Conceptualizing 'cross-cultural effectiveness': practitioners' concepts and theories and implications for adult educators in cross-cultural settings

Abstract

The researcher... became aware of a growing body of research and theory in the area of cross-cultural communication, particularly under the auspices of the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research in the United States. Much of the discourse was confused and contradictory, depending on the discipline and ideological perspective of the writer. Much of it was Euro-centric, if not North America-centric and offered little help to practitioners and those responsible for preparing them in higher education in the Asia-Pacific region. Much of the material encountered viewed 'cross-cultural effectiveness' from a medical model which saw cultural differences as pathological problems to be overcome with doses of inappropriate advice which did little more than reinforce dangerous stereotypes and racist attitudes. With this in mind the researcher set out to use a culturally-appropriate methodology to map the concepts and theories of highly-effective cross-cultural teachers, trainers and managers as a basis for better understanding cross-cultural 'effectiveness' and designing more appropriate teaching and learning strategies to enhance the performance of all cross-cultural workers in adult and community education in Australia and around the world and that definitely includes everyone of us. This study concludes that 'cross-cultural effectiveness' needs to be reconceptualized from a 'perspective transformation' perspective to bring about any lasting transformational learning which views cultural diversity as a 'resource' rather than a 'problem' and can generate appropriate adult teaching and learning processes which can empower all learners and liberate them from highly dysfunctional racist and stereotypical assumptions which greatly diminish their effectiveness in cross-cultural settings.