culture

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Jun 4, 2024

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CRITICAL THINKING Lesson 4 - Critical Thinking and Cross-Cultural Competence WHAT IS CULTURE? Before applying critical thinking to cross-cultural relations, it is best to build a base of knowledge about this complex area of study. The late Raymond Williams, the dean of cultural studies in Britain, once described "culture" as one of the " two or three most complicated words in the English language " (Williams, Keywords , 1976, p76) yet he defined it simply as " a structure of feeling " (Williams, "Film and the Dramatic Tradition" in The Raymond Williams Reader , 2001, p25-41). The Department of the Air Force, however, provides a more concise definition: "Culture is the creation, maintenance, and transformation across generations of shared patterns of meaning, affiliation, action, and organization by groups." - AFCLC, Expeditionary Airman Field Guide: Afghanistan (2010) p3 Understanding The definition can be divided into two parts. Part one includes " the creation, maintenance, and transformation across generations of shared patterns " and part two includes " shared patterns of meaning, affiliation, action, and organization by groups ." The first part of the definition tells us that people create, maintain, share, and transform patterns of activity over time. The second part of the definition tells us that shared patterns are formed around meanings, affiliations, actions, and organizations. Meaning is actually important to both parts of the definition, since aspects of culture will not be maintained if they do not mean something to people; and affiliations, actions, and organizations must retain meaning in order to be useful to us. Finally, the most important part of the definition of culture is groups of people. Culture represents the process of interaction between people and the meanings people give to those interactions. The broad framework of culture, that "structure of feeling," provides us with an understanding of what is right and what is wrong across a broad swath of human behavior. It also gives us an identity and a sense of belonging to a greater entity, an "imagined community" (Anderson, Imagined Communitie s, 1991, p36).
CULTURE'S ICEBERG: THE VISIBLE AND HIDDEN ASPECTS OF CULTURE The Iceberg Metaphor How do we learn more about another person's culture? How can we move past our first impressions and possibly false stereotypes? The first step in the process is to become a better observer. Therefore, it's useful to think of culture as made up of parts we can easily notice and parts that are more difficult to detect. An iceberg provides a good metaphor for thinking about the more visible and less visible aspects of culture. As passengers in a boat, we see only that small portion that juts above the surface of the water, while the remainder of its great mass is hidden from view below the waterline. Above the surface of the water, the iceberg of culture reveals the behaviors of its natives. Just at or below the waterline, but still discernible, are its systems and structures. On the other hand, a culture's beliefs, values, and assumptions - those aspects that give meaning to its visible portions - are hidden far below the surface. Those areas at or above the waterline - systems, structures, behaviors - are commonly referred to as "objective culture." Political and economic systems form one visible area of the iceberg. Structures such as religion and religious rituals, art, architecture, music, cuisine, and language are another. These systems and structures, along with all those generalized behaviors discernible by the five senses together represent the objective aspects of culture lodged at the tip of the iceberg. On the other hand, we use the term "subjective culture" to identify those beliefs, values, and assumptions secreted below the ocean's surface. Without subjective culture, objective culture has no meaning. And without the visible objective aspects above the waterline, subjective culture has no means to express itself. Objective and subjective realms are therefore joined in a dialectic, and it is this relationship of constant communication between the two that drives cultural change.
"The Pill" and The Objective - Subjective Dialect Change within cultures can often be fraught with conflict and social turmoil. And when two cultural icebergs make contact with one another, whether at the interpersonal or national level, the impact will be most deeply felt below the surface in the submerged domain of subjective culture. Differing behaviors and systems are observable, but critical thinking "3C" skills must be employed to analyze and interpret the subjective meaning of what we see, hear, and feel. CT3C: CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND CRITICAL THINKING
Cross-Cultural Competence "3C" Today's leaders must operate in a global environment that has changed significantly since the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989. The character of 21st century conflict has fundamentally altered the U.S. military's approach to developing its leaders. During the Cold War, military leaders were trained to think of their adversaries in terms of monolithic blocs and individual states. With the collapse of the Soviet Union's collapse in December 1991 and especially in the aftermath of September 2001, attention shifted to cultures and the motivations of individuals and groups within those cultures. This also led to a greater interest in coalition-building and partnering as a defense against insurgencies and terrorism. The Executive Summary of the Air Force Culture, Regional and Language Flight Plan outlined the changing role of the 21st century Air Force officer when it stated that all Airmen must be "capable of influencing the outcomes of U.S., allied, and coalition operations anywhere" (AFCLC, Air Force Culture, Regional, and Language Flight Plan , 2009). The report goes on to state that this influence will not come solely by the threat of force. Rather, expeditionary leaders must now act as "Airmen-Statesmen" whose cultural awareness and ability to bridge cultural differences can " build coalitions and partnerships." The knowledge, skills, attitude, and awareness that embody the prototype of the Airman-Statesman is "Cross-Cultural Competence" or "3C" - "the ability to comprehend then effectively and appropriately act in a culturally complex environment" (AFCLC, Air Force Culture, Regional, and Language Flight Plan , 2009). 3C refers to those same six critical thinking skills - Interpretation, Analysis, Evaluation, Inference, Explanation, and Self-Regulation - as they are effectively employed in a culturally complex environment. As stated previously, we refer to this marriage of "Critical Thinking" (CT) and "Cross-Cultural Competence" (3C) as "CT3C." Communicate, Relate, Negotiate
CT3C As the CT3C model illustrates, influence is the desired outcome of any cross-cultural encounter. When engaged in a cross-cultural operation, a leader's ability to effectively communicate, relate, and negotiate should always have a mission focus. But also note that this "influence" is the product of effective communication, relationship-building, and negotiation. This process requires active listening skills along with the continual application of self-regulation - assessing one's own assumptions, biases, and stereotypes. Self-Regulation and P-R-I-O The OODA Loop and P-R-I-O To enhance one's ability to self-regulate and promote the process of relationship-building while operating in cross- cultural contexts, it is always wise to apply four attitudinal skills that assist in self-regulation: Patience, Respect, Interest, and Openness or "PRIO" (Miller and Mackenzie, "The Seventh Sense: Understanding Cultural Differences" in Expeditionary Leadership Coursebook , 2010, p13-15). Patience
Above all, CT3C requires patience. Overcoming cultural differences is a time-consuming process. Therefore, leaders must exercise patience when communicating across cultures. As will be discussed in one of the following sections, conceptualizations of time differ from culture to culture. The U.S. in general and the military in particular operate on a rapid time schedule. Much of the rest of the world does not. Therefore, any planning for projects or operations in a foreign cultural context must take this difference into consideration. And, when engaged in a direct interaction - especially with non-native speakers of English - slowing down the communication process is almost always appropriate and effective. Respect Respect for the culture one is studying or operating in is the first step in self-regulation. Showing regard or consideration for the culture is also the key to building a relationship. Lack of respect, on the other hand, is quickly discerned and will severely impede efforts to communicate. Displays of respect differ from culture to culture. Therefore, behavior that conveys respect should be appropriate for the host culture. Interest Showing interest goes hand in hand with respect. Knowing basic cultural norms and simple greetings in the target language before entering into a cross-cultural encounter helps to build relationships and pave the way for effective communication and negotiation. Openness Openness is the baseline skill for self-regulation. A person with an open attitude expects uncertainty and ambiguity. The key to an open attitude is the ability to suspend judgment and keep talking. This does not signify a betrayal of one's own cultural values or nation. Rather it is the ability, as T. E. Lawrence described it, to be "neither a discord nor a critic but an unnoticed influence" (Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph , 1991). Depending on the topic and situation, disagreements or conflict can and do occur. Having an open attitude allows one to observe intently, listen actively, focus on real points of contention, and not be sidetracked by cultural differences. GENERAL TONY ZINNI: APPLYING CT3C AT THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL Kurdish Women Cooking Outside Their Home Cultural clashes can arise in almost any cross-cultural encounter. Even when the primary purpose is to provide help, cultural differences can lead to confusion, misunderstandings, and conflict. To better understand the impact of culture on military operations, read Gen Tony Zinni's account of the humanitarian operation he commanded in Kurdistan on the border between Iraq and Turkey immediately following the 1st Gulf War:
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