How Cultural Influences Shape Grassroots Businesses Artisan Advocacy How Cultural Influences Shape Grassroots Businesses By Pierce Pelletier

Colvin English Co-founder of Melange and By Hand Consulting Both helped train artisans from poverty stricken areas in order to develop their skills to be more competitive in a global market Previous marketing consultant to Aid to Artisans, a company with the same goals as Melange and BHC Received exposure to intercultural communication and cooperation through his father, who was a teacher at an international school for marines

Major focus on developing nations, as well as nations with a large “third world culture” that includes many poverty-stricken areas, human rights violations, and small economic presences Colvin worked specifically in educating clients in Jordan, Afghanistan, and Latin America Communication blocks when it came to cultural traditions of Muslim women (difficulty reading facial expressions due to traditional hijab)

Cultural Shifts and Impacts Colvin, working in these countries, identified many social and economic issues that in some cases were exacerbated by cultural norms Women’s participation in the workforce When a large portion of the population is not receiving representation in the workforce, not only is the economy heavily impacted, but also social issues such as women’s education and health Beliefs regarding pregnancy (contraception, abortion, etc.) Issue of the “youth bubble” in which many young people are receiving education from foreign aid programs, but the nation’s economy does not have the infrastructure and ability to provide jobs that they are not over- qualified for As people become more educated, they have less children thus empirically decreasing the need for jobs that require higher education, jobs that these nations often have problems providing for their entire population

Cultural Shifts and Impacts (cont.) In working with a large multicultural group of individuals, the beliefs, values, and norms of each culture have to be taken into consideration Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs comes into play when recognizing that some trainees may not have access to basic needs such as food or water Once provided, these individuals can focus on creating a sustainable environments for themselves and their families and communities Example: Subsistence famers specializing in other careers once agricultural processes improved

Conclusion Communication, specifically in a cross-cultural paradigm, was integral in Colvin English’s work Experiences, and the triumphs and mistakes gained through them, are more important than theory and purely academic knowledge Education is the key to breaking down barriers of racism, classism, sexism and other ideas created through ignorance