Cross-Cultural Competence through Education, Training, and Experience at the United States Naval...
Transcript of Cross-Cultural Competence through Education, Training, and Experience at the United States Naval...
Naval Academy Vision
To be the premier educational
institution for developing future
naval officers from across
the Nation to serve and
lead in an increasingly
interdependent and
volatile world.
International Programs Office
• Enhance international content of midshipman education
and training
• Develop and execute cohesive strategy in sync with Navy
and Marine Corps
• Focal point for all USNA international engagements
Selfless∙ Inspirational ∙ Proficient ∙ Innovative ∙ Articulate ∙ Adaptable ∙ Professional
“I think the greatest part of this trip was that I got to be an ambassador of
my country, something that I am every day but never really noticed until I
was put into another country in the same uniform. I feel that I am leaving
behind a great reputation and image of midshipmen at the U.S. Naval
Academy and officers alike.”
Semester Study Abroad
Selfless∙ Inspirational ∙ Proficient ∙ Innovative ∙ Articulate ∙ Adaptable ∙ Professional
“It is one thing to read and hear about other people's experiences
overseas, and completely different to be the one traveling
internationally. The first way the language immersion program
benefited me was by teaching me how to get around in a country in
which I am obviously a foreigner.”
Language Immersion Programs
Selfless∙ Inspirational ∙ Proficient ∙ Innovative ∙ Articulate ∙ Adaptable ∙ Professional
“The Midshipmen immersed themselves…. spent three
days with two different Maasai tribes, who have remained
true to their ancient traditions as nomadic cattle herders.
The first tribe greeted them with a traditional song and
dance, and then sired us around their camp showing us
their living quarters, communal areas, goats and cattle,
and even their fledging elementary school where the
young children were in the middle of an English lesson.”
“I was one of the seventeen countries represented on the
ship. To be an ambassador for both the United States
and the USNA was very humbling.”
Professional Engagements
• Language Assessment– Institutional tools
• Cross Cultural Competence Assessment– IDI– Weekly and After action reports– Portfolio
• Regional Understanding Assessment– Developing
Intentional and Deliberate
Culture General vs. Culture Specific
methods for learning about culture
The Culture-Specific Approach:
focus on trying to learn as much as possible about a particular culture
Culture General:
focus is on facilitating communication within culturally diverse groups without stereotyping or discriminating.
How does USNA teach culture general?
Experiential Learning
Institution-wide understanding of the culture concept integrated into
Classes
LREC programs: Language, Regional Expertise and Culture Immersion
Gradual Ethnographic Experiences
1. Your Campus (map exercise)
2. Cultural observations in regions of your community (the coffee shop, Whole Foods, the train station, downtown…)
3. Gallaudet University: Communication Exercise
4. Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation/Portfolio development
Study Abroad Portfolio Development
• Pre Departure Class
• Ethnographic Research on Cultural Topics class abroad
• Portfolio finalization and communication/post experience class
Pre Departure Class
• Emotional preparation
• Culture general preparation
• Culture specific preparation
Ethnographic Research
• Students choose a cultural topic
• Practice participant-observation research and interviews
• Collect data and artifacts related to subject matter
• Draw conclusions about the cultural significance of their topic
Faculty Development
• Cross-Cultural Competence Workshops
- To prepare study abroad leaders
- To foster adaptability
Both at home
And abroad
The Study of Culture as Experiential
Development
• Remote cultures are “writ with a darker pen.”
• Immersive environments produce results• Proven relationship between authentic
leadership and extreme contexts
Study of Culture as Leadership
Development
• The "Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness"
(GLOBE) Research Program was conceived in 1991 by Robert J. House (1932-2011) of the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. In 2004, its first comprehensive volume on "Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies" was published.
• GLOBE was initiated to investigate one fundamental question: How is culture related to societal, organizational, and leader effectiveness?