OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY

Valenzuela City - Quezon City - Antipolo City – Pampanga – Cabanatuan

Veritas et Misericordia

Name:_____________________________________________________________Date: _____________________
Program: __________________________________________________________Section: ___________________

WEEK 13
Developing Peaceful Co-Existence: “Cultural Sensitivity and Tolerance”
INTRODUCTION
Cultural sensitivity is being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist
without assigning them a value – positive or negative, better or worse, right or wrong. It simply means that
you are aware that people are not all the same and that you recognize that your culture is no better than
any other culture. A challenge, if you ask me, for members of dominant cultures.
In life and work environments we frequently face situations where there is a dominant and a
secondary culture. For instance, in the U.S. the European American is the dominant culture whereas
Hispanic, African American and Chinese cultures are all secondary.

Cultural sensitivity implies that both groups understand and respect each other’s characteristics.
This is always a challenge, and even more so in large corporations where the dominant culture is the one
that employees are expected to adopt.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1) Understand the importance of cultural sensitivity in creating a culture of peace.
2) Reflect on the necessary actions that you need to sacrifice to achieve the culture of peace.
3) Value the differences of other cultures that make his world a better place.
MODULE LESSON

Many years ago, Milton Bennett developed a solid framework to understand the various stages of
cultural sensitivity (or as he calls it “intercultural sensitivity”) that a person may experience. He argues that
as people become more and more culturally sensitive, they progress from having an ethnocentric
orientation to a more ethno-relative worldview.

In Bennett’s words, “In general, the more ethnocentric orientations can be seen as ways of
avoiding cultural difference, either by denying its existence, by raising defenses against it, or by minimizing
its importance. The more ethno-relative worldviews are ways of seeking cultural difference, either by
accepting its importance, by adapting perspective to take it into account, or by integrating the whole
concept into a definition of identity.” 

  Let’s look at the meaning of each one of these stages.

Ethnocentric stages of intercultural sensitivity: These three stages are: Denial, Defense and Minimization.

Defense: At the defense stage of cultural sensitivity, people recognize some differences, but see
them as negative because they assume their culture is the most evolved, the best one. Example: People
who say, “In Latin America, you can’t just get to the point and talk business. They want to tell you their life
story. I don’t understand why they can’t just learn to be more direct and save everybody time.”
 Minimization: Individuals at this stage of cultural sensitivity are unaware that they are projecting
their own cultural values. They see their own values as superior. They think that the mere awareness of
cultural differences is enough. These people think we are all the same because we are more similar than
different and, in the end, we all have similar physical, biological, psychological needs etc. They think they
are wonderful because they see people as people but they are actually denying the influence of culture in
every person’s experience. Example: Statements such as, “In the end, we all want to be liked,” or, “We are
all people.”

Ethno-relative stages of intercultural sensitivity: The three ethno-relative stages of intercultural sensitivity
are: Acceptance, Adaptation and Integration. Let’s see what they look like.
Acceptance: At this stage of cultural sensitivity people can shift perspectives to understand that the
same “ordinary” behavior can have different meanings in different cultures. They can identify how
experiences are influenced by one’s culture. They may not agree or even like the differences they observe
but they are interested in finding out and learning about another culture. Example: People who approach
others with genuine interest and curiosity about how they experience the same situations. They ask
questions such as, “How do Dominicans do it?” or, “What would your family do in a situation like this?”
Adaptation: Individuals who are at this stage of cultural sensitivity become more competent in their
ability to communicate with other cultures. They can evaluate other people’s behavior from these people’s
frame of reference and can adapt behavior to fit the norms of a different culture. Example: People who
seamlessly interact with others from different cultures by following the norms of that culture. They feel that
they can respect their own values while adapting to the values of other cultures they interact with. They use
empathy effectively. For instance, people who bow at the right time when interacting with Japanese clients
or naturally expect their Mexican guests forty-five minutes after the scheduled start time of a party.

Integration: People who are at this stage of cultural sensitivity can shift easily from one cultural
frame of reference to another. They develop empathy for other cultures. People who are equally
comfortable with one culture or another. Example: This stage is easy to see with perfectly
bilingual/bicultural individuals who almost change their personality when they interact with one group (their
family, for instance) or another (their Anglo co-workers, for instance) but they are equally genuine in both
situations.

How far should you expect your team to go regarding their own cultural sensitivity?

Part of answering the question of what cultural sensitivity is, is to realize that one of the main
purposes of becoming more culturally competent is to become more effective in your relationships with
colleagues, customers and suppliers. Don’t expect for people to change their worldviews overnight or after
a workshop or even an intensive program. It is the cohesive introduction of opportunities for interaction with
different cultures, training in the practice of empathy, and practical exposure to the way different cultures
experience a similar situation that will produce more sustainable results.

MODULE ACTIVITY
1) Write the Capital Letter I on the next page.
2) Decorate it by drawing or coloring it with pictures that would symbolize their personalities and make
it beautiful.
3) You will be going to your groups to explain what you have drawn to make the “I” beautiful.
4) After explaining, you must tear your papers into small pieces and throw them in the trash can.
5) Answer the following questions at the back of this page.
 Draw your “I” here

Reflection:
What is the point of the activity or the significance of the act that they did in cultural sensitivity and
tolerance?

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Why do we need to leave behind or put aside our “I’s” or “Ego’s” in creating a culturally sensitive society?

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What did you feel about the activity?

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References