Cross Cultural Communication
Question: Many "culture-specific" training programs use an inventory of cultural characteristics of minority groups to help trainees understand and interact appropriately. Does this technique run the risk of perpetuating stereotypes and offending ethnic groups?
Answer: Yes, culture-specific training using cultural characteristics of minority groups will continue stereotyping and offend ethnic groups.
Training programs that use certain cultural characteristics of minority groups will continue stereotyping and offending ethnic groups. I will use people of Latino origin as an example. There are many stereotypes regarding Latinos and immigration. It is commonly believed that most of them are undocumented immigrants from Mexico who only speak Spanish (Nittle). These oversimplifications of Latinos are unfair to the immigrants who worked for an American citizenship and speak fluent English. If our training uses these cultural characteristics, we will offend these people by stereotyping them. In Strategies for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Prejudice: Essential Principles for Program Design, Willis Hawley provides thirteen principles to improve intergroup relations and reduce discrimination. Hawley says that both prejudice and discrimination are socially influenced. Using general cultural characteristics in a training program is a risk because the program may influence discrimination. Hawley suggests that we train people by confronting stereotypes and misconceptions and educate them with the truth about different ethnic groups (Hawley).
References:
1. Hawley W. Strategies for reducing racial and ethnic prejudice: Essential principles for program design. Teaching Tolerance. 2017:4/26/2017.
2. Nittle NK. Myths and stereotypes about hispanics and immigration
undocumented immigrants aren't all mexican and other facts you should know. Co. 2016(Race and Racism).
Answer: Yes, culture-specific training using cultural characteristics of minority groups will continue stereotyping and offend ethnic groups.
Training programs that use certain cultural characteristics of minority groups will continue stereotyping and offending ethnic groups. I will use people of Latino origin as an example. There are many stereotypes regarding Latinos and immigration. It is commonly believed that most of them are undocumented immigrants from Mexico who only speak Spanish (Nittle). These oversimplifications of Latinos are unfair to the immigrants who worked for an American citizenship and speak fluent English. If our training uses these cultural characteristics, we will offend these people by stereotyping them. In Strategies for Reducing Racial and Ethnic Prejudice: Essential Principles for Program Design, Willis Hawley provides thirteen principles to improve intergroup relations and reduce discrimination. Hawley says that both prejudice and discrimination are socially influenced. Using general cultural characteristics in a training program is a risk because the program may influence discrimination. Hawley suggests that we train people by confronting stereotypes and misconceptions and educate them with the truth about different ethnic groups (Hawley).
References:
1. Hawley W. Strategies for reducing racial and ethnic prejudice: Essential principles for program design. Teaching Tolerance. 2017:4/26/2017.
2. Nittle NK. Myths and stereotypes about hispanics and immigration
undocumented immigrants aren't all mexican and other facts you should know. Co. 2016(Race and Racism).
Comments
Post a Comment