Interculturality
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Communication is key to what we do in university teaching and learning; it is an important part of the 'how' of tertiary study and it is central to the resulting 'what' of students' future lives and careers. But communication is rarely straightforward. Meanings are not always entirely shared between people, and may need to be negotiated. This could be because of intergenerational differences in understanding, differences in disciplinary knowledge and traditions, or because people come from different countries, sub-cultures, socio-economic groups or languages. All of these types of communications are 'intercultural', in that as well as making and understanding meaning there is a need to negotiate what is understood by 'x', and a need for awareness as to how meanings may differ depending on a person's background and worldview. This goes beyond words, as other communications such as gestures, behaviours, and norms also have culture-specific meanings.
What is 'interculturality'?
Interculturality is defined as:
"the capacity to experience cultural otherness and to use this experience to
reflect on matters which are normally taken for granted within one's own
culture and environment. ... in addition, interculturality involves using
this heightened awareness of otherness to evaluate one's own everyday
patters of perception, thought, feeling and behaviour in order to develop
greater self-knowledge and self-understanding." (Barrett, 2008)
Interculturality goes far beyond what is traditionally considered to be 'cultural', as it does not refer to 'national' cultures ('the Chinese learner', 'the Australian university', etc. These are far from homogenous concepts!) Instead, culture and identity are seen as hybrid (Bhabha, 1994), with individuals influenced by many different cultures including the country they come from but also their social and regional positioning, the language(s) they use, the social groups to which they belong, the cultural 'others' with whom they have had contact, and so on.
Developing interculturality at UniSA
Interculturality relates to UniSA's Graduate Qualities, in particular 6 and 7. These are:
- A graduate of the University of South Australia communicates effectively in professional practice and as a member of the community (GQ6).
- A graduate of the University of South Australia demonstrates international perspectives as a professional and as a citizen (GQ7).
This in turn relates to teaching and learning in that interculturality underpins our teaching, and that our teaching is (or should be) aimed at increasing students' intercultural capacities. The Learning and Teaching Unit can provide advice and support on how you can improve your own interculturality in your teaching but also how you can incorporate activities aimed at raising students' awareness and competencies around interculturality.
References
Bhabha, H (1994). The Location of Culture. London: Routledge.
Barrett, M (2008). Intercultural competences: Reflections based on autobiography of intercultural encounters. Paper presented at the Council of Europe seminar on "Images of the 'Other' in history teaching: The role of history teaching institutions in the north and global south", hosted by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, the Ismaili Centre and the Aga Khan Development Network, Lisbon, Portugal, 25th-26th September 2008.