culture
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Being civically engaged
Get back to your true nature (video) – Dr. Gabor Mate
In this video, Dr. Gabor Maté gives a beautiful speech on human nature and the implications culture has on our ability to maintain it. In this segment of the speech, he discusses four different categories of self-alienation, and provides a sentiment of hope to stay in touch with our true nature as we move forward through the challenging times of…
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Intercultural Competence
Seven Dimensions of Culture
Ever wonder why 2 people can have completely different reactions to the same thing? Or why some people just don’t seem to “see sense” in the same way you do, regardless of how obvious the problem/solution may be to you? The answer to this may lie in the fact that each person has been raised with and learned a certain…
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Competence model articles
What does it mean to you? – Understanding the relationship between meaning and identity
Why did I choose this tool? While over-emphasizing cultural differences can reinforce certain stereotypes and cultural misunderstandings, looking at the meanings that are assigned to those things we find so different can bring us to the awareness that we are not that different after all. How does this apply to being a trainer? As trainers firstly it is necessary to…
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Competence model articles
Understanding vs. Assuming
Why did I choose this tool? This tool gives us the chance to delve deeper into the concept of culture; to see some common but inadequate conceptions about culture; to increase our ability to understand other people and to “get to the heart of the matter” rather than judging by what we seem to see on the surface; and generally,…
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Competence model articles
The iPhone culture
Why did I choose this tool? I have seen firsthand the clashes and intensity that can ensue between people who embrace different “cultures” (iPhone vs. android, pc gamers vs. console gamers, Pepsi drinkers vs. cola drinkers, etc.) Based on this I have made the connection between these kinds of clashes and the clash of different and seemingly opposing cultures on…
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Competence model articles
How to win the fight against extremism
Why did I choose this tool? While there is a lot of talk about extremism and how to fight against it, there is less discussion about why more and more people are turning to it in the first place and how it can be prevented from its root cause rather than by fighting off the symptoms. How does this apply…
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Competence model articles
The Culturally Intelligent Trainer
It seems there are 2 lines of thought when it comes to intercultural competence. The first will say that “there is no such thing as culture” and having self-awareness and empathy is more important than developing a deep understanding of the other culture. The other will focus a lot on the greetings, clothing, habits, beliefs, modes of operation of different…
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Competence model articles
Can I create my own identity?
Why did I choose this tool? Being a third culture kid myself, and having radically changed what might have been considered “permanent” aspects of my identity, I highly value the process of questioning and exploring the identity, and being able to make our own choices when it comes to what defines us. I also value it when people have the…
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