Four Skills of Cultural Diversity Competence Chapter 3, Skill 2 :Understand the Six Barriers to Effective Relationships

Skill 2: Understand the Six Barriers

Personal and Interpersonal Barriers:1. VERBAL BEHAVIOR: language 2. NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR: greetings, body gestures, eye

behavior, vocal cues, body smell, expressions of emotion, time and space orientation, thinking style (linear or holistic)

3. STEREOTYPES and DISCRIMINATION: misinformation, missing information, and overgeneralizing; stereotypes provide psychological permission for discrimination

4. JUDGMENT: negative thoughts and feelings that accompany stereotypes

5. STRESS: the discomfort felt in culturally diverse situations. It is useful to examine stress in terms of layers

Organizational/Institutional Barriers:6. Organization norms, policies, procedures, and programs

unfriendly to cultural diversity

Skill 2, 5th Barrier: StressLEVELS OF STRESS1. General Stress is experienced in relation to the following:

HEALTH , FAMILY, WORK and \ or SCHOOL, FINANCES, ENVIRONMENT

2. Stress Among People of Minority Status is experienced in relation to the above listed factors in addition to the following: INVISIBILITY SOCIAL EXCLUSION REJECTION PRESSURE TO PROVE ONESELF DENIAL OF ONE'S EXPERIENCE VERBAL AND PHYSICAL HARASSMENT AND \OR ASSAULT

3. Stress Among People of Immigrant Status includes all of the above stressors in addition to: Culture ShockAcculturation Stress

Skill 2: The Six Barriers

Worksheet # 11, Barriers to Communication: Cross-Cultural Speaking, pages 65-66

Purpose: To foster awareness and understanding of the verbal and nonverbal barriers in communication in a culturally diverse context

Skill 2: The Six Barriers

Worksheet # 12, Case of the Green Haired People, pages 67-69

Purpose: To foster awareness and understanding of the barriers to effective communication and relationships in culturally diverse settings

Skill 2: The Six Barriers

6TH Barrier ORGANIZATIONAL\INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS:norms, policies, procedures, and programs unfriendly to cultural diversity

Skill 2, 6th Barrier: Organizational

Example:Five Common Gender IssuesReported at Work Sites (pages 60-61):1. Authority and Expectations2. Opportunities, Pay, and Benefits3. Sexual Behavior4. Etiquette and Language 5. Balancing Work and Home Life

Skill 2: The Six Barriers Five Assumptions of U.S. National Culture

about Diversity (they can also be thought of as cultural themes of U.S. National culture) that often times surface in organizations.

1.The U.S. is a meritocracy of equal individuals

2. Americans don’t have a culture, only other people

3. If it is different, it is wrong

4. Never talk about cultural diversity

5. Never admit to being prejudice

Skill 2: The Six Barriers

Worksheet 13, Case Analysis of Barriers, pages 71-72.

Purpose: to foster awareness and understanding of the barriers in everyday interactions at home, work, and in the community.

First analyze the following case examples with me before you form into small groups.

Skill 2, Case Analysis of Barriers: Examples1.Case: In conversation among social service workers a comment was made

re: “American Indian” : “that person looks about as American Indian as you.” The person, however, was American Indian, and was offended.

2. Case: New child from Haiti in school, Kids are lining up, and child is unclear as to what to do. Staff says, “Can’t you understand English? You’re in America now”

3.Case: Female staff runs 100 yards to an “assist call.” Is greeted with, “What are you doing here…we need a man.” Was very offended.

4.Case In her internship as a counselor, one male client thought she was incompetent because of her age. He didn’t think she was knowledgeable and experienced enough to help him with his problems. In addition, this male client felt that she couldn’t relate to him because she is female.

5. Case Coworker in other department assumed that I only speak Spanish because I am and look Hispanic. She didn’t bother to find out if I speak Spanish (and I don’t).

List of Barriers for Debriefing Case Analysis, (of pgs. 71-72)Personal and Interpersonal Barriers: 1. VERBAL BEHAVIOR: language 2. NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR: greetings, body gestures, eye

behavior, vocal cues, body smell, expressions of emotion, time and space orientation, thinking style (linear or holistic)

3. STEREOTYPES and DISCRIMINATION: misinformation, missing information, and overgeneralizing; stereotypes provide psychological permission for discrimination

4. JUDGMENT: negative thoughts and feelings that accompany stereotypes

5. STRESS: the discomfort felt in culturally diverse situations. It is useful to examine stress in terms of layers

Organizational/Institutional Barriers:6. Organization norms, policies, procedures, and programs

unfriendly to cultural diversity

Skill 2: The Six Barriers

Worksheet 14, Barriers to Effective Relationships: Case analysis, Part 2, Organization-wide Barriers, (pgs. 73-74)

Purpose: To foster awareness and understanding of organization/institution policy barriers to effective communication and relationships in culturally diverse settings.