Intercultural Development
“Any student who emerges into our culturally diverse society speaking only one language and with a monocultural perspective on the world can legitimately be considered educationally ill-prepared”
- Sonia Nieto (2004, p. xv)
- Sonia Nieto (2004, p. xv)
Intercultural Development at McKinley
At McKinley, we are dedicated to meeting the unique, individual needs of our students and families. One way we are demonstrating our commitment to this work, is through our intercultural development. Each staff member at McKinley has completed the Intercultural Development Inventory and participated in a debrief around their individual profile. This includes an individual development plan with growth goals. We have also engaged in sessions throughout the year to support our growth learning about various cultural dimensions and conflict styles.
Culture Is...
In order to embark on the journey of intercultural development, we must first define what we mean by culture. The IDI LLC offers two ways of thinking about culture:
Culture vs Ethnicity
- Objective Culture: The artifacts and institutions created by a group of people, reflected in such areas as art, architecture, literature, dance, holidays, and collective history.
- Subjective Culture: Patterns of interpretations (values, beliefs, perceptions) and behavior learned from one's group that guides individual and group activity.
- Our work at McKinley, in collaboration with IDI LLC, measures the degree of subjective cultural competence
Culture vs Ethnicity
- Culture is inclusive and refers to a set of practices or beliefs shared with members of a particular group. This can include: age, gender, geography, ancestry, language, sexual orientation, faith, physical abilities, occupations, and affiliations.
- Ethnicity is defined by shared history, ancestry, geography, and language.
- A person may belong to several cultural groups while most individuals identify most strongly with a single ethnic group.
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Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity can be defined as the "mix of differences that may make a difference in an interaction (individual to individual, individual to group/organization, organization to organization)
- IDI LLC Resource Guide
Inclusion occurs when people are working together effectively, and their cultural experiences and differences feel valued and engaged.
- IDI LLC Resource Guide
At McKinley, diversity and inclusion are often used together because we recognize that diversity is not enough. Inclusion is needed to ensure that everyone can being their unique experiences, preferences and strengths to the table without sacrificing or minimizing core aspects of their identity, background or perspective
- IDI LLC Resource Guide
- IDI LLC Resource Guide
Inclusion occurs when people are working together effectively, and their cultural experiences and differences feel valued and engaged.
- IDI LLC Resource Guide
At McKinley, diversity and inclusion are often used together because we recognize that diversity is not enough. Inclusion is needed to ensure that everyone can being their unique experiences, preferences and strengths to the table without sacrificing or minimizing core aspects of their identity, background or perspective
- IDI LLC Resource Guide
Intercultural Development Continuum
Denial:
A Denial mindset reflects a more limited capability for understanding and appropriately responding to cultural differences in values, beliefs, perceptions, emotional responses, and behaviors. Denial consists of a Disinterest in other cultures and a more active Avoidance of cultural difference. Individuals with a Denial orientation often do not see differences in perceptions and behavior as “cultural.” A Denial orientation is characteristic of individuals who have limited experience with other cultural groups and therefore tend to operate with broad stereotypes and generalizations about the cultural “other.” Those at Denial may also maintain a distance from other cultural groups and express little interest in learning about the cultural values and practices of diverse communities. This orientation tends to be associated more with members of a dominant culture as well as members of non-dominant groups who are relatively isolated from mainstream society because both may have more opportunity to remain relatively isolated from cultural diversity. By contrast, members of non-dominant groups who are more actively engaged within the larger, mainstream society are less likely to maintain a Denial orientation, because they more often need to engage cultural differences. When Denial is present in the workplace, cultural diversity oftentimes feels “ignored.”
Polarization:
Polarization is an evaluative mindset that views cultural differences from an “us versus them” perspective. Polarization can take the form of Defense (“My cultural practices are superior to other cultural practices”) or Reversal (“Other cultures are better than mine”). Within Defense, cultural differences are often seen as divisive and threatening to one’s own “way of doing things.” Reversal is a mindset that values and may idealize other cultural practices while denigrating one’s own culture group. Reversal may also support the “cause” of an oppressed group, but this is done with little knowledge of what the “cause” means to people from the oppressed community. When Polarization is present in an organization, diversity typically feels “uncomfortable.”
Minimization:
Minimization is a transitional mindset between the more Monocultural orientations of Denial and Polarization and the more Intercultural/Global worldviews of Acceptance and Adaptation. Minimization highlights commonalities in both human Similarity (basic needs) and Universalism (universal values and principles) that can mask a deeper understanding of cultural differences. Minimization can take one of two forms: (a) the highlighting of commonalities due to limited cultural self-understanding, which is more commonly experienced by dominant group members within a cultural community; or (b) the highlighting of commonalities as a strategy for navigating the values and practices largely determined by the dominant culture group, which is more often experienced by non-dominant group members within a larger cultural community. This latter strategy can have survival value for non-dominant culture members and often takes the form of “go along to get along.” When Minimization exists in organizations, diversity often feels “not heard.”
Acceptance:
Acceptance and Adaptation are intercultural/global mindsets. With an Acceptance orientation, individuals recognize and appreciate patterns of cultural difference and commonality in their own and other cultures. An Acceptance orientation is curious to learn how a cultural pattern of behavior makes sense within different cultural communities. This involves contrastive self-reflection between one’s own culturally learned perceptions and behaviors and perceptions and practices of different cultural groups. While curious, individuals with an Acceptance mindset are not fully able to appropriately adapt to cultural difference. Someone with an Acceptance orientation may be challenged as well to make ethical or moral decisions across cultural groups. While a person within Acceptance embraces a deeper understanding of cultural differences, this can lead to the individual struggling with reconciling behavior in another cultural group that the person considers unethical or immoral from his or her own cultural viewpoint. When Acceptance is present in organizations and educational institutions, diversity feels “understood.”
Adaptation:
An Adaptation orientation consists of both Cognitive Frame-Shifting (shifting one’s cultural perspective) and Behavioral Code-Shifting (changing behavior in authentic and culturally appropriate ways). Adaptation enables deep cultural bridging across diverse communities using an increased repertoire of cultural frameworks and practices in navigating cultural commonalities and differences. An Adaptation mindset sees adaptation in performance (behavior). While people with an Adaptation mindset typically focus on learning adaptive strategies, problems can arise when people with Adaptation mindsets express little tolerance toward people who engage diversity from other developmental orientations. This can result in people with Adaptive capabilities being marginalized in their workplace. When an Adaptation mindset is present in the workplace, diversity feels “valued and involved.”
Information Credit - IDI LLC
A Denial mindset reflects a more limited capability for understanding and appropriately responding to cultural differences in values, beliefs, perceptions, emotional responses, and behaviors. Denial consists of a Disinterest in other cultures and a more active Avoidance of cultural difference. Individuals with a Denial orientation often do not see differences in perceptions and behavior as “cultural.” A Denial orientation is characteristic of individuals who have limited experience with other cultural groups and therefore tend to operate with broad stereotypes and generalizations about the cultural “other.” Those at Denial may also maintain a distance from other cultural groups and express little interest in learning about the cultural values and practices of diverse communities. This orientation tends to be associated more with members of a dominant culture as well as members of non-dominant groups who are relatively isolated from mainstream society because both may have more opportunity to remain relatively isolated from cultural diversity. By contrast, members of non-dominant groups who are more actively engaged within the larger, mainstream society are less likely to maintain a Denial orientation, because they more often need to engage cultural differences. When Denial is present in the workplace, cultural diversity oftentimes feels “ignored.”
Polarization:
Polarization is an evaluative mindset that views cultural differences from an “us versus them” perspective. Polarization can take the form of Defense (“My cultural practices are superior to other cultural practices”) or Reversal (“Other cultures are better than mine”). Within Defense, cultural differences are often seen as divisive and threatening to one’s own “way of doing things.” Reversal is a mindset that values and may idealize other cultural practices while denigrating one’s own culture group. Reversal may also support the “cause” of an oppressed group, but this is done with little knowledge of what the “cause” means to people from the oppressed community. When Polarization is present in an organization, diversity typically feels “uncomfortable.”
Minimization:
Minimization is a transitional mindset between the more Monocultural orientations of Denial and Polarization and the more Intercultural/Global worldviews of Acceptance and Adaptation. Minimization highlights commonalities in both human Similarity (basic needs) and Universalism (universal values and principles) that can mask a deeper understanding of cultural differences. Minimization can take one of two forms: (a) the highlighting of commonalities due to limited cultural self-understanding, which is more commonly experienced by dominant group members within a cultural community; or (b) the highlighting of commonalities as a strategy for navigating the values and practices largely determined by the dominant culture group, which is more often experienced by non-dominant group members within a larger cultural community. This latter strategy can have survival value for non-dominant culture members and often takes the form of “go along to get along.” When Minimization exists in organizations, diversity often feels “not heard.”
Acceptance:
Acceptance and Adaptation are intercultural/global mindsets. With an Acceptance orientation, individuals recognize and appreciate patterns of cultural difference and commonality in their own and other cultures. An Acceptance orientation is curious to learn how a cultural pattern of behavior makes sense within different cultural communities. This involves contrastive self-reflection between one’s own culturally learned perceptions and behaviors and perceptions and practices of different cultural groups. While curious, individuals with an Acceptance mindset are not fully able to appropriately adapt to cultural difference. Someone with an Acceptance orientation may be challenged as well to make ethical or moral decisions across cultural groups. While a person within Acceptance embraces a deeper understanding of cultural differences, this can lead to the individual struggling with reconciling behavior in another cultural group that the person considers unethical or immoral from his or her own cultural viewpoint. When Acceptance is present in organizations and educational institutions, diversity feels “understood.”
Adaptation:
An Adaptation orientation consists of both Cognitive Frame-Shifting (shifting one’s cultural perspective) and Behavioral Code-Shifting (changing behavior in authentic and culturally appropriate ways). Adaptation enables deep cultural bridging across diverse communities using an increased repertoire of cultural frameworks and practices in navigating cultural commonalities and differences. An Adaptation mindset sees adaptation in performance (behavior). While people with an Adaptation mindset typically focus on learning adaptive strategies, problems can arise when people with Adaptation mindsets express little tolerance toward people who engage diversity from other developmental orientations. This can result in people with Adaptive capabilities being marginalized in their workplace. When an Adaptation mindset is present in the workplace, diversity feels “valued and involved.”
Information Credit - IDI LLC
IDI Slide Decks
Unconscious Bias and Cultural Dimensions: unconsciousbiasandculturaldimensions.pdf
McKinley Guided Development: mckinleyfinalsession.pdf
McKinley Guided Development: mckinleyfinalsession.pdf
PBIS and Equity
Professional Resources for PBIS & Equity Work:
Culturally Responsive PBIS: pbis_cultural_responsiveness_field_guide.pdf
Addressing Discipline Disproportionality: recommendationsforaddressingdisciplinedisproportionality.pdf
Engaging Instruction to Increase Equity: engaging_instruction_to_increase_equity_in_education.pdf
Culturally Responsive PBIS: pbis_cultural_responsiveness_field_guide.pdf
Addressing Discipline Disproportionality: recommendationsforaddressingdisciplinedisproportionality.pdf
Engaging Instruction to Increase Equity: engaging_instruction_to_increase_equity_in_education.pdf
Professional Reading:
Creating Another Self to Survive: www.gse.harvard.edu/news/ed/18/05/creating-another-self-survive
Applying an Equity Lens to SEL: www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2018/06/applying-an-equity-lens-to-social-emotional-and-academic-development.html
Passive Oppression in Education: medium.com/identity-education-and-power/passive-oppression-in-education-fueling-the-achievement-gap-af637f8c3718
Urban School Stigma: www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/08/the-urban-school-stigma/537966/
Race, Controversy and Trauma: www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/02/talking-race-controversy-and-trauma
Student Acceptance: https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/one-students-journey-from-anger-to-acceptance
Equitable Class Discussions: www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/11/how-have-equitable-class-discussion
There's Nothing Wrong With Those Kids: www.huffingtonpost.com/kikanza-nurirobins/there-is-nothing-wrong-wi_2_b_11228888.html?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004
How Mindfulness Can Defeat Racial Bias: greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_mindfulness_can_defeat_racial_bias
How to Build Relationships Across Difference: greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_build_relationships_across_difference
Can Equity Be Taught: www.edutopia.org/article/can-equity-be-taught-carly-berwick
Is This How Discrimination Ends: www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/05/unconscious-bias-training/525405/?utm_source=twb
Equity is Fostered Through What We Teach and What We Don't: www.edutopia.org/blog/equity-fostered-through-what-we-teach-and-what-we-dont-elena-aguilar
The Road to Equity Is Paved With Emotions: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/road-equity-paved-emotions-elena-aguilar
Creating Another Self to Survive: www.gse.harvard.edu/news/ed/18/05/creating-another-self-survive
Applying an Equity Lens to SEL: www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2018/06/applying-an-equity-lens-to-social-emotional-and-academic-development.html
Passive Oppression in Education: medium.com/identity-education-and-power/passive-oppression-in-education-fueling-the-achievement-gap-af637f8c3718
Urban School Stigma: www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/08/the-urban-school-stigma/537966/
Race, Controversy and Trauma: www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/02/talking-race-controversy-and-trauma
Student Acceptance: https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/one-students-journey-from-anger-to-acceptance
Equitable Class Discussions: www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/11/how-have-equitable-class-discussion
There's Nothing Wrong With Those Kids: www.huffingtonpost.com/kikanza-nurirobins/there-is-nothing-wrong-wi_2_b_11228888.html?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004
How Mindfulness Can Defeat Racial Bias: greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_mindfulness_can_defeat_racial_bias
How to Build Relationships Across Difference: greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_build_relationships_across_difference
Can Equity Be Taught: www.edutopia.org/article/can-equity-be-taught-carly-berwick
Is This How Discrimination Ends: www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/05/unconscious-bias-training/525405/?utm_source=twb
Equity is Fostered Through What We Teach and What We Don't: www.edutopia.org/blog/equity-fostered-through-what-we-teach-and-what-we-dont-elena-aguilar
The Road to Equity Is Paved With Emotions: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/road-equity-paved-emotions-elena-aguilar