Intercultural competence through cultural self-study: A strategy for adult learners

The author presents a strategy for increasing adult intercultural sensitivity and effectiveness that has emerged from cumulative lessons of twelve years teaching cross-cultural psychology to undergraduates. Following a tightly structured protocol, learners complete a rigorous process of utilizing concepts of culture in a self-study exercise. Subsequently they are vastly more fluent in applying these concepts in research and in intercultural situations. Students internalize concepts of culture in a way that they comprehend the power of culture, through recognition, both cognitively and emotionally, of how they are the vehicles for the expression of culture. The author presents an explanation of processes that mediate this learning, and a set of five propositions for further exploring the connection between cultural self-study and intercultural competence. Offered are a detailed example of a self-study protocol and practical advice about pedagogical factors that can facilitate or restrain reflexive cultural learning. Throughout, students' writings are used to illustrate the feasibility and emotional power of the self-study process. This report is presented in the hope of stimulating exchange among teachers and trainers using cultural self-study with various populations, in different settings, for multiple purposes. Future studies of outcome, in terms of both knowledge and intercultural skill, are needed to advance development of the method.