easy to understandinggood grammar
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Examine your LENS: A Tool for
Interpreting Cultural Differences
Tracy Rundstrom Williams
Texas Christian University
I n t r o d u c t i o n
One of the most commonly cited reasons students choose to study abroad
is to experience a new culture. However, most students and, perhaps, most
people do not fully recognize what culture is and the span of its influences.
The pervasiveness and seeming incomprehensiveness of cultural differences
often surprise and unsettle the traveler, and his or her ability to adapt to the
new culture may be one of the biggest contributors to a positive or negative
experience abroad.
Culture is the set of norms, behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, values, customs,
artifacts, language, and institutions of a particular group of people (Dodd 1987,
Neulip 2000). It is learned and transmitted from generation to generation,
unconsciously. Culture is learned and internalized at an early age and affects
nearly everything people do. Because culture is constantly reinforced by others,
people often do not recognize culture and cultural influences; they believe the
way they think and act is natural or normal. Our culture teaches us viewpoints
– ways of interpreting the world. When we cross cultures, it is often the first
time we are confronted with differing viewpoints.
It is when people nurtured in such different psychological worlds meet
that differences in cultural perspectives and communicative codes may
sabotage efforts to understand one another. Repeated collisions between
a foreigner and the members of a contrasting culture often produces
what is called “culture shock.” It is a feeling of helplessness, even of
terror or anger, that accompanies [living] in an alien society. One feels
trapped in an absurd and indecipherable nightmare. (Barnlund, 1994,
p.34)
In situations of cultural differences, we are quick to judge, to blame, to
label. The “other” is strange, rude, wrong, weird.
But, if we could change our viewpoint, our lens, perhaps we could better
understand another point of view. Certainly, this is easier said than done. Our
beliefs, values, and cultural perspectives are generally tacit and untested. Yet,
with a model for deconstructing misunderstandings, we can bring our lens to
a conscious level and attempt to understand other perspectives.
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The LENS tool does just that. In a simple process with a powerful
visual, we can bring awareness to our own lenses and try on a new pair. While
other models for intercultural understanding exist, the LENS tool utilizes
intercultural competency knowledge, skills, and attitudes in a comprehensive,
understandable and tangible technique.
R e v i e w o f P r e v i o u s T e c h n i q u e s
Previous researchers in intercultural communication and social
psychology have proposed approaches to help people make sense of cultural
differences intercultural misunderstandings. However, there is not a single
model that fulfills the need to bring our lens to a conscious level and foster
understanding other perspectives, nor is there a technique that is especially
accessible, engaging, and doable, particularly for the visual, action-oriented,
and socially-motivated millennial student.
T h e D I E E x e r c i s e
The Describe, Interpret, Evaluate, or DIE, exercise (Bennett and Bennett
1977) is a widely used method to teach cognitive and cultural awareness. The
point of the exercise is to help people distinguish between objective descriptions,
subjective interpretations, and emotional evaluations. The exercise is often
conducted in intercultural training by using ambiguous objects or pictures
initially and then moving forward using the steps to understand other cultural
behaviors, events, or ideas.
In the Describe step, the individual provides a detailed description,
including all of the observable details about the person/place/thing/idea/event/
behavior. The next step, Interpret, is to examine the gathered descriptions and
interpret the significance in context. The final step, Evaluate, is to examine the
situation by comparing with the values of the culture to person/place/thing/
event/behavior. The individual should be examining how the behavior aligns
with the values and standards of the culture.
Of concern is that the distinction between “Interpret” and “Evaluate”
is not always clear. In fact, some suggest that “even the teacher or trainer
becomes confused when using these two words” (Nam & Condon 2010: 84).
Equally important is that the acronym does not lend itself to represent what is
occurring through the process. Finally, this approach is not engaging or action-
oriented enough for the millennial student.
T h e L a d d e r o f I n f e r e n c e
The Ladder of Inference (Argyis, Putnam & Smith 1985) describes the
thinking process that individuals use, usually without realizing it, to get from
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a fact to a decision or action. The theory is based on the idea that thought
processes and expectations are unconscious, biased, and self-generating.
The image of the ladder serves to make apparent the mental steps
individuals take without realizing it. An individual begins at the base with Real
Data & Experience. The first rung of the ladder represents a set of Selected
Data & Experience that he/she notices, because of past experiences, values,
or beliefs.
Going up another rung of the ladder, he or she will then Affix Meaning to
what has been selected to see, and will then develop Assumptions (third rung).
These assumptions then become the basis for Conclusions (fourth rung). The
individual then develops or reinforces Beliefs (fifth rung). These Beliefs then
form the basis of Actions (top of the ladder). This creates a regenerating cycle:
our beliefs have a large effect on the data we select from reality, and can lead
us to ignore the facts altogether, thus reinforcing our beliefs. We are mentally
jumping to conclusions as we climb up the ladder of inference.
There are various approaches to applying the Ladder of Inference in
everyday life. One of the simpler approaches suggests:
• Becoming more aware of your own thinking and reasoning
(reflection)
• Making your thinking and reasoning more visible to others
(advocacy)
• Inquiring into others’ thinking and reasoning (inquiry) (Senge et al.
1994:245)
The Ladder of Inference creates a nice visual, but the approaches are not
particularly easy to remember or follow. It is quite abstract and theoretical,
which makes it a solid foundation for understanding thinking and biases, but
not an easy-to-implement model for intercultural misunderstandings.
R e v i e w i n g C r i t i c a l E v e n t s
The reviewing critical event approach (Hess 1994) is intended to serve as
an “instant replay” in which the person can review the incident and see it from
different angles. The steps are:
1. Recognizing what a critical event is
2. Reconstructing the event
3. Getting more information about it
4. Making new interpretations and shaping new behavior because of it
(Hess 1994:23) .
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In the first step, recognizing the critical event, the goal is to identify a
critical event to examine. In the next step, reconstructing the critical event, the
foreigner retells the event as he or she experienced it, including both facts
and feelings. In the getting more information step, the foreigner should enlist
the help of a cultural informant to provide a different perspective, or an
explanation from the other culture’s point of view. In the final step, making
new interpretations of the event, the foreigner reexamines the event (and the
culture) with more clarity, and looks for ways to incorporate the knowledge
into future interactions.
This approach is a valuable reflective tool, but does not necessarily bring
awareness to one’s own biases. Also, without an acronym or visual, it is not
particularly assessable to the millennial student.
T h e o r e t i c a l B a c k g r o u n d o f t h e L E N S A p p r o a c h
The LENS technique integrates research on experiential learning,
intercultural competency, and millennial students. By utilizing experiential
learning theory, the LENS approach allows students to transform the
experiences they have abroad into knowledge by following the learning cycle. By
incorporating intercultural competency research, the LENS technique allows
students to hone the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for intercultural
competency. And by examining the characteristics of millennial students, the
LENS model appeals to students in its visual, accessible approach.
Experiential Learning
“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by
doing them.” Aristotle
Experiential learning is a “holistic, integrative perspective on learning that
combines experience, perception, cognition, and behavior” (Kolb 1984:21).
The theory posits that learning does not result from mental processes or
behavioral processes alone, but through reflection and abstraction based on
experiences. Kolbs (1984), states, “learners, if they are to be effective, need
four different kinds of abilities.
Concrete experience abilities: They must be able to involve themselves
fully, openly, and without bias in new experiences.
Reflective observation abilities: They must be able to reflect on and
observe their experiences from many perspectives.
Abstract conceptualization abilities: They must be able to create concepts
that integrate their observations into logically sound theories.
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Active experimentation abilities: They must be able to use these theories
to make decisions and solve problems. (Kolb 1984:30)
Kolb believes that effective learning is a cyclical process: A Concrete
Experience should lead to Reflection on that experience. This should then
be followed by the mental creation of a set of general rules describing the
experience (Abstract Conceptualisation). This should then lead to modifying
or trying the newly formed “rules” called Active Experimentation which leads,
in turn, to the next Concrete Experience.
Figure 1. Kolb’s Learning Cycle
Kolb has further stated that individuals have learning “styles” or
preferences; in other words, that they may be more comfortable with one
of these activities than the others. As educators, it is therefore important to
encourage students to develop and hone each of the abilities, even those that
are not their “preferences.”
Intercultural interactions are a prime example of an experiential learning
activity, one in which students can gain knowledge through experience, if they
also spend time reflecting, conceptualizing, and experimenting. A good model
should help students hone each of the skills in Kolb’s experiential learning
cycle.
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence
Intercultural competence is generally defined as the knowledge, attitudes
and behaviors needed to be culturally appropriate and effective (Gudykunst,
Ting-Toomey & Wiseman 1991, Kim 1991, Grunzweig & Rinehart 1998,
Deardorff 2004, J.M. Bennett 2008). However, assessing one’s intercultural
knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors has been complex and relatively non-
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standardized, until recently. In 2010, The Association of American Colleges
and Universities (AAC&U) published a rubric for Intercultural Knowledge and
Competence. Developed by a team of faculty experts (Bennett, et al. 2011) from
a range of colleges and universities, the rubric articulates six learning outcomes
and performance descriptors from benchmark to capstone, with the goal of
having a national framework of expectations for understanding student success.
The rubric defines Intercultural Knowledge and Competence as “a set of
cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective
and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts” (Bennett 2008).
The specific, measurable cognitive, affective, and behavioral characteristics,
and their benchmark and capstone descriptors, are listed in Table 1.
Table1. Characteristics, Benchmarks, and Capstones of AAC&U Intercultural
Knowledge and Competence VALUE Rubric
Characteristic Benchmark Capstone
Cultural self-awareness
(cognitive)
Shows minimal
understanding of own
cultural rules and biases
Articulates insight into own
cultural rules and biases, and
understands their complexity
Knowledge of cultural
worldview frameworks
(cognitive)
Demonstrates surface
understanding of
elements of another
culture (history, values,
politics, communication
styles, economy, or
beliefs and practices)
Demonstrates more
sophisticated understanding
of the complexity of
elements of another culture
(history, values, politics,
communication styles,
economy, or beliefs and
practices)
Empathy (behavioral) Views experience of
others through own
cultural worldview
Interprets experiences from
more than one worldview and
demonstrates ability to act
in a supportive manner that
recognizes the feelings of
another cultural group.
Verbal and non-
verbal communication
(behavioral)
Has minimal
understanding of
cultural differences in
verbal and nonverbal
communication and is
unable to negotiate a
shared understanding
Articulates a complex
understanding of cultural
differences in verbal and
nonverbal communication and
is able to skillfully negotiate a
shared understanding based
on those differences.
Curiosity (affective): States minimal interest
in learning more about
other cultures.
Asks complex questions about
other cultures, and seeks out
and articulates answers to
these questions that reflect
multiple cultural perspectives.
Openness (affective) Is open to interactions
with culturally-different
others but unaware of
own judgment
Initiates and develops
interactions with culturally
different others and suspends
judgment in valuing her/his
interactions.
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The Intercultural Knowledge and Competence rubric provides a
solid foundation of the cognitive, behavioral, and affective characteristics
necessary for effective and appropriate intercultural interactions. Thus, a good
model should include opportunities for students to utilize and hone these
characteristics.
In addition, in her Intercultural Competence model, Deardorff (2008)
has also stressed the importance of skills such as listening and observing.
She notes these skills are vital for individuals to be able to recognize what is
occurring in intercultural situations. These skills also provide the foundation
for individuals to acquire and apply additional cultural knowledge and skills.
As such, observation “is an essential skill and key starting point” (44).
Millennial Students
Recent research has focused on the unique personalities, learning styles,
and characteristics of Millennial Students (also called the iGeneration, Y
Generation, and net generation), those students born between 1980 and 2000,
and how they differ from previous generations (Johnson & Romanello 2005,
Rosen 2010). Among the most noticeable characteristics are their orientation
toward visual learning, using technology and multi-tasking. These students are
typically very comfortable with technology, have shorter attention spans and
a low threshold for boredom (Kipnis & Childs 2004, Johnson & Romanello
2005, Rosen 2010). Rosen (2010), states, “the iGeneration is a creative,
multimedia generation” (218). They “can deal with lots of information but
prefer it packaged in short, focused segments” (Ricigliano 1999:124).
Thus, because this generation is visual, creative and reliant on multimedia,
a good model should invoke imagery and be adaptable to multiple media.
The symbolism and visual of a “lens” helps students connect with the overall
point of the model. Reinforcing that we do not view the world objectively, but
through our cultural (and personal) lenses is an important task.
In addition, students in this generation recognize the value of education
(Tulgan and Martin 2001, Goldgehn 2004), but resist memorization and busy
work, and learn best through doing and discovering (Mangold 2007). They are
action-oriented and tenacious (Zemke 2001, Goldgehn 2004). They learn best
when engaged and actively involved in their own learning, and when using a
trial and error approach (Kipnis & Childs 2004, Rosen 2010). Therefore, a
good model should include steps that encourage students to reflect on and
experiment with different approaches and action steps.
Finally, this generation thrives on social interaction, both real life and
screen life (Rosen 2010). They are socially-oriented, placing a strong emphasis
on family and relationships (Zemke 2001, Goldgehn 2004). This generation
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learns through engagement (Kipnis & Childs 2004). Therefore, a good method
for intercultural understanding should involve interacting with people.
E x a m i n e y o u r L E N S
The Examine your LENS method is a unique, specific, easy-to-remember
approach involving four steps to make sense of intercultural misunderstandings.
These steps are grounded in experiential learning theory and utilize the skills,
attitudes, and perspectives needed for intercultural competence. By walking
through these four steps, not only can we recognize our biases and understand
a different perspective, but we can also actively engage with the local culture
and experiment with trying on these new lenses.
Look objectively
Research indicates that we do not see the world objectively, but through
cultural conditioning; however, we do not generally realize that we are not
viewing the situation objectively. “Statements of fact, inference, and judgment
are too often conflated” (Nam and Condon 2010:83). Therefore, for the
first step, individuals need to try to separate the facts from the inference
and judgments by describing the situation as objectively as possible. The
instructions for this step are:
You are not viewing the encounter or event neutrally, but interpreting it
through your expectations and judgments, which are often conditioned
by your culture. Eliminate judgmental words, and describe the
encounter or event objectively.
This step reflects Kolb’s Concrete Experience, learning from real-life experiences
and interactions with people. This also encourages individuals to recognize
that they are in a learning moment and to employ the listening and observation
skills noted by Deardorff (2008).
Examine your assumptions
Once the situation is described objectively, individuals can then
examine the rationale, thought processes, and judgments they used to reach
their conclusions. Thus, in the LENS model, step two is to “Examine your
Assumptions.” The instructions for this step are:
Be open-minded and curious, and look carefully at the assumptions
you’ve made to see what values, habits, beliefs, and other cultural
influences have led you to view the encounter or event as you did.
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This step allows students to hone Kolb’s second ability, the Reflective
Observation ability: taking time to reflect before making a judgment by
viewing the environment and looking for the meaning of things. Furthermore,
it encourages the individual to employ cultural self-awareness to uncover the
rationale and thought processes used, and curiosity and openness (from the
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence rubric) to question their own
assumptions. It also draws on the millennial students’ strength of being actively
involved in their own learning.
Note other possibilities
After individuals have recognized the assumptions, attitudes, and
presuppositions that have led to their conclusions, they should try to ponder
other possibilities. This step is missing from previous approaches, but I believe
it is very important. Before asking others, the individual should take time to
consider other scenarios themselves. This achieves several things:
1. By reflecting, the individual slows down the emotional reaction,
and takes time to try and process the situation . This teaches self-
and other-awareness, empathy, and critical thinking skills .
2. By considering other possibilities, the individual learns to think
with openness and curiosity .
3. With this openness and curiosity, the individual can approach
another person more genuinely, rather than defensively .
Thus, the third step is to consider other ways of viewing the situation and
other factors that may be at hand. It encourages people to consider things they
had not previously noticed. The instructions are:
Be flexible and use your knowledge of the culture to envision what
other values, habits, and beliefs might be at work here, and how they
might lead to a different conclusion.
This step hones Kolb’s abstract conceptualization ability, or logical analysis
of ideas and intellectual understanding of a situation. This step also encourages
the individual to use knowledge of cultural worldview frameworks and empathy
(from the Intercultural Knowledge and Competence rubric) to consider other
possible meanings and interpretations. Finally, this step reflects the millennial
generation’s desire to be actively involved in their own learning, to experiment
and use trial and error.
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Substantiate with Locals
The final step is to substantiate with locals, to better understand the
scenarios and use the cultural information in future interactions. This step
is very important, to ensure that the individual recognizes the cultural
components at work, and to learn how better to respond in the future. Enlisting
the help of others can provide background and insight about the event, can
bring awareness to aspects not even noticed, and can provide a more nuanced
explanation about the event. The instructions for this step are:
Use your intercultural communication skills, critical thinking skills, and
people skills to ask locals or bicultural people if the new possibilities
you’ve generated are accurate, or if there are other parts of the culture
you’ve overlooked.
This step hones Kolb’s fourth skill set, active experimentation: acting
by applying analysis and influencing people and events. This step also
encourages the individual to use intercultural communication skills, curiosity,
and openness (from the Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Rubric)
to interact with locals to gain more information. Finally, this step reflects
the millennial generation’s desire to socialize and engage in order to learn.
Table 2 demonstrates how each step is connected to Kolb’s Learning Abilities,
the Intercultural Knowledge and Competence rubric, and the Millennial
Generation characteristics.
Table 2. LENS steps and Their Correspondence to Kolb’s Learning Abilities,
Intercultural Competence, and Millennial Generation
Step Kolb Learning
Ability
Intercultural
Competence
Component
Millennial Generation
Characteristics
Look
Objectively
Concrete
Experience
Observation
Examine Your
Assumptions
Reflective
Observation
Cultural Self-Awareness
Curiosity
Openness
Actively involved in their
own learning
Note Other
Possibilities
Abstract
conceptualization
Knowledge of cultural
worldview frameworks
Empathy
Actively involved in their
own learning
Learn through trial and
error
Substantiate
with Locals
Active
Experimentation
Intercultural
communication skills
Curiosity
Openness
Learn through socializing
Engaging
Doing
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A p p l y i n g “ E x a m i n e y o u r L E N S ”
At Texas Christian University (TCU) we introduce students to the
“Examine your LENS” tool during pre-departure orientation sessions and
encourage them to use the technique while abroad. We have been able to collect
a small sample of written data about how students are employing “Examine
your LENS” from the following method. TCU students have the option to
complete one of TCU’s general studies requirements, Cultural Awareness,
while studying abroad. In order to attain the Cultural Awareness requirements,
students must take part in a pre-departure lecture (which includes information
about cultural learning and the LENS steps), read several selected pieces on
cultural adaptation, and write two essays while abroad, responding to the pre-
departure information and writing prompts, such as
Reflect on an emotional encounter, a miscommunication, or a
frustration. Now that you are away from the moment, can you identify
more clearly what led to the situation? What were you expecting to
happen, and what actually happened? Is this a cultural norm that you
misunderstood? What was your role in the misunderstanding?
The following essays were submitted by TCU students during their time
abroad. Although the students were not asked to label each step in the essay, it
is easy to see how they are moving through the steps of Examine your LENS.
The following essay is from Michael Vosters, who studied with TCU in
Seville in Spring 2010. The left column notes the LENS steps.
In this incident, Michael begins by venting his frustration with his
señora, in particular with the loudness of her voice (her “yelling”) and the
topic of her complaints (open the door; pick up your shoes). As he begins to
process the incident, he works through the steps of examining his LENS, with
the following conclusions:
Look Objectively: He describes the many things she does to take care of
him, “She does just about everything for my roommates and I – cooks, cleans,
launders, and loves us as if we were her own sons.”
Examine Your Assumptions: He recognizes that he does not understand her
“set of priorities.” First, by admitting he does not understand her priorities he
acknowledges that he is governed by a set of priorities or principles or values.
Second, by calling them priorities he takes the first step in acknowledging that
they are important to her, even if not to him.
Note Other Possibilities. He clearly delineates what he imagines her
priorities may be, including:
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1. Because there’s no air conditioning in Spain, therefore they depend
on air circulation .
5. Because humidity from showering can get stinky without
ventilation .
6. Because feet and outdoor shoes track dirt and grime, hence dirtying
the floor .
By taking the time to think through her rationale, and why she is
concerned about the things she is, he can better understand her and relate
to her. He can also interact with her in a calmer way now as he moves on to
Substantiate with Locals. Although his actual interaction is not described we see
the end result as he lists a number of things he better understands, including:
Manoli’s job is to take care of students while they stay in Sevilla. Her
house is her office, and she takes pride in it.
We had to show respect. Now, respect isn’t just saying please and thank
you – especially in Spain as that indicates a sign of formality and
distance – it’s about recognizing the other person’s needs and priorities
and acting accordingly.
By moving through the steps of Examine your LENS, Michael was able to
recognize his cultural assumptions and presuppositions, as well as Manoli’s, in
order to come to a better understanding of her behavior and their interactions.
The following essay is from Courtney Benson, who studied with CIEE in
Shanghai in Fall 2010.
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Look Objectively
This is going to sound incredibly shallow as I say it, but the thing
that really threw me off the most was waiting in lines in China. In
Texas (where I’m from), there is little if any cutting in lines (excluding
when the roads). In China, it could also be argued that there is no
cutting in lines, but that’s mostly because it could be argued that
there are no ‘lines’ as people generally refer to them. People crowd
around counters or cashiers in deceptively line like arrangements,
but if there is the smallest gap between people, someone else will
fill it. It doesn’t matter how long a person has waited, if they aren’t
aggressive enough to fight to get to the cashier, they won’t be able
to accomplish anything. In a similar vein, when people are walking
from one place to another, they just walk, and if they bump people,
no matter. I have yet to find a way to say “excuse me” to indicate that
I need to pass someone, or ‘pardon me’ to apologize for bumping
into someone. These things are never said, and I was apparently
the only person expecting them need. In the beginning, these things
alternately baffled and enraged me; I felt that my time and rights as
a person ought to be respected. I viewed their behavior towards me
as a slight, thinking that they were just too busy or self-centered to
notice that someone else had needs too, and for a while I let that
begin to color my view of the Chinese people as a whole. If this was
how they treated strangers (the very people Southerners are socially
obligated to show deference to), how could they treat each other
better? It took an unfortunate adventure on the subway to show me
how narrow-minded that really was.
I was trying to catch a subway and for whatever reason, the
escalator was out-of-order; I was walking up it when I heard my train
coming and began to run up the escalator. About half way up, I lost
my footing and somehow managed to slam both of my big toes (I
was wearing flip-flops) on the edge of the escalator teeth; it hurt,
but I had to keep going. Luckily, I made the subway on time and
turned to tend my toes; I expected they would be a little red and
sore, so when I looked down at blood pooling in my sandals, I was
a bit shocked. I really didn’t know what to do; I was leaving little
puddles of blood on the subway floor; I had no band-aids or napkins,
and there was no way to get them on the subway. But, the Chinese
people around me weren’t as lost. I was standing next to a group of
girls, and when they realized I was hurt, two of them pulled tissues
and band-aids to help me; a lady sitting nearby gave up her seat so
that I could better tend my feet. And when I got off, the little old lady
who saw me struggling to get down the stairs would not take no for
an answer as she gave me another band-aid and refused to even let
me put it on myself. And THAT kind of generosity is far beyond what
most Southerners could muster. As I ruminated on this, I was forced
to re-evaluate my perception of the Chinese people.
I come from a culture and family where ‘proper manners’ are
extremely important, and ‘proper manners’ include things like
opening doors for others, forming and respecting neat lines, and
apologies for jostling people. But, what if when genuinely kind
people don’t do these things? I can’t say that I’ve found the source
of such marked cultural differences (though I do have a few ideas),
but I can say that as I have spent more time here, I have come to
really believe (in practice, not just principle) that differences are not
deficiencies.
Examine Your Assumptions
Note Other Possibilities
Substantiate with Locals
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Courtney’s essay describes her frustration with the lack of lines. While
recognizing that it is “shallow,” she realizes she is taking a seemingly minor
situation and making major judgments thinking the Chinese people were “too
busy or self-centered to notice that someone else had needs too.”
Look Objectively: She recognizes that there are no lines per say, but that
aggression is the way to move forward.
People crowd around counters or cashiers in deceptively line like
arrangements, but if there is the smallest gap between people, someone
else will fill it. It doesn’t matter how long a person has waited, if they
aren’t aggressive enough to fight to get to the cashier, they won’t be able
to accomplish anything.
Examine Your Assumptions: She is “baffled and enraged” that others do
not say “excuse me” or “pardon me,” and then realizes that “I was apparently
the only person expecting them” – in other words, that it was not a part of
their cultural norms.
Note Other Possibilities. It takes a different kind of situation, stubbing her
toe and receiving help from others, before she begins to see generosity take
shape in different ways. She recognizes there is a difference in how kindness is
displayed:
I come from culture and family where ‘proper manners’ are extremely
important, and ‘proper manners’ include things like opening doors for
others, forming and respecting neat lines, and apologies for jostling
people. But, what if when genuinely kind people don’t do these things?
Substantiate with Locals. Although she does not substantiate with locals
explicitly, she does recognize that “differences are not deficiencies.”
By moving through the steps of Examine your LENS, Courtney recognized
that a value important to her was also important to her host culture, but
displayed in a different way.
F u t u r e A p p l i c a t i o n s
We are exploring a number of applications for presenting the LENS
technique to students and encouraging them to move through the steps. Of
particular interest is an application for iPhones and other android devices. We
recognize that students rely on technology and are used to instant access and
easy accessibility. Apps for phones and other portable computer technology
let a student find what they are looking for quickly and provide an interactive
functionality.
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We are also exploring ways to use a LENS logo. The visual provides
an immediate reminder of the LENS approach, and even if students do not
take the time to move through each of the LENS steps, the visual reinforces
that they are interpreting events through their personal “lens” and to be
aware that there are other interpretations. Finally, we have several curricular
enhancements to our study abroad programs including, as noted previously,
a Cultural Awareness option and a one-credit hour on-site course. Through
both of these mechanisms, we are integrating an assignment using the LENS
technique.
Future research will hopefully confirm the anecdotal remarks from
students that the technique is easy to employ and truly aids in intercultural
understanding. As one student wrote,
“I love the LENS approach…especially the “Substantiate with locals”…I
find that the most valuable way to experience any culture…it only
makes sense.” Lyndsey Evans
S u m m a r y
The technique, Examine your LENS, provides a new tool for individuals
crossing cultures, by providing a mnemonic device, a specific set of steps
and a mental image. Founded in experiential learning theory and utilizing
the components of intercultural knowledge and competence, the steps
remind individuals to look more objectively at situations, examine their
own assumptions and expectations, note other possible values, habits, and
expectations, and substantiate possible interpretations with locals. The imagery
of recognizing that we all have a cultural lens, or bias, which shades our view of
events, incidents, and people, is equally important.
Experiential learning theory posits that four skill sets or abilities are
necessary for meaningful learning to result from experiences. Intentionally
performing “Concrete Experience,” “Reflective Observation,” “Abstract
Conceptualization,” and “Active Experimentation” leads to more
transformational learning. As such, the LENS technique provides opportunities
for individuals to utilize each of these skills.
Intercultural Competency research indicates there are essential cognitive,
affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics which are essential for effective
and appropriate interactions. In 2011, AAC&U created a rubric defining
these skills and characteristics: cultural self-awareness, knowledge of cultural
worldview frameworks, empathy, verbal and non-verbal communication,
curiosity, and openness. The LENS method provides opportunities for students
to utilize each of these characteristics.
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Finally, recent research on the millennial student shows that their learning
styles are different from previous generations, and should be accommodated
for maximum learning. Specifically, this generation has a shorter attention
span and likes information packaged in short segments. They are creative and
visual, reliant on imagery and multi-media. They like to learn, but learn best
through doing and discovering. They thrive on social interaction, and learn
best through engagement. The LENS technique provides imagery as well as
steps for learning through discovery, action, and engagement with others.
The Examine your LENS method is a unique, straightforward, memorable
technique of four steps to understanding intercultural interactions. These steps
are grounded in experiential learning theory and utilize the skills, attitudes,
and perspectives needed for intercultural competence. By walking through
these four steps, not only can we recognize our biases and understand a
different perspective, but we can also actively engage with the local culture
and experiment with trying on these new lenses. As educators who want our
students to be actively involved in their own learning, self-aware, and engaged
in the local culture, this technique is an ideal tool.
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A. The following blog post was written earlier on in the coronavirus pandemic. The author discusses the ways in which his responses to the pandemic have demonstrated how “American” he is. In follow up to last week’s class, the blog post provides a nice example of thinking through cultural frameworks and values and identifying when they may be at play in shaping one’s own perceptions and actions. After reading the post, reflect on at least one aspect of the post that either resonates or does not resonate with you.
Coronavirus Insight: “I’m More American Than I Thought!”
B. Drawing from both this week’s reading “Language and Intercultural Communication” (Martin & Nakamyra, 2007) and the video “How language shapes the way we think”, explain to what extent language impacts humans’ experience of the world with specific examples. Furthermore, do you see yourself as more of a nominalist, relativist, or qualified relativist when thinking of the Sapir-Whorf hypotheses? And why?
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