MCGILL UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL INTERNS

PRE-DEPARTURE TRAINING (INTERCULTURAL EFFECTIVENESS)

May 2, 2009

Thompson House

3650 McTavish, 2nd Floor

Sue Cass - Facilitator

McGill University International Interns Pre-departure Course

(Intercultural Effectiveness)

OBJECTIVES:

To provide an opportunity for the 2009 interns to:

Increase understanding of the complexities of intercultural competency and effectiveness;

Explore some of the real-life challenges they may be confronted with during the internship i.e. working and living in a new and different cultural context; and,

Develop some practical strategies and approaches that will help facilitate personal and professional adaptation and effectiveness in their host country.

AGENDA

9:00 Welcome, Introductions, Overview of the day9:30 Looking down the road that lies ahead: Hopes,

concerns, questions…. (Small group work and plenary)

10:30 BREAK10:45 Exploring the Dimensions Intercultural Effectiveness

(Introductory game, discussion, presentation, stories “from the

field” )

12:15 LUNCH1:00 Intercultural Communication: Tools and Strategies

(Role play, discussion, presentation, group work with scenarios)

2:30 BREAK2:45 The Adaptation Process

(The cycle: Theory and reality, Group work, Plenary)

4:15 Past Interns Panel5:15 Wrap-up and Evaluation

KEYS TO INTERCULTURAL EFFECTIVENESS

KNOWLEDGE: e.g. of self, concept and complexities of culture, of host culture…

SKILLS: e.g. personal and professional adaptation, organizational (promotion of positive workplace environment), complexities of intercultural communication…

ATTITUDE: (Key predictors of success) e.g. humility, openness, empather, respect, non-judgmentalism, tolerance for ambiguity, commitment…

From the work of Dr. Daniel Kealey and Associates; Canadian International Development Agency and Foreign Affairs Canada (1990, 1995, 2000, 2001)

Some “Musings” on Culture

A set of agreements about the way the world looks and the way the world works (or should work).

An integrated system of learned behaviour patterns that are characteristic of the members of any given society. Culture refers to the total way of life of particular groups of people. It includes everything that a group of people thinks, says does, makes…Its customs, language, material artefacts and shared systems of attitudes and feelings.

A set of rules and maps (paradigms) for human survival and interaction.

“We meet, we communicate, and in doing so we create culture”(Durkeim)

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Guidelines for group work: Please take a few moments to read the scenario and

then discuss with your group:

1) What were the key dimensions of cultural difference that may have been at play in this situation?

2) Is there anything that the intern might have done in advance to prevent the situation from occurring in the first place and/or the consequences?

3) If you found yourself in a similar situation, what might be said or done to produce the best possible results?

Scenario #1 – The Invitation

You (a male McGill student) are one month into your overseas internship. All has been going extremely well at the Keedo Regional Health Extension Centre where you are working. You are also particularly happy with your living situation at the home of Charles Kazula, the Director of the Keedo Centre. Mr. Kazula, his wife and his family have been most welcoming and accommodating. You have also become quite close to their eldest daughter, Lucy.

A colleague at the Centre has just invited you to a dance to be held in a nearby town on the weekend. You love to dance, have been looking forward to more social activity and also think this would be an ideal opportunity for you and Lucy to do something together. That evening, while dining with the Kazula family you announce that you have been invited to the dance and would like to invite Lucy. Immediately Lucy becomes very flushed and appears most embarrassed, averting her eyes from you. It is Charles’ reaction which takes you by surprise though. Glaring at you, he responds sharply and in a loud voice: “That will not be possible!” and immediately leaves the table. Shortly afterwards, Lucy does the same. You and the rest of the family finish dinner in an uncomfortable silence…..

Scenario #2

You have been working for several weeks at “Women as One” a regional NGO that works in defence of women’s reproductive rights and against domestic violence. You have met and had the opportunity to work in solidarity with some wonderful women, and have begun to build some nice friendships.

On day one of your colleagues, Rita, takes you aside for a conversation. She tells you that her daughter Suli is very unwell and needs some special medicine which is quite costly. She asks if you could please help by giving her some money to buy it.

You feel very awkward. You do not have much money yourself but feel sorry for Rita and her daughter, and so decide to pay for the medicine even though this will very much deplete your own financial resources. She takes it telling you profusely what a wonderful, true Canadian “sister” you are.

The next day you run into Rita and her daughter Suli at the market. They are shopping and both looking extremely happy – and healthy! You are confused as in your conversations with Rita you had understood that Suli’s condition was quite grave. When you approach them and mention to Suli how well she looks, she smiles and says: “Yes, I am very well sister and so excited about the wonderful party my mother is preparing for my birthday. We have been working on it for weeks. You must come!”

You are a bit speechless – and upset. Is this the “medicine” that your hard earned money went towards?...

Scenario #3

You have been living with the Suarez family since the beginning of your internship in the town of Puerto Lopez. While the accommodation is comfortable and the family quite friendly and seemingly happy to have you with them, you are getting progressively more irritated by their over protectiveness, and general lack of respect for your privacy. The parents, Pablo and Juanita refuse for example, to allow you to go anywhere on your own – insisting that a family member always accompany you. They have also expressed opposition on a number of occasions to you accepting certain invitations to other people’s homes for dinner of social gatherings – without providing much explanation or rationale. It is becoming rather irritating.

As upsetting is the fact that you are quite certain they are going through your belongings when you are not around, as you have frequently found things to be out of place. While up until now nothing has gone missing, you are quite certain that you saw their daughter wearing one of you sweaters in town a few days before. You are offended by this. You do not want to create conflict – but something must be done! Perhaps it might be best to just begin looking for an alternative living arrangement.

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Scenario #4

Your internship has given you the opportunity to work for a national NGO “The People’s Voice”, which is an organization that works for the rights of their countries indigenous peoples. You have appreciated having this international experience, as you are considering doing graduate work in human rights once your undergraduate studies are completed. Since arriving you have also been received extremely well and with much respect. You have not only been included in almost all important meetings and events, but your perspective is also frequently solicited and often acted upon (something you are not always comfortable with).

While your placement has generally gone well, you are beginning to feel uncomfortable both about the status you have been afforded and more generally about some of the ways the organization operates. There seems to be some inherent contradictions at play. For example, there are only a few indigenous staff, none are in management positions, and in general they seem to play only minor roles at best in decision-making that goes on. You think that given the nature of the organization, they should also be the “face” of the organization and certainly have more voice. These are after all “the People” who the organization supposedly works for and represents.

You have just been called into your supervisor’s office who tells you that an important international delegation is visiting the city next week and wants a presentation about the work of “The People’s Voice”. The management team has decided that you would be the best person to make that presentation. You tell him that, while you are flattered, you really don’t think you are the most appropriate person to do it. He is adamant that you should. You are not sure what to say next…

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ADAPTATION

Guidelines for groupwork

1) One thing I anticipate that I might really find difficult to adapt to and how I might react.

2) What will help me cope (i.e. a useful strategy and / or something I could do in advance to prepare for this reality or possible reaction)?

Closing Thoughts and Action Plan

In thinking about the discussions of the day we have just completed, the mandate of your internship, the many people who you will be interacting with, and the cultural context in which you will be immersed, reflect on and answer the following questions:

1) What I still need to do to best prepare myself for the internship experience that lies ahead?

2) What I want to avoid (or change)?

3) What I need to accept?

4) What are the most important priorities that I will need to keep “on my radar” when I arrive?

Wishing you all the best for a satisfying and successful internship this summer.