Evaluating Intercultural Knowledge and Competence

I would like to begin my post with a short personal experience on the topic.

Three years ago, I made an insensitive remark while I was working backstage in a school musical production. My crew in-charge was a well-liked Malay geography teacher. During our break, we were commenting on the appearance of our school’s uniform. Without thinking, I spurted out, “the combination of the school’s polo shirt and skirt made us look like ITE students.” Almost immediately, the smile on the teacher’s face was replaced with a frown and I knew I said something I shouldn’t have.  Till today, the memory of this incident remain etched in my head and because of this incident, I learnt to be more sensitive and cautious with my words.

People begin to realize the importance of intercultural knowledge and communication as the world steps into the age of increasing globalization, but, being born and bred in a multi-racial nation like Singapore, intercultural knowledge should be something innate to us; it should be something we (Singaporean) all have to be imbued with.

Through the years of education and various global experiences, I learnt new skills and knowledge. This blog post serves as a good opportunity to evaluate my current level of intercultural knowledge and competence that I developed through the growing years.

Cultural Self-Awareness and Knowledge of Cultural Worldview Frameworks

I would like to say that culture, is simply a way of life shaped by a common set of beliefs and values. Like any other Chinese, I understand the importance of hard work and filial piety. Likewise, my friends from other ethnic groups and nationalities practice different values and beliefs deemed important to them. I would rate myself 1 or 2 out of 4 for cultural self-awareness. This is because, while I acknowledge that cultural differences are inevitable, there are moments when I find myself making judgments unconsciously. Stereotypes are never good representations of different cultural groups but, there are times when I feel that they reflect certain truths even though I don’t say it. This is a terrible mistake on my part and I am trying to improve my attitude and be more understanding to the differences.

I am fortunate to be able to travel overseas. The past travelling experiences had given me valuable insights to different cultures in the world. I know it may seem a little contradictory, but I am receptive to different cultures when I travel. During the summer vacation this year, I attended a summer program in China and I spent six good weeks there. During the trip, I learnt some history, beliefs and values of the native Chinese and this new knowledge had allowed me to better appreciate the native Chinese culture. Thus, for this aspect, I would give myself 2 out of 4.  

Empathy, Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

While I am receptive to different cultures when I travel, I have to say, it is difficult for me to empathize and interact with people of difference nationalities using different world views and perspectives. This is perhaps due to my lack of knowledge and understanding on the culture itself. Personally, I feel that the ability to empathize and identify with people of different cultures require a significant amount of time and constant interaction. Knowing something is different from understanding something. In my case, I do know that factors like history, socio-political influences, religious beliefs and values shape different cultures, but I do not have sufficient experiences to fully understand them.

Different cultures give rise to different verbal and non-verbal communication styles. I would say that I can recognize these verbal and non-verbal communication differences and I put in the effort to minimize the misunderstandings and conflicts caused by these differences. For example, during my stay in China, my friends and I interacted with many of the locals and we attempted to integrate better by changing the way we communicate (ie. Incorporating their slang, use local greetings and refraining the use of certain Chinese phrases that are common to us but deemed rude to them).

For now, I find it difficult to understand and identify with people of different cultural backgrounds without comparing it to my own culture. I rate myself 2 out of 4 for both aspects. Good intercultural skills and communication requires a good knowledge on the culture, practice and experiences and I try my best to acquire these skills.

Curiosity and Openness

I like to travel and I like to gain new perspectives. I am aware of my own judgments but I make sure that I do not allow these judgments to hinder my experiences. In addition, I make a point to value differences. What I gained or learn from new cultural experiences, I try to apply them whenever possible so as to have different takes on life. Thus, I would give myself a 2 or 3 out of 4 for curiosity and openness.

Intercultural knowledge and competence serve two purposes. It bridges understanding and tolerance between people of different races, nationalities and religions. Also, it serves to enrich one’s values and experiences.  If everyone exercises some form of intercultural knowledge and communication, we would be able to accept and better understand cultural differences.