Summary: We studied and discussed the layers between identity and culture, as well as the multiple dimensions of diversity and culture, in relation to your own identity. You also learned more about your classmates and me. We will study global citizenship after we reflect on our own dimensions of identity and culture.

The Diversity Wheel That Shapes Identity

Your Free Rice Learning Program

Please create an account on our AL2 Intercultural Global Citizenship 2025 platform using the class code provided in class 01. You can make any name that you wish, but please let me know your game name. For your English motivation, you can choose any of the English categories and study as you wish. Your goal is to achieve 4,000 correct answers by the last class in January, at your own pace, but practice occasionally every week. This is 20% of the class grade, and you will help feed children around the world in hunger for free sponsored by the United Nations and the World Food Programme, which won a Nobel Peace Prize!

Following the orientation, we worked on the communication framework and standards below in new pairs and used the questions in worksheet two to explore the unique aspects of culture:

Features of Culture Statements: 

• No one is exactly like me.
• I have many things in common with the members of my family and community.
• Every person in the world needs some of the same things I need.

Features of Culture Questions:

• Celebrations: What kinds of celebrations are important in your family? In your country?
• Greetings: How do you generally greet people you don’t know?
• Beliefs about hospitality: How do you show hospitality in your community? In your school? In your home?
• The role of family: Is there a particular age at which you celebrate an important event in your life with your family or community?
• Attitudes about personal space and privacy: How important do you feel it is to have your own space and privacy?

Framework and Standards: 
Everyone has a culture(s). It shapes how we see ourselves, others, and the world. 

Essential questions: 

• How does culture shape the way we see ourselves, others, and the world?
• How does my culture shape me?
• Why is it important to understand culture?

Lesson adapted from Peace Corps: Features of Culture

Attachments: 

A-Quick-Guide-to-APA-7th

Homework is due by uploading to your Google Doc by 1 pm before Class 02. Please take 3-4 pages of notes on two readings or viewings from the offerings below, using keywords and summarizations as much as possible. Whenever you can, especially using “direct quotations,” note the page and paragraph number to help you know where you got the information. These actions will also help you avoid plagiarism.

Please edit the information in each reading or viewing according to the example below as accurately as possible. I can help edit. Here is the list of some of the readings and viewings. Feel free to find your own resources on culture as well, but please share the source URL with me so I can share it with the class.

Could you please write the speaker’s name, date of the publication, quotation marks, and the time stamp for direct quotes like this:

Mahdawi (2016, July 19) has been thinking about “How do we go from talking about diversity to actually making it happen? (4:18 – 4:24)” for a while.

For summaries in your own words:

Gavin (2014, November 7) discussed the importance of ……

This homework is due at the end of lunch the day before class. Please take notes and insert the photos you take of them into your Google Doc.

Cultural Awareness & Intercultural Communication

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). (2011). Cross-cultural understanding. Background Briefs. https://staceyvye.com/wp-content/uploads/oldsite/tc2.ca/uploads/backgroundbriefs/BBCrossCulturalUnderstanding.pdf

Lectera. (2025). Intercultural communication.  https://lectera.com/info/articles/intercultural-communication

Mayer, E. (2016, November 28). How to lead a successful international team [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3X7legs3gM&list=PLPulR4Kq63KREjGxCe2D7kVvfNkP-snG9&index=3

McClay, R. (2017). Four cornerstones of successful cross-cultural training. Training 

Industry: Mind The Gap, 50-51. 

https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/issue/four-cornerstones-of-successful-cross-cultural-training

Merschdorf, H. (2022, June 18). The surprising paradox of intercultural communication [Video]. 

TEDx Talks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzJNA-3b6NA

https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/issue/four-cornerstones-of-successful-cross-cultural-training

Middlebury Language Schools. (2023, March 24). Language learning: Why intercultural

  communication is important? 

https://www.middlebury.edu/language-schools/blog/language-learning-why-intercultural-communication-important

Seigel, M. (2024, Feb. 6). Intercultural communication: Why is it important and how can I do 

better [Video]? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSiLz4mkSL8

Cultural Misunderstandings and How to Avoid Them

Burgess, H. (2017). Misunderstandings. Beyond Intractability. 

https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/misunderstandings

International Relations EDU. (2019). 5 ways to avoid mistakes in cross-cultural 

communication. International Relations EDU. 

https://www.internationalrelationsedu.org/5-ways-to-avoid-mistakes-in-cross-cultural-communication

National Geographic. (2009, Oct. 24). Cultural differences National Geographic [Video]. 

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT0kzF4A-WQ&t=4s

Rinner, D. (2018, Nov. 14). How to handle cross-cultural misunderstandings [Video]. 

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1lOIB-q5w8

Stretch, C. (2018, Sept. 10). Cultural misunderstandings [Video]. 

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8VjSVavt4k&t=2s

Toegal, G., & Barsoux, J-L. (2016). 3 situations where cross-cultural communication breaks 

down. Harvard Business Review.   

https://hbr.org/2016/06/3-situations-where-cross-culturalcommunication-breaks-down

Vice News. (2018). Ike Nwala is a black comedian who has become Japan’s most unlikely 

star [Video]. YouTube. HBO. 

Thompson-Hernadez, W. (2019, February 20). Chicano subculture in Japan [Video].

Youtube. The New York Times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8bMLcCxxAA&t=15s

This New York Times presentation describes the Chicano Culture in Japan with some Japanese language in the interviews:

Thompson-Hernadez, W. (2019, February 20). Chicano subculture in Japan [Video].

Youtube. The New York Times.

Thompson-Hernadez, W. (2019, February 20). Chicano subculture in Japan [Video].

Youtube. The New York Times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8bMLcCxxAA&t=6s

This talk explains why cultural diversity matters, and how language shapes culture and vise versa:

Gavin, M. (2014, November 7). Why cultural diversity matters [Video]. Youtube. TED Talk

  Conferences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48RoRi0ddRU&t=6s

This Ted Talk is about solutions for cultural diversity in the workplace: More diverse people!

Mahdawi, A. (2016, July 19). The surprising solution to workplace diversity. [Video].

            YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtUlRYXJ0vI&t=1s

Reading Option 1:

International Relations EDU. (2019). 5 ways to avoid mistakes in cross-cultural communication. International Relations EDU.  https://www.internationalrelationsedu.org/5-ways-to-avoid-mistakes-in-cross-cultural-communication/

Reading Option 2: 

Toegal, G., & Barsoux, J-L. (2016). 3 situations where cross-cultural communication breaks down. Harvard Business Review.   https://hbr.org/2016/06/3-situations-where-cross-cultural-communication-breaks-down                                                                            

Your Free Rice Learning Program

For your English motivation, you can choose any of the English categories and study as you wish. Your goal is to get 4,000 correct answers before the last class in January at your pace, but do practice sometimes every week. This is 20% of the class grade, and you will help feed children around the world who are hungry for free, sponsored by the United Nations and the World Food Programme, which won a Nobel Peace Prize!