PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Copyright © 2006-2007 The Beyond Intractability Project Beyond Intractability is a Registered Trademark of the University of Colorado

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 2: Culture shapes our… Perceptions Judgments Ideas of oneself and others Each of us belongs to multiple cultures Though powerful, culture often operates unconsciously

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 3: Cultural Messages… are what everyone in a group knows that outsiders don’t Consist of: Starting points: assumptions, where we start our assessments of a situation Currencies: those things we care about that influence and shape our interactions with others

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 4: Complications Culture is multi-layered: What you see on the surface may mask differences below the surface. Thus, cultural generalizations are not the whole story. Culture is in constant flux: As conditions change, cultural groups adapt. Thus, no comprehensive description of a culture can ever be formulated. Culture is elastic: Knowing the cultural norms of a group doesn’t predict behavior of individuals within the group. Thus, taxonomies are of limited use.

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 5: More Complications Culture is largely below the surface: It is not easy to access because it is largely outside our awareness. Thus, it is important to use multiple symbolic tools to communicate effectively. Identities and influences vary in importance, depending on context: Misunderstood identities often become more important than others. Thus, interactive experiences should be pursued to limit misunderstandings.

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 6: Cultural Fluency… means familiarity with cultures and their dimensions

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 7: Communication “Starting Points” High-context communication --most of a message is conveyed by the context surrounding it, not in explicit words Low-Context communication -- emphasizes directness rather than relying on context

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 8: Conflict “Starting Points” Ways of naming, framing and taming conflict Naming -- refers to identifying what is and isn’t a conflict Framing -- refers to interpretation of a conflict Taming -- refers to norms on how to resolve a conflict

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 9: Ways of interpreting situations… or making starting points For example: Universalist cultures rely on rules and laws Particularist cultures consider exceptions and context

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 10: Specific cultures examine specific situations, details, and outcomes Diffuse cultures look at patterns, large-scale processes, and the “big picture”

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 11: Inner-directed cultures see virtue in individual achievements, whereas Outer-directed cultures see virtue in relationships and process

PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 12: Time can be see as synchronous (cyclical) or Sequential (linear)

Individualists Collectivists PowerPoint Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 13: Individualists Collectivists See themselves as separate individuals Group allegiance is most important They prefer: Competition Self-reliance Independence Individual achievement Personal growth and fulfillment Cooperation Filial piety Participation in shared progress Reputation of the group