Wisconsin Conference Cultural Competency Forum

slide1. Wisconsin Conference Cultural Competency Forum

Annual Conference 2022
Monday Training Day
Foundational Concepts<br>
slide2. PresenterLamarr V Gibson PhD, DMin Lamarr is an ordained clergy member of the Wisconsin Annual Conference. Lamarr has served in cross-cultural settings in the Michigan Area and Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Lamarr holds a PhD in International Psychology and a DMin with concentration on communication and conflict. His focus has been on conflict resolution and reconciliation in church settings.
Contact Information: text or phone: (608) 509-6832 lvgibson48@gmail.com<br>
slide3. Purpose of Our Training To provide basic concepts and practices to assist congregations and conference leaders in becoming more culturally competent and in preparing for cross-cultural appointments.<br>
slide4. Training Day Schedule 9:00 – 9:30 Introductions
What questions would you like to have answered?
9:30 – 10:50 Foundational Concepts (Lamarr V Gibson)
Break (15 minutes)
11:05 – 12:00 Cultural Competency (Grace Cajiuat)
12:00 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 1:50 Cultural Competency (Grace Cajiuat)
2:00 – 3:00 Applications to church or local context (Lamarr V Gibson)<br>
slide5. Foundations: Topic Outline Purpose: To explore basic concepts related to cross-cultural relations and cross-cultural proficiency.

Primary Topics
Prejudice and Bias
Small Groups and how they contribute to prejudice and bias
When Social Groups Interact: Adaptation Outcomes
Intercultural Conflict and Reconciliation Using Cultural Competency Methods.<br>
slide7. Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity Denial
(Denial of Difference: the inability to construe cultural difference: isolation, separation)
Defense
(Defense against difference: recognition of cultural difference with negative evaluation: denigration, superiority)
Minimization
(Minimization of difference: recognition and acceptance of superficial cultural differences while holding that all human beings are essentially the same: physical universalism, transcendent universalism)
Acceptance
(Acceptance of Difference: recognition and appreciation of cultural differences)
Adaptation
(Adaptation to difference: development of communication skills that enable intercultural communication: empathy, pluralism
Integration
(Integration of Difference: internalization of bicultural or multicultural frames of reference: maintaining a definition of identity that is marginal to any particular culture; contextual evaluation.
Ethnocentric Stages Ethnorelative Stages
(seeing your culture as central) (seeing behavior in a cultural context)<br>
slide9. Small Group Discussion(5 minutes) How culturally sensitive and proficient is your church?<br>
slide11. The categories you chose for your church or local setting indicates the quality of intercultural (between cultures) relations that characterize your church or local setting.

The quality of intercultural relationships in your church or local setting are greatly affected by the presence of social prejudice and bias, whose outcomes often result in damaging conflict. Intercultural Relations<br>
slide12. Social Prejudice and Bias Most social psychologists agree that although most people value justice, fairness, and cooperation, human beings are “wired” for prejudice and bias (you might call it preference).

But the tendency toward prejudice and bias tends to exert a stronger influence and acts as a “default” response for most persons in their interactions with others.<br>
slide13. Are Prejudice and Bias Rational? Prejudice and bias are not irrational. In most societies, social bias and prejudice are historic phenomena which often can enhance the power of the dominant social group. In this sense, prejudice and bias can be seen as “rational.”

Most modern societies regard social prejudice as morally reprehensible but research has found that social prejudice and bias particularly between groups of similar persons (social groups) is the rule rather than the exception.<br>
slide14. Covert Expressions of Prejudice and Bias There is thus, a tension between the human desire to express values of justice, fairness and cooperation and the human tendency towards social bias and prejudice.

The quest to “drown out” or regulate social prejudice and bias by an emphasis on justice and cooperation has caused prejudice and bias to be expressed in more covert forms, often referred to as modern prejudice, often referred to as:
a. Symbolic prejudice
b. Subtle racism
c. Aversive racism<br>
slide15. Modern prejudice does not involve overt expressions of prejudice, and is thought to be some combination of well-intentioned ideological values or adherence to social norms such as the desire not to appear prejudiced.

Thus persons experiencing these forms of prejudice and bias are unsure if they have been the recipient of prejudice or bias in a given situation.<br>
slide16. For example, in the case of race (White vs Black): Whites are generally egalitarian, believing everyone should be treated equally and holding anti-Black feelings is normally aversive or offensive to them. When such feelings emerge, to avoid threats to their self-concept, whites push their anti-Black feelings into the subconscious and show prejudice and bias only when such behaviors can be rationalized on some basis other than race.<br>
slide17. Is it Possible Not to be Prejudiced or Biased?<br>
slide18. Social prejudice and bias can of course, result from personal encounters, where preference for or against appearance, attitude, behavior, and other personal characteristics can emerge.

However, social prejudice and bias towards persons is governed to a large extent by the social group an individual most highly identifies with.

Just being in the presence of other social groups who are “different” can lead to prejudice and bias due to competition (conflict) between the social groups over resources considered scarce.<br>
slide19. Even when resources are plentiful, competition (conflict) between groups can occur due to each group’s desire for relative power and status and the opportunity to dominate the other social group.

However, to a significant degree, social prejudice and bias arise from social group needs for assimilation (to belong) and differentiation (to be unique).<br>
slide20. Many persons are able to successfully regulate social prejudice and bias. Persons who possess the capacity to be nonprejudiced have some distinct characteristics:
A tolerant personality characterized by the lack of a quick, or persistent categorization of people into discrete categories.
Universal orientation – the belief that integration rather than differentiation of the self and others is most important. This involves the choice to place emphasis on similarities between oneself and others and to magnify those similarities (i.e., valuing similarities over differences).
Not “color-blind” but acknowledge race in relevant situations.
An enduring refusal to attach negativity to difference.<br>
slide21. Small Group Session(5 minutes) Consider your church or local context. To what extent do you see prejudice or tolerance expressed towards persons of different ethnicity, orientation, or ability?
Please note in the table: Normative, often, at times, rarely<br>
slide22. Social Groups A major instigator of social prejudice and bias is the relations social groups have with each other.
A social group is two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity.

For example:
American society is a large social group.
Your church is a social group composed of smaller social groups.
Your family is a social group.<br>
slide23. Social groups can also be defined by:
Ethnicity
Orientation
Ability

And numerous other characteristics such as:
Vocation
Education
Skill
Experience<br>
slide24. Social groups form as a result of social categorization, the natural tendency of human beings to place everything into categories.

Social groups assist the formation of each person’s identity and exert a great influence on each person’s behavior.<br>
slide25. In the identity formation process social groups provide their members a shared sense of self that:
prescribes and evaluates their identity, their beliefs, their behavior.
defines their place in society.
informs them of how they are distinct from other social groups.<br>
slide26. During the process of identity formation social categorization normally causes each person’s perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to be assimilated into group prototypes (beliefs about the characteristics of a group or a typical group member).

The most significant group prototypes (beliefs) explain how a particular situation is categorized and given meaning and thus define the nature of normative behavior and conformity a given context or setting including:<br>
slide27. How individuals belonging the social group think
What the intelligence levels of the social group’s members are
The kinds of personality, moods and emotions that characterize members of the social group
The kinds of social norms that govern lifestyles and preferences of the social group
How the social group chooses to have its members behave towards each another or other social groups.
What is the proper and appropriate status of persons belonging to any particular social group.<br>
slide28. Can you name one or two prototypes related to a social group you highly identify with?<br>
slide29. Relations Between Social Groups Factors that govern behavior within social groups and between social groups include:
the need to belong (or to be affiliated)
the need to be distinctive in a positive way
perceptions of threat or relative deprivation
collective emotions<br>
slide30. In-Group Favoritism Social categorization usually causes persons to favor the social group or groups with which they identify.

As a result, most people tend to express a higher degree of favoritism (or preference) towards persons belonging to the social groups they identify with and a lower degree of favoritism (preference) towards persons belonging to social groups.

This is termed in-group favoritism.<br>
slide31. In-group favoritism occurs because social groups members have a need to belong (affiliated), leading persons to express favoritism towards their own members and to consider other social groups as of less worth (derogation).

Social group members also have a need to be distinctive or unique. The need for distinctiveness encourages differentiation between social groups but when social group differences are exaggerated differentiation can lead to prejudice and the creation of stereotypes about other social groups.<br>
slide32. When the social group differences are exaggerated, the result may lead to:

Polarization between social groups.

“Centric” behaviors or derogating attitudes towards other groups and their members.

The emergence of negative stereotypes about other groups (highly simplified beliefs about the characteristics of persons)

Acts of discrimination, marginalization and exclusion.<br>
slide33. A stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people.
Stereotypes serve to simplify complex realities. Stereotypes simplify perceptions of different social group members in a generally negative and prejudicial manner (but may at times be positive).
Stereotypes provide expectations about every person of a particular group.
Stereotypes infer that an individual has the whole range of characteristics and abilities all members of that individual’s social group are assumed to have.<br>
slide34. Can you identify some common stereotypes persons hold about:
Caucasians
African Americans
Asians
Hispanics
LGBTQ+
Differently Abled<br>
slide35. “Centric Behaviors” When extreme, stereotypes may result in derogating attitudes towards other groups and their members or “centric” behaviors such as:

Ethnocentric – high bias towards one’s own ethnic group
Heterocentric – high bias towards heterosexual orientation
Ability-centric – high bias towards disability-free physical state

“Centric” attitudes and behavior generally lead to prejudice, stigma, bias, expressed in behaviors such as discrimination, marginalization and exclusion towards or against members of social groups other than one’s own.<br>
slide36. Small Group Discussion(5 minutes) Compare the preferences, attitudes and behaviors of persons in your church or local context in regard to persons of other ethnicities, orientations and abilities. Select two prominent social groups in your church or local context also for this comparison.<br>
slide37. Compare the preferences, attitudes and behaviors of persons in your church or local context in regard to persons of other ethnicities, orientations and abilities. Select two prominent social groups in your church or local context also for this comparison.<br>
slide38. Social Groups have cultures and norms and thus beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to their members.

Through culture, people and groups define themselves, conform to the social group’s shared values, and contribute to the social group.

As a result, social groups also have shared or collective emotions, memories and expectations.<br>
slide39. Social Group Hierarchies Social groups normally form culture-based hierarchies based numerous arbitrary characteristics.

These hierarchies define the status, standing, or role of their members and strengthen, reinforce and sustain in-group favoritism through maintenance of the “status quo.”<br>
slide40. Social hierarchies in social settings like societies or churches generally have two prevailing characteristics:
1. Some social groups are more privileged than others.
2. The privilege of these social groups is based on socially
constructed legitimizing myths rather than actual merit.

Legitimizing myths are untrue beliefs that people accept to explain why one group is more privileged than another and to rationalize the denigration and exploitation of lower status groups.<br>
slide41. Use of Scripture for Legitimizing Myths Gender: the Fall, domination of men over women
Anti-Semitism: The death of Jesus caused by Jews
African Americans: Canaan and the Nakedness of Noah
Orientation: Biblical passages in OT and writings of Paul<br>
slide42. Hierarchies tend to strengthen, reinforce and sustain in-group favoritism through maintenance of the “status quo.”
Prejudice, bias and accompanying behaviors of discrimination, exclusion and marginalization are primary tools used to “defend” and maintain the “status quo.”
However, advocacy initiatives, raising awareness, and changing the narrative of legitimizing myths reduce bias and prejudice and revise what constitutes the “status quo.”

The “status quo” may also be revised when all persons belong to the same highly significant social group.<br>
slide43. It has been found that prejudice and bias among social groups will diminish if the predominant group every person identifies as belonging to is superordinate or overarching, such as “Americans” or “United Methodists.”

This places all persons in the “status quo” and reduces the incidence of in-group favoritism.

But this is difficult to achieve because the greater human preference is to identify as belonging to smaller, more moderate sized social groups which can satisfy the human need for assimilation and differentiation.<br>
slide44. Small Group Discussion(5 minutes) Can you identify elements of the American social hierarchy and how the American social hierarchy is manifested in your church?

Can you identify your church social hierarchy? What groups are more privileged? What social groups are less privileged?<br>
slide45. Social Hierarchies in Your Church<br>
slide46. The Intersection of Social Group Cultures<br>
slide47. The process of acculturation results in:<br>
slide48. The process of adaptation often is challenging and can lead to high levels of stress and potential psychological difficulties.

Adaptation happens in three ways:
Psychological: affecting a person’s sense of well-being and self-esteem.
Sociocultural: demonstrating the person’s competence in fitting into or conforming to the social setting (conformity).
Intercultural: indicating the extent to which a person is able to establish harmonious intercultural relations.<br>
slide49. Persons normally have attitudes (preferences) and behaviors (actual practices) in respect to how they adapt. These are called acculturation strategies and are based on three orientations: Orientations toward one’s own social group. (Keeping heritage and identity)
Orientations towards other social groups in the larger society. (preference for having contact and participating with other ethnocultural groups).
The power individuals and groups possess to pursue how they acculturate.<br>
slide50. Acculturation (Adaptation) Strategies Assimilation (melting pot): individuals choose not to maintain their cultural identity and seek daily contact and interaction with other cultures.
Separation (segregation): individuals value retaining their original culture and wish to avoid contact interaction with other cultures.
Integration (multiculturalism): individuals desire to maintain their original culture while at the same time interact with other cultural groups.
Marginalization (exclusion): individuals have little possibility of maintaining or have lost interest in maintaining their original culture but have little interest in or are unable to engage in relations with other cultures.<br>
slide51. However, the ability of persons or social groups to adapt to a specific social setting is often determined by the dominant social group in the setting.
Dominant social groups often exercise power against nondominant social groups and defend privilege for dominant social group members as means to maintain the status quo.
The exercise of power can result in acts of oppression towards non- dominant social groups.
Oppression can result in significant psychological, emotional, physical and economic consequences for affected persons.<br>
slide52. Small Group Session(5 minutes) Consider persons in your church or local setting. What is your attitude towards them? Do you welcome them into your setting as equals or do you consider them in other ways?<br>
slide53. How I see myself as a person
(assimilated, separated, marginalized, integrated)

How I see myself in relation to others How other persons see me
(assimilated, separated, marginalized, integrated) (assimilated, separated, marginalized, integrated)

How I see persons not in my social group
(dominant, privileged, inferior, subordinate, intelligent, of lesser intelligence)

How I see myself in relation to others How other persons see me
(Inferior? Superior? Equal? Powerful? Powerless?) (Inferior, superior, equal, powerful, powerless) Double Consciousness (from Bell and Evans, 1981)<br>
slide54. Power and Oppression The exercise of power is important in maintaining the status quo of a social group’s hierarchy. The unequal exercise of power by dominant or privileged social groups in a social setting can be oppressive and cause emotional, psychological or other kinds of adaptation difficulties.<br>
slide55. Power Privilege and Oppression<br>
slide56. Power<br>
slide57. People who can effectively exert control over resources have power Power
is not inherent to an individual but is the quality of a social relationship.
is social and never owned by a single individual in social interactions.
is property of the group to which the individual and others belong.
has value and may be used at times as a medium of exchange such as a currency (power currency). The Nature of Power<br>
slide58. Power Balance and Imbalance<br>
slide59. In most settings and circumstances, some persons or groups possess more power than others, resulting in a power imbalance.
Persons may possess high levels of power due to their control over important information or the means to communicate information.
Persons may possess lower degrees or levels of power due to their lesser status, lower ability to influence, insignificance of their position or role, scarcity of information or diminished voice.

Sharing power and collaboration can rectify power imbalances and is important for constructive conflict resolution or transformation.<br>
slide60. Social Power
Social power is:
The ability to set standards, create norms and values that are deemed legitimate and desirable, without resorting to coercion or payment“
The ability of a person to create conformity, even when the people being influenced may attempt to resist those changes.
The potential to instigate change<br>
slide62. Three Forms of Social Power Cultural Power
Political Power
Social Status<br>
slide63. Cultural Power Cultural power is a form of social power that influences people's lives by controlling the prevailing norms or rules and making individuals adhere to the dominant culture voluntarily or involuntarily.<br>
slide64. Political Power Political power is the ability to control the behavior of people and/or influence the outcome of events.
Political power enables people or groups to control the policies, functions, and culture of society.
Political power is based upon the relationships to the legal structure, party affiliation and extensive bureaucracy.
Political power involves the power to tax and power to distribute resources to the citizens.<br>
slide65. Social Status Social status is a person's standing or importance in relation to other people within a society.
People may occupy multiple statuses in a society.
At birth, people are ascribed social status in alignment to their physical and mental features, gender, and race.
In some cases, societies differentiate status according to physical or mental disability as well as if a child is female or male, or a racial minority.
“Persons with disabilities are one of the last groups whose equal rights have been recognized” around the world.”<br>
slide67. Social Influence Social influence is an outcome of social power.
Social influence:
Can cause actual change in the beliefs, attitudes, behavior, and emotions of persons in the social setting.
Involves intentional and unintentional efforts to change another person's beliefs, attitudes, or behavior.
When social influence is used to maintain status quo in a social hierarchy, oppression in the form of marginalization, exclusion or discrimination may result.<br>
slide68. Marginalization and Social Exclusion Marginalization, also referred to as social exclusion, occurs when certain groups of people get denied access to areas of society.
1. Treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral.
2. Relegation to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group.<br>
slide69. Discrimination Discrimination is:
the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age or sexual orientation.<br>
slide70. Discrimination the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong<br>
slide71. Social exclusion, marginalization and discrimination result from the distributive (inequitable) exercise of power.<br>
slide72. PrivilegeWhen we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody else’s oppression, we’ll find our opportunities to make real change.(IJEOMA OLUO Nigerian-American author of “So You Want to Talk About Race”) Privilege" refers to certain social advantages, benefits, or degrees of prestige and respect that an individual has by virtue of belonging to certain social identity groups or have certain dimensions to their identity
You can have (or lack) privilege because of your race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, religion, wealth, and class, among many other characteristics.<br>
slide73. Privilege and the lack of privilege are how power is distributed in social hierarchies.

Behind every privilege is an imbalance of power. It’s invisible to those who possess it and ever-present for those who don’t.

Having privilege means having an advantage that is out of your control and that you didn’t ask for. You may not even notice it until you educate yourself about its existence.<br>
slide74. It is hard to acknowledge our own privilege because privilege is the other side of oppression. 

Some people don’t like to talk about privilege because they don’t want to be framed as the aggressors or complicit in a system that gives them an advantage at the expense of others.

Privilege is not a concept designed to make people feel guilty or to diminish their achievements.

Understanding you may have certain privileges is an essential first step towards being able to decisively act, in small and large ways, to use your privilege and make the systems we were born into fairer.<br>
slide75. .<br>
slide76. The tools of oppression are often disguised or hidden as privileges. Oppression is comprised of states and processes that include psychological and political components of victimization, agency, and resistance where power relations produce domination, subordination, and resistance.
The oppressed group suffers greatly from multiple forms of exclusion, exploitation, control, and violence.
Psychological effects of oppression can cause the erasure and removal of intrinsic cultural identities and can lead to negative outcomes such as “internalization of negative group identities and low self-esteem.”<br>
slide77. Oppressed persons initially adopt “avoidance reactions” which are responses that prevent adverse outcomes from occurring. This happens before a person truly internalizes the ideologies of the oppressor, which ultimately results in engaging in self-destructive behaviors before reaching the point of internalized oppression and assimilation.<br>
slide78. Oppression can be experienced in three distinct, but interrelated ways:

a. Internalized (or intrapersonal):
prejudiced attitudes or beliefs, frequently based on notions of
supposedly innate superiority/inferiority, which may be subscribed to
either by members of dominant social groups or by subordinate ones;

b. Interpersonal:
discriminatory interactions between people, with varying
degrees of frequency and intensity, including manifestations
from racially motivated assault to verbal abuse, ostracism, and
exclusion

c. Systemic or structural:
bias in societal institutions, laws, policies, and social practices. This level
of oppression sets the context and increases or decreases the likelihood
internalized or interpersonal oppression will appear.<br>
slide79. Psychological Effects of Oppression Chronic oppression can have serious consequences on a person’s mental health.

Racial minorities, impoverished people, and women are more likely to experience mental health challenges than members of powerful groups such as white heterosexual men.<br>
slide80. Oppression lowers self-esteem, reduces life opportunities, and can put people in danger of rape, abuse, and other forms of violence.
Members of an oppressed group that experience oppression for sustained periods of time may also begin experiencing internalized oppression. Internalized oppression occurs a member of an oppressed group begins accepting the views of the oppressors as reality.
Persons experiencing internalized oppression may allow their oppressors to shape their worldview, begin to hold an oppressive view toward other members of their same group, or a combination thereof.<br>
slide83. Small Group Session(10 minutes) Please examine the Matrix of oppression and discuss how you have seen or experienced the unequal exercise of power and instances of oppression occurring in your church or local setting.
Please identify which social groups in your church exercise high degrees of power and how that power is exercised in your setting in respect to other social groups.
Which social groups exercise unequal power, which social groups experience oppression.<br>
slide85. Social Group Power and Privilege<br>
slide87. Intersectionality "Our experiences of the social world are shaped by our ethnicity, race, social class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and numerous other facets of social stratification.
Some social locations afford privilege (e.g., being white) while others are oppressive (e.g., being poor). These various aspects of social inequality do not operate independently of each other; they interact to create interrelated systems of oppression and domination. 
The concept of intersectionality refers to how these various aspects of social location “intersect” to mutually constitute individuals’ lived experiences. The term itself was introduced by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989, although intersectional understandings of the social world precede her work.<br>
slide89. Intercultural Conflict The manifestation of prejudice and bias among social groups, with accompanying unequal exercises of power resulting in oppressive behaviors such as discrimination, marginalization and exclusion are outcomes of intercultural conflict.

Cultural differences can create social conflict and damage to relationships when persons of different cultural backgrounds meet and interact with each other.<br>
slide91. Conflict is the interaction of interdependent people who perceive incompatible goals, and interference from each other in achieving those goals (Wilmot and Hocker, 1981).

a. Persons are interdependent (dependent on each other) because they interact with each other.
b. Persons perceive they have incompatible goals (i.e., domination, power, status, entitlement, normative-ness, economic privilege) and expect interference (competition) from each other in achieving those goals.<br>
slide92. According to this definition, intercultural conflict can emerge when persons who are members of different social groups interact with each other causing them to become interdependent.
When these interacting persons perceive (or believe) their goals are incompatible, resources available for goal attainment are scarce, and persons they are interacting with are interfering with or intending to interfere with their goal attainment, social/intercultural conflict between the persons ensues.<br>
slide93. Social group goals may be maintenance of social status or retention of/increase in power, both of which can be considered scarce and competed for, bringing about perceptions of interference.<br>
slide94. Perception is a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression. Simply put, perceptions are judgments or interpretations about something of which a person has become aware.
Perceptions are shaped by:
values
beliefs
wants/needs
fears
emotions
past experiences
educational level
and influenced by social categorization, which enables persons to make rapid judgments<br>
slide95. Major influences on social perception are:

a. The characteristics of the person being perceived
b. The characteristics of the particular situation,
c. The characteristics of the perceiver.
Trust, confidence, personal relationship and close association with the person also influence social perception.
A stranger is perceived in a different way than an already known person<br>
slide96. In relations between social groups, perceptions can be highly influenced by prejudice and bias that arises from social group norms and distinctiveness needs.
In social group interactions, prejudice and bias can affect perceptions in ways that make it difficult to change interpretations or judgments about events and constructively resolve or transform the conflict.
Thus, the beginning point for changing the perceptions of persons who are interacting interculturally is to reduce or eliminate prejudices and biases that influence their perceptions.<br>
slide97. To diminish or remove the presence and influence of detrimental prejudice and bias:
equity between persons in all social groups must be established
trust must be built between members of all social groups in the context
members of all social groups in the context must revise the ways in which they identify with their own social group(s) and the social groups to which they do not belong so they no longer harbor negative evaluations or opinions of themselves and/or persons in other social groups.<br>
slide98. When the presence and influence of detrimental prejudice and bias is diminished or removed, a significant negative influence on perceptions is diminished or removed and persons can become aware of possibilities for compatibility of goals, the sharing of scarce resources and the removal of interference, if any.

Reconciliation processes promote healing and restoration of formerly broken relationships in the intercultural context effective diminish or remove detrimental prejudice and bias while instigating positive change in perceptions.<br>
slide99. So, what is Social Reconciliation and How does it Happen?<br>
slide100. Three Dimensions of Change Required for Social Reconciliation Sociocultural Change
Relational Change
Identity-Related Change<br>
slide101. Relations Between the Three Dimensions Removal of identity-related threats to victims and perpetrators Building trust and positive perceptions towards other groups Structural (political, legal, economic) changes towards greater equality between advantaged and disadvantaged groups<br>
slide102. Dimension One: The Structural Dimension Sociocultural Change This dimension reflects the perspective that social inequality between advantaged and disadvantaged groups is the key reason conflicts become intractable (difficult to change).
To remove intractability so that healing and relationship restoration can occur, structural changes that create greater equality between differing groups in the setting must occur.
This happens when power relations between groups is rearranged through changes in rules, policies and practices that govern the political, legal, economic, social, and cultural and other aspects of life and interactions in the social setting<br>
slide103. Dimension Two: The Relational Dimension Relational Change . This dimension reflects the perspective that conflict intractability leads to distrust and negative perceptions about persons who are members of groups of persons other than one’s own.
The goal of social reconciliation in this perspective is to build relations of trust and positive perceptions of persons belonging to other groups of people than one’s own.
To achieve this kind of relational change, persons must engage in repeated, positive, friendly, equal, and cooperative encounters with persons in groups other than one’s own.
In this way, persons will learn to trust persons belonging to groups other than their own and let their negative views of them change.<br>
slide104. Dimension 3: The Identity-Related PerspectiveIdentity Change The perspective guiding this dimension argues that the presence of conflict-related threats to the collective identity of the group causes harmful conflict interactions to become intractable.
These threats may arise when persons or groups of persons hold a view of themselves as the perpetrator or victim of wrongs.
Perpetrators generally experience guilt and moral disengagement.
Victims generally experience feelings of powerlessness.
The removal these threats helps members of the group experience a sense of identity that is adequate and secure.<br>
slide105. Using Cultural Competency Methods to Achieve Reconciliation between Social Groups Cultural competency or proficiency is an effective process for resolving or transforming intercultural conflict and reconciling relations between various social groups because the process of becoming culturally competent or proficient promotes equity, builds trust and instigates positive changes in social identity.<br>
slide106. The reasoning for this conclusion is as follows:
Prejudice and bias towards other individuals or groups of individuals introduces potentially harmful conflict interactions into their relations.
The outcomes of intercultural conflict interactions often are discrimination, exclusion, marginalization or other forms of oppression towards others.
The negative outcomes of intercultural conflict are often internalized by persons and can have profound psychological consequences.<br>
slide107. Intercultural conflict can be resolved through processes such as cultural competency that reconcile relations between diverse social groups by:
a. the establishment of equality/equity among all persons
interacting with each other.
b. the establishment of trust between persons interacting with each
other.
c. the healing of psychological wounds in ways that enable persons
to identify in positive and constructive ways with the social
groups to which they belong and the social groups to which they
do not belong.
When reconciliation is complete, the intercultural conflict is resolved (transformed).<br>
slide108. Cultural Competence

Cultural competence is the ability to understand and effectively interact with people from cultures different from one’s own.

To be culturally competent is to be:
aware of one’s own cultural beliefs and values and how these may be different from other cultures and
to be able to learn about and honor the different cultures of persons one interacts with.<br>
slide109. Attributes of Culturally Competent Persons a. a basic understanding of one’s own culture and ethnicity
b. a willingness to learn about the cultural practices and
worldview of others
c. a positive attitude toward cultural differences
d. a willingness to accept and respect these differences<br>
slide110. Fundamental Components of Cultural Competence Awareness
Of your own view of the cultural world and those of persons identifying with other social groups.
Knowledge
Of diverse cultural beliefs, views, and practices 
Skills
In dealing with the differences between different cultures and with their interrelationships

Attitude
Toward difference between cultures<br>
slide111. At the individual level: Cultural competence requires an examination of one’s own attitude and values, and the acquisition of the values, knowledge, skills and attributes that will allow an individual to work appropriately in cross cultural situations.<br>
slide112. value diversity and similarities among all peoples
understand and effectively respond to cultural differences
engage in cultural self-assessment at the individual and organizational levels
make adaptations to the delivery of services and enabling support
institutionalize cultural knowledge. Cultural competence mandates that organizations, programs and individuals must have the ability to:<br>
slide113. Cultural Competency Reconciliation<br>
slide114. Small Group Session Examine again your church or local context’s the cultural proficiency category.

How would you begin the process of intercultural reconciliation?

What cultural competency method would you begin with to build trust or to effect identity change?<br>
slide116. Reconciling Differences is Intentional<br>
slide117. The intention to reconcile and to become culturally competent is a vital first step in reducing or potentially eliminating prejudice and bias that exists in intercultural encounters and interactions.

How persons intend to behave generally depends on:
the strength and tractability of their attitudes,
the strength of social pressures influencing them,
and their perception that they can act in certain ways.<br>
slide118. Our decisions result from our intention to act or behave in a certain. Persons whose intention is to become culturally competent will act to achieve cultural competency.<br>
slide119. People generally act on their intentions only to the extent they can overcome obstacles that may interfere with performing the desired behavior. Many factors can prevent or assist the performing of a behavior, including:<br>
slide120. Intentions are formed on the basis of past experience and three kinds of belief Behavioral Beliefs

Normative Beliefs

Control Beliefs<br>
slide121. Behavioral Beliefs Behavioral beliefs are a person’s acceptance, trust, faith, or confidence that performing a certain behavior will produce a certain outcome, evaluated in a certain way, with a certain probability. In other words, behavioral beliefs are a person’s perceptions about the potential consequences (outcomes) of performing a specific behavior or behaviors.
For instance: I have confidence that eating this piece of fish (behavior) will satisfy me and give me nourishment (outcome); this is good/pleasing (evaluation), I am very (75% or more) sure of this (probability).<br>
slide122. Behavioral beliefs: expressed as attitudes. An attitude is a product of thought and emotions that expresses attributes such as good/bad or likeable/dislikeable in relation to an object or target. Attitudes may also influence the beliefs that lead to the performance of specific behaviors.<br>
slide123. Attitudes may arise arise spontaneously and without conscious effort as people form beliefs about an object, often without being aware of it.
Attitudes affect how persons notice, behave towards, and perceive the attributes of others.
Attitudes may be strong, weak or ambivalent (uncertain).
Weaker or ambivalent attitudes may be more easily changed.<br>
slide124. Strong attitudes are:
relatively stable
resistant to persuasion
difficult to change
highly predictive of behavior
may lead to spontaneous behaviors more likely
to influence a person’s behavior than attitudes
that are weak or ambiguous<br>
slide125. Normative Beliefs: Expressed as social norms Normative beliefs influence each person’s perception of the social rules or norms pertaining to a behavior.
In other words, normative beliefs are a person’s perceptions about how important or significant persons will approve, disapprove, accept, or reject the performing of a specific behavior or behaviors.<br>
slide126. Normative beliefs influence each person’s perception of the social rules or norms pertaining to a behavior.
Normative beliefs are a person’s acceptance, trust, faith, or confidence that an individual or individuals significant to him or her wants the person to perform (or not perform) a given behavior, with a certain probability.

In other words, normative beliefs are a person’s perceptions about how persons important or significant to him or her will approve, disapprove, accept, or reject him or her performing a specific behavior or behaviors.
For instance: I am 100% (probability) confident that wearing a nice suit (behavior) will be the appropriate (approval of others) choice of clothes for the wedding.<br>
slide127. Normative beliefs are expressed as perceptions of social norms, which are pressures exerted by a group, organization or society on individuals to perform or not perform certain behaviors.<br>
slide129. Control Beliefs Control Beliefs influence each person’s perception of his or her ability to act or behave in a certain way.
Control beliefs are a person’s acceptance, trust, faith, or confidence that he or she can perform a specific behavior, with a certain probability, if inclined to do so.

In other words, control beliefs are a person’s perceptions concerning his or her ability or capacity to exert control over performing a specific behavior or behaviors.
For example: I am (expression of ability) walking over to the table (expression of control) to get my book (behavior).<br>
slide130. Interrelationships Between Beliefs Behavioral, normative and control beliefs influence each other and result from the psychological state of each person as well as the social and environmental setting in which the person is placed.
These beliefs reflect the information people have in relation to the performance of a given behavior. However, this information:
may be inaccurate and/or incomplete
may rest on faulty or irrational premises
may contain biased, self-serving motives
may fail to reflect reality in many other ways.<br>
slide131. Thus, behavioral, normative and control beliefs are not always rational, impassionate, unbiased or informed.

But even if inaccurate, biased, or otherwise irrational, these three types of belief produce attitudes, perceptions, intentions and behaviors consistent with each belief.

Keep in mind that intentions are also influenced by how the person has behaved in the past.<br>
slide132. So, in order to be effective in addressing intercultural conflict with cultural competency methods, it is important to be aware of the beliefs that determine how persons in your setting will decide to behave.
What is the nature of individual attitudes towards intercultural relations?
What prevailing social norms in your setting exert the strongest influence?
How capable are persons in your setting of acting on their intentions to change or to resist change?<br>