This research aimed to explore how heads of departments at LNU manage cultural differences in their teams. The study addressed the main research question and two sub-questions to uncover effective strategies for navigating cultural disparities in team settings. An exploratory design was employed, utilizing qualitative methods such as interviews and content analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a limited number of participants from diverse departments at LNU. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes and findings. Several significant themes emerged from the analysis. The first theme highlighted the importance of recognizing and addressing cultural differences within teams through open dialogue, communication, building trust, and fostering inclusivity. The second theme emphasized the significance of cultivating cultural intelligence and competency as cross-cultural leaders, including the development of cultural competency and adapting communication styles to accommodate diverse team members. The third theme focused on effective communication, emphasizing the need to overcome language barriers and establish open channels for promoting understanding and inclusivity. The fourth theme highlighted the value of embracing cultural diversity, viewing it as an asset, and leveraging unique perspectives and strengths within teams. The fifth and final theme emphasized the continuous learning and development of cultural competency and cultural intelligence to effectively manage cultural disparities. This study contributes to our understanding of how heads of departments at LNU manage cultural differences in their teams. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing cultural differences, cultivating cultural intelligence, promoting effective communication, embracing cultural diversity, and fostering continuous learning and development. These strategies enhance the capacity of organizations to navigate cultural disparities and foster inclusivity in multicultural environments. The study was conducted within an academic setting, limiting generalizability to other organizations. The research relied on a limited number of interviews due to time constraints and non-responsiveness of some participants, therefore the complexity of the issue may not have been fully captured. This study fills a gap in the literature by exploring the strategies employed by heads of departments to manage cultural differences. It provides practical implications for organizations operating in multicultural environments and enhances our understanding of effective cross-cultural leadership.

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The research project asks the question: What role does storytelling have in enhancing cultural self-awareness and achieving perspective transformation in terms of values, attitudes, and assumptions about the world? The study group comprised people who participated between 1995 and 2009 in a year-long Colorado Vincentian Volunteer (CVV) program for young adults. It combined an online survey with 1-hour follow-up interviews by phone with nine individuals. This data is augmented with written stories produced during their volunteer year by the interviewees. The study shows that over 90% of those surveyed agree that regular, structured reflective story-telling sessions helped consolidate their learning and foster perspective transformation as defined by Mezirow (1990). Analysis of interviews plus evidence from written stories supports these claims and also illustrates volunteer development of cultural self-awareness as described by Yoshikawa (1980). I conclude that storytelling can be a significant emotional, psychological, and intellectual support to people involved in voluntary intercultural experiences.

A team of Brigham Young University graduate students working under the supervision of Dr. Lynn Henrichsen, collaborated on the creation of a book as well as a website, Basic Training and Resources for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (BTR-TESOL). The project, which will be developed in phases over the coming years, is intended to provide novice English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers with some introductory material on nearly fifty different topics related to the field. Each unit is not intended to be a comprehensive source and is not to be seen as a replacement for formal training. Rather the units should be used by those who would like formal training, but cannot afford the time or money it requires. With its minimalist, connectivist approach, BTR-TESOL will help them to "get their feet wet" and help them to develop the motivation and dedication needed to teach ESL until such time that they can receive formal instruction of some kind. This master's project describes the creation of two BTR-TESOL units on culture, titled "Understanding and Adapting in a New Culture" and "Teaching Culture." The first unit, "Understanding and Adapting in a New Culture," educates novice teachers about the importance of the differences that one faces when entering a new culture and guides them as they help their students (or themselves) to overcome culture shock. In the second unit, "Teaching Culture," novice teachers are educated on the importance of culture and are also given sample ideas and activities for teaching culture in a language classroom. Both units include a short introduction to the content, an opening scenario, a video segment related to the theme of each unit as well as reflection questions, objectives, explanatory text, and a section that directs readers to places they can go to learn more about the subject.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilken innebörd begreppet ”kulturkompetens” ges i litteraturen samt utifrån detta problematisera dess applicering på praktiken. Begreppet ”kulturkompetens” saknar en enhetlig definition, något som initierat skrivandet av denna uppsats. Studien bygger på en litteraturstudie i form av en kvalitativ textanalys. I vår kritiska granskning av litteraturen kunde vi bland annat finna begrepp, såsom ”ethnic-sensitivity” och ”cultural awareness”, som på liknande sätt berör strategier för att uppnå ”kulturkompetens”. Självinsikt hos socialarbetaren och öppenhet inför kulturella skillnader är viktiga egenskaper hos en ”kulturkompetent” socialarbetare enligt handböckerna. Genom en granskning av de begrepp vi funnit i litteraturen var för sig, men även genom jämförelse av dem, har vi bland annat funnit att kultur nästan genomgående kopplas till etnicitet i diskussionerna kring ”kulturkompetens”. I problematiseringen av begreppet har vi pekat på hur mötet mellan socialarbetaren och klienten kan komma att påverkas då socialarbetaren utgår från tankar kring ett ”kulturkompetent” bemötande. / The purpose of this study is to investigate what meaning the concept "cultural competence" is given in the literature and from this problematize its application to practice. The concept "cultural competence" has no uniform definition, which initiated the writing of this essay. The study is based on a literature review in the form of a qualitative text analysis. In our critical review of the literature we could find, among other concepts, "ethnic-sensitivity" and "cultural awareness", which is similarly related to strategies for achieving "cultural competence". Self-knowledge of the social worker and openness to cultural differences are important characteristics of a "culture competent” socialworker according to the guiding literature for social workers. Through an separately examination of the concepts we found in the literature , but also by comparing them, we have found that culture almost always is linked to ethnicity in debates on "cultural competence". In the problematization of the meaning of “culture competence” as a concept, we have pointed out how the meeting between the socialworker and the client may be affected when the social work is based on thoughts of "cultural competence".

This degree project has enquired about the experiences of deaf and hearing-impaired people in Sweden, in the context of cultural awareness within public sector organizations. The aim of the study was to find out if professionals within the public sector are culturally sensitive towards d/Deaf people and if the cultural, as well as the minority rights are considered by professionals who have d/Deaf clients.Initially, the data was planned to be collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews, however this method had to be changed as there were various difficulties in recruiting sign language interpreters. Therefore, the method of data collection for this study had to be adapted to the circumstances and an online survey with 25 open questions was created instead. This shift allowed participants to express their experiences and perceptions in writing.The results of the study suggest that the degree of cultural sensitivity among professionals within public sector organizations is varied, according to the experiences shared by the study participants. These findings offer small, but meaningful insights into the realities experienced by d/Deaf people in Sweden and into the practices of public sector professionals which may require adjustments based on the negative experiences expressed by most of the participants. This study and its findings present areas which may benefit from further studies in regard to maintaining a culturally responsive environment for all people within the organizations of the Swedish public sector.

This research studied the impact of language barriers and cultural experiences on students' perceptions at the University of North Texas. The population of this study were students who had taken a class with a non-native speaking instructor and those who hadn't. Following a mixed-method research approach, online surveys were distributed to the students through Canvas and listservs. Follow-up interviews were scheduled with students interested in providing more feedback about their experience. The survey and interview results showed that accent is the main communication barrier in classes taught by non-native-speaking instructors. Although previous research does not show an impact on student performance, students believe the accent of their instructor affects their performance in class, as they tend to place more effort into listening and paying attention to the lecture. Other factors impacting knowledge sharing were vocabulary and cultural awareness for both population groups of this study. Although no significant relationship existed between the cultural experience of students and their perception, interview participants with previous exposure to foreign accents were able to understand their non-native-speaking instructor more easily. This study also discovered different information-seeking and knowledge-sharing behaviors that were discussed by the interview participants. The results of this study are helpful for higher education institutions, instructors, and students to create an effective learning environment.

京都大学 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(医学) / 乙第13606号 / 論医博第2316号 / 旭川医科大学医学部医学科 / (主査)教授 黒田 知宏, 教授 古川 壽亮, 教授 山崎 渉 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Many environmental educators have realized that in order to effectively teach environmental sensitivity and literacy, they must approach their audience through a cultural context. Thus, environmental education lessons need to incorporate strategies used in multicultural education in order to be more culturally inclusive. This project includes the identification of multicultural education criteria and the application of these to three lessons from Project Learning Tree: PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide.

This work examined social workers at the Riverside County Child Protective Services and their need for cross-cultural training specifically when working with ethnic minority families.