“Cultural Intelligence is the capability to function effectively in culturally diverse situations.”
Cultural Intelligence Center
Standing in an alleyway taught me about cultural intelligence…
My girlfriends and I had just gotten off a 20-hour flight to Italy, piled into an Uber that looked (and drove) like it was in a car chase from Fast and Furious, walked down a bumpy alleyway with rolling suitcases… only to end up waiting outside our apartment for three hours for our landlord (who was supposed to be there when we arrived).
Don’t get me wrong… It was a lovely March afternoon, but we were jetlagged. Instead of exploring, we stood in the street, grumbling.
Finally, we saw the landlord strolling down the street with his hands in his pockets and smiling. He proceeded to pull out a map and spent the next two hours marking out his favorite thrift shops, parks and restaurants. By the time he left, my girlfriends and I eyed each other in shock. He had been a fantastic host… but exactly what a group of exhausted American tourists did not want!
In American culture, we value timeliness and efficiency. In Italy, we found ourselves comically struggling to adjust to a leisurely, personable way of life. Afternoon siestas were an interruption and finding a shop that opened before 10am… good luck. We were in a culture that valued “being” over “doing.”
As tourists, we didn’t need to learn how to function. We didn’t need to learn Italian. We didn’t need to figure out siesta breaks in the middle of a workday. We didn’t need to get used to five lanes of vespas hurdling down a three-lane road. It was all temporary.
But refugees do have to figure it out.
They need to learn a new culture, a new language and new priorities. They need to know how to ride the bus to work and sort through junk mail (an American phenomenon).
There are no good and bad cultural values.
Cultural values simply describe how individuals prefer to navigate life, complete tasks and interact with others. These values vary greatly between age groups, religions and countries of origin. Take a look at the ten cultural values as outlined by the Cultural Intelligence Center and give some thought to what your own cultural values might be.
The 10 Cultural Values
Context – Context refers to how a person prefers to communicate. Direct communicators tend to say things as they are, while indirect communicators use language that implies their meaning while still maintaining harmony.
Expressiveness – Cultures that value expressiveness will use body language and voice fluctuations to communicate. Other cultures may be more subdued or even restrained.
Individualism & Collectivism – Individualist cultures are exactly that; people tend to think of themselves as individuals and their group identity comes second. On the other hand, collective societies consider the group identity before themselves. “Ubuntu,” for example, is a Swahili word meaning community, strength, togetherness. It is often translated, “I am because we are.”
Power Distance – Leadership in an egalitarian culture is less defined. Leaders are approachable. Cultures built on hierarchy have defined roles and a strong emphasis on structure, an attempt to protect the dignity of those within the hierarchy.
Being and Doing – Some cultures value a slower way of life that prioritizes spending time with others even at the cost of completing a task. This is very different from a culture that values achievements.
Time Orientation – While some cultures value immediate and timely results; other cultures may value results that come years into the future.
Monochronic & Polychronic – Polychronic cultures approach tasks by multitasking. Monochronic cultures focus on one task at a time.
Cooperative & Competitive – While some cultures bond over competition, other cultures experience comradery from working together to achieve a goal.
Universalism & Particularism – In a universalist culture, standards are applied to everyone regardless of their relationships. In a particularistic culture, these standards may vary between family members, friends and society members.
Uncertainty Avoidance – This refers to the extent to which one is willing to take risks and enter into changing circumstances.
Feeling curious about other cultures? We’ve got good news… you can explore a vibrant multicultural world right here in our city!
About the Author
Keri Bambock is the Communications Coordinator at World Relief Spokane. Her hobbies include sketching and painting. She likes riding her bike to the office and always gets the best parking spot.