When we think of culture, most of us think of the behaviours in culture which we witness. We think of things like food, dress and dance – and they are definitely an important part of culture, but anthropologists (people who study culture) and sociologists (people who study societies) have different ways of understanding culture. We want to spend some time with you today, giving you some tools for understanding Cambodia and for exploring the culture in a deeper way.
When we learn from others in a different culture, not only do we gain knowledge but we also gain a particular skill which is called intercultural intelligence, or CQ. Research over the last 30 years in this area has concluded that CQ is important to foster positive relationships between people. Also called intercultural capabilities or competencies, CQ has been recognised globally as a 21st century competency for students, but they are now embedded throughout many national curriculum frameworks. Through this course students learn what makes the fabric of culture, providing the foundation for students to develop intercultural capabilities through reflective practices while in Cambodia.
- Students will understand Edward Hall’s iceberg model of culture.
- Students will understand that simplistic definitions of culture leads to stereotyping and generalisations.
- Students will learn about Cambodian cultural norms.