Intercultural learning

Being member of the SIETAR –Society for Intercultural education training and research- I attended a conference of Margalit Cohen-Emerique on dangers for identity and self-shock

Margalit develops the intercultural encounter problem not from an cross-cultural point of view but from the general perspective of encounter with the Other.
In her theory the more the other’s behavior surprises, offends or challenges us the more we feel that our own identity is in danger ( unity, continuity, coherence and value) and we tend to have a defence reaction . With this reaction we even become in response a danger to the identity of the Other.
Margalit has observed social workers who work with people from different cultural contexts and rather than focusing on explaining why the culturally different group behaved that way she concentrated on the effect the behavior had in the social worker and what resources he/she could mobilize to face the situation. In that sense her model corresponds to the psychological need of the social worker as being taken serious in his reaction and emotion and it studies what is there and available ( the emotional reaction of the social worker). At the same time it is adaptable to more situations than just the cross- cultural ones and doesn’t need previous knowledge or predictability of possible situations.

Sounds complicated, but actually during the whole Saturday Margalit made her fascinating theory very clear and understandable. I wasn’t bored for a second and my mind raced ahead in making all kinds of associations with my current work. At the same time I realized that although I have a good instinct my theoretical basis on the subject is too thin and I'd be well advised to do some groundwork.
As a plus I got to know a lot of interesting people- I think I’ll have to sign up for more conferences of SIETAR.

Thoughts about the brain

Neuroscience has discovered that what makes our personality and behavior is dependant on an inner chemical laboratory:
serotonin for harm avoidance, dopamine as regulator for novelty seeking, norepinephrine controlling our reward dependance, oxytocin as social contact regulator, endorphin managing pleasure...
That makes human thought dependant on stimuli ( electrical) or chemistry. In other words we are much less free than we think. If I can make you feel sad enough to almost commit suicide by stimulating a specific part of your brain, where does your own self come in? Or to spin the thought further- if all of our thoughts are electricity and chemicals what are we without our body?
On the other hand if the chemicals control the way we feel and think, there is also a way to control the chemicals. You can calm down in taking a deep breath ( and lower your adrenaline high) - what brought you to the decision to calm down?- there was a choice: you could have become more excited! Was there more or less serotonin involved in making a choice? Or to spin this thought further: is there first an impulse thought - or is there first a chemical? ( the old hen and egg question)
On more complex levels- thought can make you sick - or it can cure you or help in the cure- which means that the mental chemistry and the chemistry of the rest of the body are closely linked. Who has the final power over whom?
All the neuroscientifical research explains about conscious behavior and its deviation reasons- what about our subconscious? Since we don't really know what is in there how can we know by what it is controlled?
And where does patterning come in? Our bodies and minds are constructed not on detailed static chains for actions but on patterns that can be adapted to contents of situations. Patterns are repeated from the simple to the complex. ( ex. the learning mechanism of a child uses the pattern of 'copying' of cell- growth) Are the chemicals the 'patterns' of our brain?
What is the role of hazard in this chemical laboratory? Is hazard our freedom of choice chemically speaking? ( a molecule was walking by by accident and fitted into the receptor?)

the paradox of success

If you want to be a performer today you must:

in the world of reality

- be flexible - but act right

- change strategy- but be successful

in your mind:

- question your beliefs- but keep your roots

- think holistic- but know who you are


but most of all-

be as sensitive to stress and emotion as a log.