3. cross cultural

Multiculturality of People

• Individuals in multiple cultures use blending and frame-switching.
• Blending: Integrates cultural backgrounds; characteristics fall between monocultural individuals.
  • Example: East Asians in Canada gradually increased self-esteem over three generations to match European Canadians.
• Frame-switching: Activates distinct cultural selves based on context.
  • Example: African Americans adapting language use in mainstream vs. inner-city contexts.
• Cultural frame-switching is evident in behavior and cognition.
• Exposure to multiple cultures develops distinct information networks.

Cultural Frame-Switching

• Westernised Chinese students primed with American or Chinese cues shifted causal attributions.
  • Chinese primes led to external attributions; American primes led to internal attributions.
• High bicultural identity integration facilitates easier frame-switching.
• Language activates cultural networks, influencing thought processes.
• Monocultural individuals can adopt different cultural frames based on context (situated cognition).
  • Example: American participants primed with interdependent perspectives shifted towards prevention orientation, aligning with Chinese cultural tendencies.
• Culture is embedded within specific networks, allowing individuals to draw upon diverse cultural elements depending on context.

Third Culture Kids (TCKs)

• TCKs are raised in diverse cultural environments and often struggle with cultural homelessness.
  • First culture: parents' culture.
  • Second culture: host country culture.
  • Third culture: expatriate culture.
• TCKs develop a global identity but face challenges fitting in.

Multiculturalism and Creativity

• Adapting to different cultures enhances creativity by fostering new perspectives.
• Bilingual children perform better in understanding others’ perspectives.
• Living in multiple cultures enhances creative problem-solving skills.
• Adaptation, rather than travel, builds creativity.
• Creativity gains are strongest in culturally remote environments or with cohesive cultural selves.
• Multicultural teams outperform individuals in creativity tests.
• Multicultural exposure enhances integrative complexity.
• Bidirectional relationship between multicultural experience and creativity.
• Multicultural backgrounds predict creative innovation in fields like fashion design.

Multiculturalism Drawbacks and Culture Shock

• Downside: Moral relativism due to exposure to diverse moral systems.
  • Individuals exposed to multiple cultures may exhibit higher moral relativism and be more prone to cheating.
• International students face culture shock due to unfamiliar systems, leading to disorientation and stress.
• Culture shock can also be referred to as student sojourners.

Theories of Intercultural Contact

• Culture Learning Theory: Intercultural contact as a skill acquisition process, where 'shock' stimulates learning.
• Stress, Coping, and Adjustment: Focuses on stressful life changes, resilience, and coping strategies.
• Social Identification Theories: Highlights cognitive aspects of adaptation; perception of in-groups and out-groups.
• Acculturation Theory: Focuses on adaptation to a new culture.
  • Uni-dimensional Model: Assimilation.
  • Bi-dimensional Model: Balanced bicultural identity.
  • Categorical Model (Berry's Model): Integration, separation, assimilation, marginalisation.

ABC Model of Cultural Adaptation

• Comprehensive, process-oriented, emphasizes active engagement, and takes a systemic approach.

Acculturation and Adaptation

• Acculturation involves psychological stress, coping, and sociocultural adaptation (culture learning).

International Students and Friendship Networks

• Monocultural: Connections with compatriots.
• Bicultural: Interactions with host nationals.
• Multicultural: Friendships with other foreign students.
• Interaction with host nationals provides benefits but is limited by cultural distance.

Adaptation Types and Contact Theory

• Affective outcomes are impacted by social support.
• Cognitive adaption includes intergroup relations and perceptions.
• Contact theory proposes increased interactions as improving intergroup relations.
• Culture synergy encourages mutual understanding and adaptation from teachers and students.

International Classrooms

• International classrooms can improve out-group attitudes, cross-cultural knowledge, and communication skills, but students may face misunderstandings and exclusion.
• Multicultural approach values cultural differences, while a colorblind approach ignores differences and exacerbate misunderstandings.
• Studies show multicultural classrooms foster positive interactions, inclusion, and psychological safety.

Multicultural Personality Development

• MPQ (Multicultural Personality Questionnaire) measures intercultural competence.
  • Cultural Empathy (CE).
  • Emotional Stability (ES).
  • Flexibility (FX).
  • Openmindedness (OP).
  • Social Initiative (SI).
• Intercultural competence develops in international classrooms, particularly for those with lower initial scores.
• Emotional stability and cultural empathy reduce stress; cultural empathy and social initiative predict academic success.
• Benefits of international classrooms are not shared equally; individual support may be necessary.