Cultural Intelligence Book Reflection

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Cultural Intelligence Book Reflection Hannah Trump YOUT 220-001—Global Youth Culture March 25, 2024

1 Introduction The topic of cultural intelligence is so important and popular in so many different areas in this point of time. Culture is everywhere around us and impossible to escape, so it is vital that we have a good understanding of the different cultures that we will eventually come into contact with. From a Christian’s perspective, we must have cultural intelligence in order to effectively share and spread the gospel as well as not become a hindrance to that process. The relevance of cultural intelligence is not going away any time soon, so it is crucial to think deeply on how CQ affects us and our futures. We all have some degree of cultural intelligence, so it is important to be aware of the areas that we are strong in and where are weakest in terms of CQ. The acknowledgement of our weaker areas will help point us to where we need to focus more energy on. Gaining cultural intelligence takes hard work, but it is something that we should be striving for. The first step is to start right where you are! Importance of CQ Today Cultural intelligence is applicable no matter what stage of life that you are in and is essential as culture is all around us. Culture is growing and progressing forward each and every day, so having a high CQ can be very beneficial as well as can set you apart when the rise of artificial intelligence is so popular. Being a college student is the stage that I am in at the moment. Although Liberty University students can seem to have all the same opinions and beliefs, there is tons of diversity and students with all kinds of different backgrounds all around us. There are cultural differences in how each student was raised, what church they attended growing up, whether or not they even attended a church growing up, where they grew up, etc. This makes up the people in your classes, your friend group, and even your roommate. This a special time where I get to have access to all of these people, so now is the time to take

2 advantage and grow my cultural intelligence. This makes having CQ essential in order to be aware of these differences. Importance of CQ in the Future Cultural intelligence is not just important today but also plays a key role in your future. Whatever career you choose to go into, you will need to have cultural intelligence. A lot of times that is what bosses are looking for from their new hires, especially in today’s world. Cultural intelligence will be a very useful tool in my future as ministry will be my focus. Working with teenagers of all ages from all different ways of life requires me to have a higher level of CQ in order not to make mistakes or be put in situations that could have been avoided. Knowing the culture that a student grew up in affects how that individual learns and receives the gospel and affects how I teach that. This also can make students feel seen and heard when someone takes the time to understand and learn their story. Another important aspect of ministry is going with flow and being okay with being thrown into the unknown sometimes. Having cultural intelligence going into those situations is a nonnegotiable in order to effectively lead without hindrances like bias as that can be a huge stumbling block in ministry. CQ Strengths and Weaknesses Cultural intelligence is made up of four different dimensions that play a key role which are CQ Drive, CQ Knowledge, CQ Strategy, and CQ Action. Each of these dimensions also have sub-dimensions; some we might be strong in, and others might require some growth. CQ Drive is “Our level of interest, drive, and motivation to adapt cross culturally,” 1 according to the book Cultural Intelligence: Improving Your CQ to Engage Our Multicultural World. The sub- 1 David A. Livermore, Cultural Intelligence: Improving Your CQ to Engage Our Multicultural World (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 48.

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3 dimensions that make up CQ Drive are intrinsic interest, extrinsic interest, and self-efficacy. My main strength when it comes CQ Drive, according to my CQ assessment, is self-efficacy which is the confidence that you will be effective in a cross-cultural encounter. This could be because I am very observant and usually listen more than I talk most of the time. The part of CQ Drive that I need to improve the most in is intrinsic interest which is the degree to which you derive enjoyment from culturally diverse situations. I think that because I am more on the introverted side, it can be hard for me to love being in situations that are unknown and not what I am used to. I don’t like to look like I don’t know what I am doing, which could have caused my intrinsic interest to be so low. CQ Knowledge is “Understanding cross-cultural issues and differences,” 2 according to Livermore. The sub-dimensions that made up CQ knowledge is business, values, and norms, socio-linguistic, and leadership. The area that I am the strongest in is leadership, and then my weakest was socio linguistic. Being a pastor’s kid helped me be confident in leadership roles, however, my knowledge about language and communication norms is not at all the strongest. According to the book, CQ Strategy is “The degree to which we’re mindful and aware when we interact cross-cultural.” 3 The sub-dimensions that make up CQ Strategy are planning, awareness, and checking. The area that is a strength for me is checking which is checking assumptions and adjusting mental maps when experiences differ from expectations. An area that I need to grow in is planning which is strategizing before a culturally diverse encounter. The last dimension of cultural intelligence is CQ Action which is described in the book as “the extent to which we appropriately change our verbal and nonverbal actions when we interact 2 Livermore, Cultural Intelligence , 47. 3 Livermore, Cultural Intelligence , 47.

4 cross-culturally.” 4 The sub-dimensions of CQ Action are speech acts, verbal, and nonverbal. One of my strengths within this dimension is speech acts which is modifying the manner and content of communications. This is made up of things in conversation like how much silence in used when speaking, how often pauses are made, and the time spent between pauses. An area of growth in regard to CQ Action is nonverbal which is modifying nonverbal behaviors like gestures and facial expressions. This makes sense as I do feel like I struggle with communicating nonverbally, especially in a different culture context than what I am used to. This is definitely to put energy into growing in because a lot of cultures incorporate nonverbal communications to a high degree. Overall, my strongest of the four capabilities is CQ Strategy and my weakest is CQ Knowledge. My goal is to help really grow in my CQ knowledge before I leave Liberty University as cross-cultural experiences are all around me, and I want to take advantage of that. CQ Change This class has really helped open my mind and expand my knowledge on cultural intelligence and its effect on everything around me versus before when I did not know its significance. One thing that this class has changed my view on is learning about other cultures. Americans, myself included, can get so wrapped up in our own culture that we do not open our eyes and pay attention to the other people around who we could potentially learn from. It is so important to learn about other cultures. In a broader sense, this is so important when it comes to mission trips. Dr. Idol has mentioned this when we talked about mission trips that it isn’t so much what we can do for them but what we can learn from them. Having a low cultural intelligence can also break the mission trip. You need to know what cultural context you are going into for the health and safety of your team. Going into a mission trip without the necessary 4 Livermore, Cultural Intelligence , 47.

5 cultural intelligence is foolish. However, you do not need to look very hard to find people around you right on campus that you can learn from. There are so many international students at Liberty that open so many doors to interact with and learn from the people that you walk by every day. This class has given me the confidence to have those conversations and actually want to learn from others who grew up in a different cultural context. This class has helped me see the importance of cultural intelligence and has influenced me in order that I may be prepared for cultural situations. CQ Increase Lynchburg is a great place to increase cultural intelligence because there are so many different cultures represented. One way I am currently improving my CQ is by expanding who I normally hang out with and interacting with someone with a different cultural background than myself. One of my friends, Victoria, who I just recently have gotten closer with is from Argentina. Just by making the effort to hang out more and more has dramatically increased my cultural intelligence. I’ve gotten the opportunity to be able to hear about her culture, how it differs from the culture here, and learn more about her story. Another way I want to improve my CQ is by being involved with a diverse church. Thomas Road Baptist Church has helped me be exposed to so many different cultures and individuals in order to help increase my cultural intelligence. There are so many opportunities to work and serve closely to other cultures at church on Sundays, but also when Thomas Road has their community outreaches. Being a part of a diverse church allows you to take one step deeper into culture as you connect with people on a spiritual basis. Lastly, it is one of my goals to go on a trip with LU Send. This would be a great way to help increase my culture intelligence firsthand by exploring and talking to people in that

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6 cultural context. Overall, my goal is to have a higher cultural intelligence when I graduate from Liberty versus when I first got here. CQ Essentially Among Youth Cultural intelligence is not only important but is crucial when it comes to the process of becoming a disciple and making disciples who follow Christ. There can be a tension present when it comes to cultural misunderstandings and communicating the gospel requires the ability to move beyond those and hold that tension. We are to be the bridge between opposing cultural norms. It is important to work against threats like stereotypes, bias, prejudice, and discrimination when it comes to ministering cross-culturally. As Christians, we are to be His disciples and reach the people around us. It is very important to reach the world and the nations, but I think that before you do that you should reach the people around you first. God has us placed where we are right now for a reason, so we should be spreading the good news right where God has placed us. However, we cannot tell other people from different cultures about Jesus if we are culturally blind. Building relationships can be the first step to reaching the lost. Gaining trust from other people can be crucial when spreading the gospel cross-culturally, and this can be done by taking the time to sit, talk, and learn from these people. Cultural intelligence doesn’t just apply when going overseas but also to your next-door neighbor and classmates. Everyone has their own story to share. Conclusion The concept of cultural intelligence is such a hot topic of discussion today and very important to our futures. It is crucial to have cultural intelligence in any field of work you choose to go into. Culture is everywhere and unavoidable, so it is important to be ready when cross- cultural instances come up. Cultural intelligence is a skill that can be developed, so acknowledge

7 your strengths and grow in your weaker areas because it is a skill worth having. As a student who is working towards a career in ministry, cultural intelligence is so important when thinking about how to grow the kingdom of God and sharing the gospel. I never want to be a stumbling block due to lack of cultural intelligence to others because of bias or stereotype. This makes cultural intelligence so important in disciple making and being a disciple yourself. I am thankful for this course as it properly educates student on CQ’s important and vitality in society today. Bibliography Livermore, David A. Cultural Intelligence: Improving Your CQ to Engage Our Multicultural World . Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009. Accessed March 25, 2024. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Cultural Intelligence Book Reflection

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