reframing intercultural education - the cultureqs approach

1Eric Lynn ● www.cultureQs.com

Eric LynnBUSINET: Global Business Education Network

Annual Conference. Malta. 12 November 2015

Accelerating Value Creation

Re-FramingIntercultural Education

fromConvention to Discovery

in ourDynamic Ever-Changing World



Intercultural Education today focuses primarily on teaching others about behaviours, values, customs of different groups in order to enable interaction without causing offence.

Underlying assumptions include the significance of difference, static notions of culture, the measurability of both intercultural education as well as group cultures.

I have learned that these conventional approaches are fundamentally flawed.

I'm going to challenge these fundamental assumptions,and suggest an alternative approach.


Accelerating Value CreationConventional Definitions of Education

The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university. (Oxford Dictionary)

The action or process of teaching someone especially in a school, college, or university.The knowledge, skill, and understanding that you get from attending a school, college, or university. (Miriam Webster)

Conventional Definitions of Intercultural

Taking place between different cultures or derived from different cultures. (Oxford Dictionary)

Intercultural communication is a form of communication that aims to share information across different cultures and social groups. (Wikipedia)

Conventional Definitions of Intercultural Education

Intercultural education is about improving understanding between different societies and different majority or minority groups in the same society. (European Commission)

Conventional Definitions


Accelerating Value CreationConventional Definitions

They encourage us to see the world in terms of separation and differences.They encourage us to see culture as a static notion.They encourage us to think in terms of fixed permanent definable entities.

Furthermore, they do not enable us to distinguish between what I refer to as "outward observable behaviour" that explicitly recognises society norms, and "genuine expression of self" - behaviour unseen and inaccessible to the outside world … living life in a manner that reflects the deeper feelings of the individuals.

Above all, at their core, are categories that in fact, are nothing more than concepts –artificially constructed concepts: … countries, religion, ethnicity.

These definitions of "Education" are far too limited.This is not "Education". It defines Instruction.Learning, curiosity, discovery are not part of these models.

These definitions of "Culture" and "Intercultural" are not only far too limited, they are misconceptions of the true meaning of these notions.


Accelerating Value CreationBorders, Countries, Religion, Ethnicity, Culture

What are COUNTRIES?… Constructs of our minds that result in lines drawn on maps (borders), that we then call countries. Many of today's European "countries" did not exist as such 26 years ago. Borders change. People migrate, intermarry, have families. They travel and return, influencing life with new perspectives.We cannot look at culture in terms of countries.

RELIGION as we generally understand it, is another construct.Popular "religions" define belief systems defined by human beings. Two of these, with a major influence in today's world (Christianity and Islam) are less than 2000 years old. People migrate. People with different beliefs intermarry and have families. Some people even "convert". We cannot look at culture in terms of religion.

ETHNICITY is another construct. Skin colour is real, as is background, customs, feelings. Yet, when people migrate, intermarry, have families, their offspring can no longer be defined in "ethnic" terms. Again, we reach the limit of definitions.We cannot look at culture in terms of ethnicity.We need a broader approach, and, to revisit our understanding of the notion of CULTURE'.


Education … Enabling Learning by Facilitating Discovery.


Intercultural … refers to interactions between PEOPLE: INDIVIDUALS, with different backgrounds and world views.

Societies don't interact. Cultures don't interact.

People interact!Intercultural Education …

Facilitating Discovery between individuals who need to live, work, or study together.

Encouraging curiosity and exchange amongthese individuals is the essential first step.

A Generative Perspective of …"Intercultural Education"


The continuously evolving dynamic interaction of mindsets and gutsets of actors in the system(s).

CultureIt's dynamic, ever-changing. It's what we feel. Accelerating Value Creation



… the Soul of the … Organisation… Community… Society

… the core identity of the individual (often undefinable)

Culture … is the Soul



AHuman Being

nationalculture

ethnicculture

organisationculture

age / generation

gender

belief

professionalculture

We do not encounter and engage with each other as representatives of a specific cultural group.

We engage as individual human beings with our personal history, experience, influencers, intrinsic motivators.

Seven Core Layers of CultureInfluencers of our Interactions in an Organisational Context


Accelerating Value CreationHuman Interaction Dynamics


Accelerating Value CreationHuman InteractionCultures don't interact, they can't … they are mere notions. … People interact!!!

In Life …We need to encourage, inspire and promote interaction among people.

We need to talk WITH each other.We need to stop talking ABOUT each other.

We need to learn to LISTEN to others, to enable us to expand our world view.We need to learn to ASK QUESTIONS, rather than presenting answers.

And in the education sector, we need to STOP testing, assessing and measuring any work connected with culture, because …(i) firstly … tests, assessments and resulting measurements all involve value

judgements, which itself is a contradiction to real positive intercultural interaction;(ii) secondly, … culture is the soul: it is felt, deep inside, … and you cannot teach and

certainly not measure … feelings …

We need to generate genuine conversations that facilitate genuine discovery - The only way to achieve genuine understanding.


Accelerating Value CreationFoundations of cultureQs

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Deep Meaningful Conversations that Connect … Quickly



Conventional Approaches Re-Framed Approach

Constructed Categories/Borders

Constructed Models

Talking ABOUT others

Separation/Differences

DefinitionsIdeas & Ideals

Static World-View

Teach

Life = Nature = ChangePurpose and Connection

QUESTIONSCONVERSATIONSStoriesTalking WITH others

Dynamic World-View

Borderless

Discovery

Re-Framing Intercultural Education

Measurement / Judgement Accepting Ambiguity

From Static & Defined to Dynamic & Connected



• We cannot achieve behaviour change by focusing on behaviour.Behaviour change occurs when we (see the need to) broaden our perspective and change our mindset.

• Successful change does not focus on the change. Successful change focuses on the businessthrough the people.

• Culture is merely a notion. The impact of Culture is inescapable.

Apparent Paradoxes



"Those who have no fence around their landhave no enemies." (Burundi Proverb)

Imagine …



Relationship …

… is a process of self-revelation, and withoutknowing oneself, the ways of one's own mind andheart, merely to establish an outward order, a system, has very little meaning.

So what is important is to understand oneself in relationship with one another.

(J. Krishnamurti)


cultureQs is a Change and Integration Accelerator that uses powerful questions to inspire participants to reflect on the foundations of their beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. While engaging in deep meaningful conversations, people connect quickly, enabling the invisible borders that hinder collaboration to fall away.Wasteful conflict is reduced; people (re-)focus on the personal and professional questions that matter; innovative potential is released and performance is enhanced.

cultureQsThe Questions, Framework and Conversations thatPromote Group Discovery by Broadening Perspectives


370 Questions

fundamental drivers & beliefs

behaviour patterns

challenges in organisational life

personal preferences

thought-provokingquotes

Impulses: reflections on everyday life


Eric LynnBerlin, [email protected]: +49 176 67889006www.cultureQs.comTwitter: @cultureQs
