Globalisation has led to an unprecedented increase in migration during the last twenty years and brought many challenges to different host nations of the world. In the UK the record shows that 14% of the population were born outside the UK in 2021 (The Migration Observatory, 2022). Recently and in the past, the British government has been desperately trying to stem the flow of migration which raises questions on how states respond to immigration, multiculturalism, strategies for building a harmonious, tolerant society and ensuring that public services such as health and education have practitioners with ideal cultural competencies to cope. It is against this backdrop that interculturalism and cultural competency will be considered.
Suella Braverman, the current Home Secretary recently declared “Multiculturalism has failed”. So did the former Prime Minister David Cameron in 2012, implying a rather negative view arising from the challenges experienced by different ethnicities living side by side in the UK. It might be true that multiculturalism may have failed as a policy because it is claimed to “have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives.” (Cantle, 2012).
So, what is Interculturalism and why is it important?
Many tend to equate interculturalism with multiculturalism. Cantle (2012) exclaimed that “Interculturalism is more about a culture of openness than multiculturalism… it challenges identity politics and entrenchment of separate communities based on the notion of otherness… focuses away from a centred or fixed point to a much more dynamic and multidirectional process one that results from interpersonal content.” Interculturalism within communities manifests in deep understanding, where no one is left unchanged because everyone learns from one another and grows together (Springfield Institute, 2023). Unlike multiculturalism, it is not just about community cohesion, equality and diversity, assimilation, and one-way integration. Interculturalism sees diversity as an advantage, perceived through an intercultural lens, rather than “reacting against the negative outcomes of diversity but concentrating on an innovative outcome from interactions… something can be generated which can drive individual and social development (Zapata Barrero, 2016). Such understanding has vital implications across society especially in education and health provision.
The key components of interculturalism?
There are several insights and models found in the relevant literature. Coulby (2006) noted that: “Intercultural competence is a theme, probably the major theme which needs to inform teaching and learning of all subjects. It is as important in the university as it is in kindergarten…If education is not intercultural it is probably not education.”
Any form of education that does not prepare learners for the multicultural world is likely to incapacitate them and may not add value to employability and proficiency in the workplace.
One of the models critical in the literature is Bennett’s Development Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) of 6 stages in 2 areas, as shown below.
1 Ethnocentrism. These are denial, defence, and minimalisation. 2 Ethno-relativism–acceptance, adaptation and integration. On the other hand, Deardorff’s (2010) model proposes three main aspects, namely, Knowledge – which entails cultural self-awareness, and culture-specific knowledge grasping local issues. Skills – which include listening, observing, evaluating, perseverance- viewing the world from others’ perspectives. Attitude – ensuring respect, openness, curiosity, discovery etc., in any interaction of diverse worldviews. More recently Maine, F, et al (2019) suggested a more fluid model with their Dialogue Argumentation for Cultural Literacy Learning in Schools (DIALLS), advancing a view that factual knowledge and heritage should not be used as a key element for interaction to take place since there is a real danger of stereotyping and not seeing others as individuals. Individual and collective identities should be approached as plural, multi-layered, processual, and transforming. The emphasis on cultural literacy therefore is not about learning about different cultures but learning from dialogic interactions with those who are different.
In the Health sector, it is noted that there are huge communication challenges and limited intercultural understanding. Much of the literature therefore reflects the need for intercultural competence as outlined by Deardorff and Bennett above. Papadopoulos’ model (2008) refers to examining one’s own culture, acquiring information about other cultures, and cultural sensitivity. This model strongly aligns with those discussed above and presents a clear framework for engendering interculturally sensitive institutions, especially in health and education provision. Interculturalism invites us to validate cultures, build alliances and gain knowledge through open-minded interactions (Henderson et al, 2015).
In a small cocreation study, we embarked on at one of the universities in the UK, students’ reflective accounts highlighted varied intercultural challenges they meet daily, in areas such as communication, attitudes towards conflict, approaches to working and studying, anxiety, assumption of similarities and differences, power dynamics and highly suggested the need for HE students training in cultural competencies to help them appreciate other cultures, navigate sensitivities and enhance understanding, in preparation for the workplace. The same was also suggested for university staff.
If future generations are to experience living in a peaceful world, a fair appreciation of interculturalism and the development of cultural competencies especially for practitioners, is essential, particularly in education and may need to be embedded in all aspects of the curriculum. Armed with cultural competencies, educators could be intentional, and interactive, having the ability to provide a healthy culture of readiness to face tensions and conflicts, in search for a deeper understanding of the other within the multicultural. As these challenges are worked through, a new dynamic can be released seeing diversity as an advantage, spawning fresh creativity and innovation.
- Paul Lancaster (Interact- Intercultural Learning and Action, Leeds)
This blog is based on a research seminar I gave for GLOCCRIN on 26th October 2023, largely based on my RKE work with Leeds Trinity University.