Asia: Bridging the mental and emotional gap

Main argument

The need to move from transactional engagement with Asia to transformational engagement.

• There is a mental and emotional gap with Asia despite our proximity.

• We can can call it ‘psychological distance’.• We need to bridge that gap.

The effects of psychological distance …

Our reality• (Other than Antarctica!) we live on a continent with the least

number of countries.• Finding a pragmatic reason to engage with our neighbours

and the rest of the world is tough—we need to make the reasons personal and meaningful.

Sub-arguments

Intercultural understanding is a global competence that all students need to develop. It is the basis of engaging with Asia.

Asia knowledge is not an end in itself. Transformative thinking about the region and cultural diversity/change is.

Intercultural understanding is more about cognitive-affective processes than answers. Seeking ‘answers’ leads to piecemeal awareness of ‘cultures’ and risks cultural stereotyping.

Diversity is closer than we think.

The taxi driver …• The choice: transact or relate?• I’ve had fascinating intercultural learnings with taxi

drivers• Intercultural learning requires the desire to learn

from others and to see their point of view.

What is my basis?

• Conceptual frameworks:– Intercultural understanding– Intercultural competences– Intercultural engagement

• What the research says:– Educators are driven by intercultural understanding,

transformative thinking about cultural diversity and prejudice reduction, not economics and policy

– The need for a strong moral purpose and rigorous conceptual frameworks for sustainable engagement

Fickle minded Australia?

• Have you ever thought about what our Asian neighbours might think about our desire to engage with Asia? Here’s a story …

• It’s called ‘let’s wait and see’ …– What can we learn from it– We engage with Asia because it is what good neighbours do –

do we wait for our neighbour to drive a flashy car before we talk to them?

– If Asia wasn’t so big and economically important, would we be as concerned?

Intercultural understanding – a definition

Intercultural understanding – It includes knowledge of one’s own culture and of the similarities and differences between cultures. But, knowledge alone is insufficient. Positive attitudes such as empathy and respect for other cultures are also required, e.g. the affective basis of intercultural sensitivity.

From multicultural to intercultural

• A necessary shift

Multicultural education uses learning about other cultures in order to produce acceptance, or at least tolerance, of these cultures. Intercultural education aims to go beyond passive coexistence, to achieve a developing and sustainable way of living together in multicultural societies through the creation of understanding of, respect for, and dialogue between the different cultural groups.

Ref: UNESCO Guidelines on Intercultural Education, 2006, p. 18.

Interculturality – beyond the ‘fish-bowl’ mentality

Cultures are rarely discrete in a globalised world. The focus needs to be on change, dynamic cultural interaction and the implications of that.

• Interculturality is a dynamic concept and refers to evolving relations between cultural groups … Interculturality presupposes multiculturalism and results from ‘intercultural’ exchange and dialogue on the local, regional, national or international level.

Ref: UNESCO Guidelines on Intercultural Education, 2006, p. 17.

Intercultural understanding and language

• Intercultural communication – Effectively and appropriately communicate with people from different cultures, characterised by interpersonal skills, cultural uncertainty and cultural empathy.

• Intercultural language learning – Learners understanding of their own language(s) and culture(s) in relation to an additional language and culture, allowing for dialogue, negotiation and self-reflection.

• Personal example – meaning of home, homeland, citizenship and belonging (rumahku, tanah air, mastautin)

Intercultural understanding and language

• Possible without language proficiency but enhanced greatly by language

• For example, rice in English vs. padi, beras, nasi, pulut in (Malay/Indonesian)

• Importance of quality language learning• Importance of finding personal meaning in language

learning– Student engagement looks like, feels like, sounds like …

Australian Curriculum – Two entry pointsAsia priority and Intercultural understanding side by side

Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia

Intercultural understanding

... students learn about and recognise the diversity within and between the countries of the Asia region. They will develop knowledge and understanding of Asian societies, cultures, beliefs and environments, and the connections between the peoples of Asia, Australia, and the rest of the world.

… sharing, creating and contesting different cultural perceptions and practices, and supports the development of a critical awareness of the processes of socialisation and representation that shape and maintain cultural differences.

ACARA Intercultural understanding frameworkExample: Learning that it is considered rude in some cultures to look into the eye of someone older when spoken to

Example: Interviewing international students in a school to find out about their needs and using data gathered to propose changes to school leadership/council

Example: The meaning of ANZAC day to Turkish community and Australia Day to ATSI communities

Example: Religious dress and modesty guidelines that impact on social interaction & activities

Intercultural education continuum

Stories and dialogue for Asia engagement

• Sharing and understanding stories • Find your stories, find your own personal reasons• My family’s migration stories – the leap of faith; the

fitting in; the challenges to engage; rediscovering identity; facing stereotypes and prejudice

Stories and dialogue for Asia engagement

• What stories and experiences can we all share?– Stories rather than formulaic approaches as the basis– It doesn’t have to be Asia-specific! It can be any cross-cultural

experience!

• Asia literacy? Intercultural understanding? – From literacy to capability – a personal example (An Asian

language speaking Asian born in Asia but …)

Moral purpose of intercultural engagement

• Mine is moral purpose of engaging positively with fellow human beings regardless of race, ethnicity, language, culture, religion and/or worldview, for the advancement of humankind.

• What is it for you? Self-reflection is essential.

Intercultural Competences

The ability to interact effectively and appropriately with people from other cultures. It refers to the four dimensions of understandings, attitudes, skills and behaviours. Key dispositions include:

• Empathy• Perspective• Reflection• Creative and critical thinking• Positive interaction

Relates to the Australian Curriculum general capabilities

What UNESCO says

Intercultural competences are abilities to adeptly navigate complex environments marked by a growing diversity of peoples, cultures and lifestyles, in other terms, abilities to perform “effectively and appropriately when interacting with others who are linguistically and culturally different from oneself” (Fantini & Tirmizi, 2006).

Ref: Intercultural Competences: Conceptual and Operational Framework, 2013, p. 5.

The Third Space Model

• The model proposes a safe space – such as the curriculum/classroom – where people can explore how their cultural beliefs and practices intersect.

• Everyone has cultural ‘baggage’ – students are asked to focus on points of intersection and acknowledge difference.

• Students can explore and maintain their own identity whilst venturing into a new space that may challenge their own ways.

• Dialogue not debate!

An example

• Let’s focus on the 2004 Asian tsunami.• An Asia priority perspective would objectify the

tsunami – looking at statistics, aid, the who, what, when, where and how…

• Intercultural understanding allows us to take this further to develop perspective, empathy, respect and the ability to reflect

• The Acehnese, for example, saw the event in a different light, e.g. peace process and social capacity building

What makes the Asia region ‘tick’ and why?

Image Jorge Royan

Do we see the stereotypical image of the Asian tourist, or how they got there in the first place as a people?

Being comfortable with being uncomfortableIt is at the edge of our comfort zones that true transformation occurs

Photo courtesy of Cassie Jai

To wrap up …

• Find your stories, reasons, and moral purpose.• We need a moral purpose for widespread,

sustainable and meaningful change – policy is a catalyst but we need more than that.

• Overcoming psychological distance is not always about physical travel. It’s the travel of the mind.

• Given the right enablers people can change their perceptions of Asia – knowledge on its own will not do the trick.

To wrap up …

I leave you with these questions:

• What causes people to want to know one another and communicate?

• Reflect on our own behaviours – what do we think, see, feel and wonder when we decide to get to engage with Asia?

• Then ask, ‘Is that being fair to our neighbours?’