Psychologists define culture as a multifaceted concept that influences our identity. It is made of many elements, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, etc. Culture acts as the frame and the lens through which we see ourselves and the world. It not only tells us what to look at, but how to see it. Culture affects how we place our values and priorities; how we define what it means to live a good life, and how we decide whether or not we fit within that definition.
Because many international high school students go to college in an entirely different country than where they grew up, learning to navigate new and different cultures while preserving the parts of their own that they value, is necessary for a student’s overall well-being. The college experience is immersive; students become encompassed in their new life – the new place, different people, and in some cases new language. Culture trickles down into very small details of everyday life; for example whether one shakes hands, waves, or kisses on the cheek when meeting new people. It shows up in the appropriate distance to keep between people when conversing. It even shows up in what topics of conversation are acceptable in different types of relationships. Most of what we do is culturally influenced.
With things as universal and small as greeting one another, it can be easy for a new student in a new place to feel isolated, that they do not belong, or that they are not good enough. However, this is mostly due to a difference in cultural expectations, not in any personal inadequacy.
Culture shock is a real thing and it plays a big role in limiting a student’s ability to gain the most out of their college experience. In extreme cases, not being able to integrate or understand the culture they are living in can lead students to change their course of study. It impacts how they perform academically, socially, and their overall well-being.
Cultural Agility refers to an individual’s ability to understand, adapt, and act in accordance with differing cultural habits and expectations. It is expanding the capacity to learn new ways of interacting without losing one’s identity in the experience. Cultural Agility is crucial in successfully integrating in different cultures. If you are interested in gauging your level of Cultural Agility visit Cultural Agility for a free assessment and report on different ways of improving your score.
There are 6 things we can focus on to improve our Cultural Agility, they are called the 6 Competencies:
1. Tolerance of ambiguity
2. Resilience
3. Curiosity – Personal awareness
4. Cultural Perspective Taking
5. Relationship Building
6. Cultural Humility
To personalize the process of becoming more culturally literate , we can use our knowledge of Character Strengths. Character Strengths are based on 6 Virtues. By understanding the 6 Competencies we can match each one with a Virtue, and then see which strength to highlight in order to improve our cultural agility.
The 6 Character Strengths Virtues are:
1. Wisdom
2. Courage
3. Humanity
4. Justice
5. Temperance
6. Transcendence
For example, let’s say after taking the Cultural Agility Assessment, you find out that Tolerance of Ambiguity is something you need to work on. Tolerance of Ambiguity is your ability to be comfortable in new situations or with new people; in circumstances in which you don’t really know what to do or how to act and have a lower sense of control. In this situation, you can look at the strengths associated with the virtue of Wisdom: curiosity, creativity, love of learning, judgement, and perspective.
You may decide to tap into your strength of curiosity and try a new cuisine, or take a class outside of university. Maybe creativity is one of your signature strengths so you decide to partake in a local art festival or gallery.
Perhaps you decide to focus on the virtue of Transcendence and work on using humor to get through uncomfortable situations. You learn to laugh at yourself rather than becoming anxious about the things you don’t know.
There are various ways we can align the virtues with every competency and come up with a personal blend that is unique to ourselves and our situations. Using our strengths helps us become flexible, understanding, and true to ourselves wherever we may be.
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