1.
Intercultural Awareness Course (short version)

2.
Why take this
course?
To raise your awareness of
what culture is
what guides the behaviour of cultural groups
the complexity of your personal and social identities
the beliefs you hold about your own and other cultures
what cultural sensitivity is.
To engage you in thinking
how all these may influence your communication with
others

3.
What is the
course like?
This is a short version of the
EURAXESS Intercultural Assistant
Course.
It takes you on a short journey to
explore some aspects of culture
and intercultural communication
at your own pace. If you wish to
go deeper into the subject, you
can take the longer version of the
course.
Question time
When you see this image, take a
pause and think on the questions
that follows it for a while and then
go on.

4.
A definition of culture
a. the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social
group; also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life)
shared by people in a place or time (i.e. popular culture; Southern culture)
b. the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterises an institution or
organisation
c. the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or
characteristic of society.
Meriam-Webster Online Dictionary

5.
The Substance of Culture
Remember
this?

6.
Above the
waterline
These are the objective elements
of a culture.
You can see, hear, smell and touch
them: food, dress, behaviour,
architecture, folk music…
They are the easiest to explain
and the easiest to change.

7.
Below the
waterline
These are the
subjective
elements of
culture.
We are often
unaware of
them and their
role.
We can judge
about them on
the basis of what
we see: beliefs,
thought patterns,
notions of good
or bad...
Violating these
“deep-down”
conventions
arouses deep
emotions.

8.
We judge
about a culture
only on the
basis of its tip…

9.
http://www.ikea.bg/living-room/Sofas-and-armchairs/fabric-
sofas/Three-seat-sofas/ektorp-55703/59164914/
Question
time
•What will make the greatest
impression on a visitor to
your own culture? Why?
•Is this element the same in
other places /
organizations?

10.
Culture
and
context

11.
Goman: 2011
However, Japan, which has access to the latest technologies, still relies
more on face-to-face communication than on the written mode.
Examples: the United States, Canada, the UK, Germany…
Every aspect of global communication is influenced by cultural differences. For
example, industrialised nations rely heavily on electronic technology and
emphasise written messages over oral or face-to-face communication.

12.
In some cultures, personal bonds and informal
agreements are far more binding than any formal
contract.
In others, the meticulous wording of legal
documents is viewed as most important.
High-context cultures leave much of the message
unspecified – to be understood through what is not said
– in body language, in silences and pauses, and in
relationships and empathy.
Low-context cultures expect messages to be
explicit and specific. They place emphasis on
sending and receiving accurate messages directly,
and being precise with spoken or written words.
Goman 2011

13.
• Examples of high-
context cultures:
Mediterranean, Slav,
Central European, Latin
American, African, Arab,
Asian, American-Indian
• Examples of low-
context cultures:
Germanic, English-
speaking ones

14.
Time

15.
Is time money
across the
globe?
In some cultures
time is seen as a
linear sequence. It’s
important for
things to happen
according a
schedule.
Monochronic
cultures: North
American, English,
German, Swedish,
Dutch…
In others,
schedules are not
that important.
Time is less
tangible and it is
possible for many
events to happen
at the same time.
Polychronic
cultures: South
American,
Southern
European, Asian

16.
Space
“Contact” peoples (such
as Southern Europeans,
Asians and Arabs)
maintain closer
interpersonal spacing
than “noncontact”
peoples (such as the
Americans and
Northern Europeans).

17.
Question time
• What distance do you feel
comfortable with when greeting
people?
• If other people’s being late is likely to
make you experience negative
emotions, how can you deal with it?
• Do you prefer to talk to people in
person or to send emails/text
messages?

18.
Erin Meyer’s
Culture Map
The Culture Map model is built on eight
areas of cultural variations.
This “map” is designed to help you
understand where your own and other
cultures are placed on these eight
scales.

19.
Communicating:
Low-Context
Versus High-
Context
If you are in a low-context
culture, try to
communicate directly and
clearly.
If you are in a high-
context culture,
remember to pay
attention to what is said
“between the lines”.
For example, the
US are a low-
context culture
while Japan is at
the other extreme.
1.

20.
Evaluating: Direct Negative Feedback
Versus Indirect Negative Feedback
Different cultures give and decode feedback in
different ways. This does not depend on whether a
culture is a low-context or a high-context one.
When in France, expect to be given very direct
feedback.
If you are in the USA, locals would rather give you
feedback in which critique is carefully intermingled
with positive messages.
2.

21.
Persuading:
Principles-First
Versus
Applications-First
These two types of building your
argumentation to persuade
someone are again culturally
bound.
The principles-first type means
providing the whole picture.
The application-first type means
outlining what has to be done in
detail and later providing the
background.
In Western cultures, first explain
what has to be done in concrete
details.
In Asian cultures, start with the
background information.
3.

22.
Leading:
Egalitarian
Versus
Hierarchical
Cultures vary according to Power Distance,
which also affects leadership, hierarchy and
power.
It is based on the dynamics of how an
organisation distributes authority and what
the relationship between bosses and
workers are.
If you are in an egalitarian culture (i.e.
North American, Scandinavian), you can
disagree with your superiors.
If you are in a hierarchical one (i.e. Latin
American), you have to act and
communicate through the established
appropriate channels.
4.

23.
Deciding:
Consensual
Versus
Top-Down
In most egalitarian cultures, expect
consensual decision making.
In most hierarchical cultures,
expect top-downdecision making.
However, this is not always the
case. For example, the Japanese
culture which is highly hierarchical,
values consensual decision making.
5.

24.
Trusting: Task-Based Versus Relationship-Based
In Germany and the Netherlands, expect “task-based trust”.
This means that your confidence in someone else’s abilities
to do a job or perform a task is created through having
worked together.
In China, Brazil or India, expect “relationship-based trust”.
This means that your confidence in someone else’s abilities
to do a job or perform a task comes from your affective
relationship with a person you have socialised with.
6.

25.
Disagreeing:
Confrontationa
l Versus Avoids
Confrontation
The way we disagree and react to
confrontation differs.
In some cultures, it is believed that
confrontation may have a positive effect.
In others, there may be a complete
avoidance of disputes and open
disagreement.
In France, people don’t find confrontation
problematic.
In Japan (like in most Asian cultures),
confrontation is seen as harmful to
harmony.
7.

26.
Scheduling: Linear-Time
Versus Flexible-Time
This scale again has to do with the
monochromic-polychromic distinction above.
If you are in a linear-time culture (such as
Germany or the USA, expect people to stick to
schedules and observe plans and deadlines.
If you are in a flexible-time culture (such as
Italy, Brazil or India), expect people to consider
schedules changeable.
Meyer: 2014
8.

27.
Question time
Imagine you don’t agree with
your superior.
Would you rather avoid
expressing this openly?
Think of a situation in which
you have witnessed such
confrontation. Was the result
constructive or damaging to
the work atmosphere? Why?

28.
Who are you?
This depends on
• The roles you play in life: a
daughter, a friend, a PhD
student, a researcher, a
member of EURAXESS staff
• Your religion
• Your birth place
• Your current home place
• Your ethnicity
• Your gender
• The things you like
• The things you don’t like...

29.
Question time
Finish these sentences:
• (People from my hosts
culture) are…
• (People from my own
culture) are…

30.
Identity and
intercultural
communication
Identity is not only a question of how you
perceive yourself. Others identify you, and you
may not like the label they give you.
You perceive reality through generalisations.
However, this can lead to some negative
consequences when communication across
cultures.

31.
Identity and
intercultural
communication
Stereotypes
They consist basically of shared beliefs or thoughts
about a particular human group usually in terms of
behavior, habits, etc.
Their objective is to simplify reality: “they are like
that”.
They may be negative and positive – people often
have positive stereotypes about their own cultural
group.

32.
Identity and
intercultural
communication
Prejudices
They are judgements you make about
another person or other people without
really knowing them.
You learn them as part of your socialisation and
they are very difficult to modify or do away
with. Therefore, it is important to be aware that
you have them.
They can also be negative or positive.

33.
Cultural
adaptation

34.
The stages of cultural adaptation
Stage What you feel
Honeymoon Usually very positive feelings for the local people, the food, the
surroundings, etc.
Excitement, curiosity, willingness to immerse in the new culture
Culture shock Psychological and physical disorientation
Anxiety, frustration, even anger
Fear and insecurity, homesickness
You are overly sensitive to differences
Adjustment Gradually the negative emotions are overcome
Hopefulness and readiness to develop new patterns of life, more suited
to the new surroundings
Mastery A feeling of being comfortable in both your home and the new
culture

35.
Question time
• What can you do not to feel
isolated or uncomfortable in a
new culture?
• What can you do to make others
feel at ease in your own culture?

36.
The following sources have been used to prepare the Intercultural
Assistant website, self-test and self-access courses
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Bennett, Milton J. Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication:
Paradigms, Principles, & Practices. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing,
2013.
Black, J. Stewart, and Mark Mendenhall. "The U-Curve Adjustment
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International Business Studies22, no. 2 (1991): 225-47.
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Brander, Pat. All Different, All Equal: Education Pack: Ideas, Resources,
Methods and Activities for Informal Intercultural Education with Young
People and Adults. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2004.
Byram, Michael, Barrett, Martyn, Ipgrave, Julia, Jackson, Robert and
María del Carmen Méndez García Autobiography of Intercultural
Encounters: Context, Concepts and Theories. Language Policy Division,
Council of Europe Publishing, Strasbourg, France, 2008.
Fellows, Richard, and Anita Liu. Research Methods for Construction.
Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: John Wiley and Sons, 2015.
Goman, Carol, K. How Culture Controls Communication. Forbes online.
NOV 28, 2011.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2011/11/28/how-
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30.03. 2018)
Hall, Edward T., and Mildred Reed. Hall. Hidden Differences, Studies in
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Hofstede, Geert. "Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in
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Karaasenova, Desislava. Cultural Dimensions of Academic Mobility. PhD
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Meyer, Erin. The Culture Map: Breaking through the Invisible
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Meyer, Erin. Navigating the Cultural Minefield. HBR. May 2014.
https://hbr.org/2014/05/navigating-the-cultural-minefield. Last access:
30.03.2018.
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