The growth process in intercultural sensitivity

Question 1

What is the DMIS Model?

Answer 1

Development Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

Question 2

What are the six stages in the DMIS Model?

Answer 2

1. Denial
2. Defence
3. Minimization
4. Acceptance
5. Adaptation
6. Integration

Question 3

Which stages are ethnocentric?

Answer 3

1. Denial
2. Defence
3. Minimization

Question 4

Which stages are ethnorelative?

Answer 4

4. Acceptance
5. Adaptation
6. Integration

Question 5

What does ethnocentric mean?

Answer 5

You place your culture in the middle (in the center)

Question 6

What does ethnorelative mean?

Answer 6

You still value your culture, but you don’t place it in the middle. You realize that we are equal, but not the same.

Question 7

What are the characteristics of Denial?

Answer 7

• You think all cultures are the same.
• You are not really aware of cultural differences.

Question 8

What are the characteristics of Defence?

Answer 8

• You are aware that there are other cultures, but you are defending your own.
• An Us vs. Them mindset.
• You see other cultures as threatening and inferior.

Question 9

What is Reverse Defence?

Answer 9

• It’s Us vs. Them as well, but you see the other culture as superior to your own.

Question 10

What are the characteristics of Minimization?

Answer 10

• You minimize the cultural differences.
• You are mostly aware of superficial cultural differences.
• We are culturally biased - we still view other cultures through our own cultural glass.
• We want to make others more like us.

Question 11

What is the pitfall of Minimization?

Answer 11

We don’t have empathy for other cultures.

Question 12

What are the characteristics of Acceptance?

Answer 12

• You accept the differences in culture and behavior.
• You see cultural differences as a source of new ideas and solutions to problems.
• The acceptance stage is at the knowledge level.

Question 13

What are the characteristics of Adaptation?

Answer 13

• You accept and you adjust.
• You are able to evaluate a different culture from the frame of reference of that culture.
• You can behave according to the other culture’s norms.
• Adaptation is at the knowledge and behavior level.

Question 14

What are the characteristics of Integration?

Answer 14

We are able to practice multiple frames of reference, or bicultural frames of reference.

Question 15

What are the strategies for moving on from Denial?

Answer 15

• Make people aware of cultural differences in an entertaining way.
• Start with visible differences in artifacts of culture.
• Organize exotic meals together.
• Check the local museums.

Question 16

What are the strategies for moving on from Defence?

Answer 16

• Recognize and accept that besides cultural differences there are also similarities.
• Learn about other cultures, read novels by authors from different cultures and watch foreign movies.

Question 17

What are the strategies for moving on from Minimization?

Answer 17

Awareness of our own cultural programming is the most important lever for moving on from the minimization stage and making the shift from the restricted ethnocentric vision to the dynamic world of cultural relativism.

Question 18

What are the strategies for moving on from Acceptance?

Answer 18

• The most important thing we have to learn at this stage is cultural empathy. This is called cultural frame of reference shifting.
• Role play and simulation games are effective training.

Question 19

How to further develop when you are in Adaptation?

Answer 19

Practice solving case studies with culturally relative trainers.

Question 20

What are common things people in Denial say?

Answer 20

“Oh we’re all the same”
“There are McDonald’s, Zara and ATMs all over the world”
“We all drink Coke”

Question 21

What are common things people in Defence say?

Answer 21

“They don’t even speak our language”
“They refuse to shake hands”
“Thay are taking away our jobs”

Question 22

What are common things people in Minimization say?

Answer 22

“They eat with chopsticks, and we use a knife and fork, but besides that we’re basically the same”

Question 23

What are common things people in Acceptance say?

Answer 23

“The more cultures, the more ideas”
“We are equal, but not the same”

Question 24

What are common things people in Adaptation say?

Answer 24

“To solve this problem professionally I am going to try a different strategy”
“I always shake hands when I meet people, but she prefers not to, so I won’t impose my handshake”

Question 25

What are common things people in Integration say?

Answer 25

“I feel at home in many places”
“Our organisation has become more inclusive and welcoming”

Question 26

What is the pitfall of Defence?

Answer 26

That you only see stereotypes.