Industrial Society Press), (dt. Euro-Knigge fr Manager (1993)). Frankfurt/M. (Campus). Thomas, A. ( 2003) (Hrsg.): Kulturvergleichende Psychologie, Gttingen (Hogrefe) Thomas, A. (2006): Interkulturelle Handlungskompetenz Schlsselkompetenz fr die moderne Arbeitswelt, in: SGAOP: interkulturell / international: arbeiten, fhren + kooperieren. Dokumentation der 14. Jahrestagung Zrich 6.10.2006. Thomas, A., Kammhuber, S. & Schroll-Machl, S. (Hrsg.)(2003). Handbuch Interkulturelle Kommunikation und Kooperation. Band 2: Lnder, Kulturen und interkulturelle Berufsttigkeit. Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. Thomas, A., Kinast, E.-U. & Schroll-Machl, S. (Hrsg.)(2003). Handbuch Interkulturelle Kommunikation und Kooperation. Band 1: Grundlagen und Praxisfelder. Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. Trompenaars, F. (1993 ): Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business: London: Economist Books. Yoosefi, T. & Thomas, A. (2003): Beruflich in Russland. Gttingen (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht).

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Basics: Definitions of Culture

collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another (Hofstede 1991) -> unconsciousness; socialisation; psychological mechanisms: emotions, cognition, behaviour recipe for survival (Lewis1998) -> understanding of the roots (history, ecological) the book of rules for the social game (Hofstede 2006) ->social interaction and intercultural misunderstandings

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Cultural Iceberg

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects

Self- und Foreign picture

German perspective

Russian perspective

Self picture (I)

the things of the world

Self picture (I)

Picture (me)

Picture (me)

PD Dr. Christel Kumbruck

Intercultural aspects