How many times have you heard the platitude, “There is more than one side to the story?” It is etched into my elementary school brain. And, it’s true, to a point. In fact, there are many sides to any story, any narrative, and the sum of all human experience. Anytime an individual expresses a thought or opinion, it is limited to their personal understanding. We speak and act based on our knowledge, powers of observation, wisdom, and discernment.
We live a good part of our lives based on assumptions we make about other people, relationships, situations, and the world at large. We become inured to the idiosyncrasies that form the fabric of our lives. Good, bad, or otherwise, things all seem to flow from the ways we see things and the routines we create to smooth over all the bumpy and confusing moments.
It’s an eye-opener when we learn, and understand, that there are many more ways than ours to adapt to the daily situations, challenges, and conflicts that are so integral to human existence. I have literally had my perspectives changed many times over when I’ve come to see that there are “other ways” than my own, or the ways of my family, my country, and my profession.
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing
There is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
The world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase “each other”
Doesn’t make any sense.
— Jallaluddin Rumi (pub. 1995)
When we open our eyes — our lenses, our values, and our perspectives on the world — to be and see inclusively, we begin to make the pivot from living in a vacuum to living as intercultural beings. This is perhaps one of the most extensive and profound shifts we can make. It means observing and experiencing our work not from a place of compulsive narcissism (four-year-olds are very good at this; I have a grandchild that age and see it every day) but from a place of cultural humility and relativity. What’s the difference and, most importantly, what does it mean to think, act, and live “interculturally?”
The intercultural field is an interdisciplinary social science that studies how cultural differences influence and impact communication, behavior, and relationships. It focuses on enhancing effective engagement, empathy, and understanding across diverse groups, including nationality, ethnicity, and religion, to foster dialogue, reduce conflict, and facilitate collaboration. The intercultural field emphasizes self-awareness regarding one’s own biases, alongside skills in empathy, adaptability, and open-mindedness to navigate interactions effectively.
More particularly, there are several singular components to the intercultural field which, taken together, provide a blueprint for how to be, think, feel, and act within and across cultures. One of these areas is intercultural communication, in and through which we analyze how individuals negotiate meaning and manage, resolve, or prevent misunderstandings in interpersonal interactions. A second area of concern is intercultural competence, which is building capacity for adapting behavior and perspectives, often applied to international business, education, politics, or diverse team management. A third area of consideration focuses on intercultural relations, which is about examining power structures, identities, and interactions between different cultural groups to promote equality. Lastly, we delve into intercultural management, which explores varied cultural dimensions such as power distance/power asymmetry, semiotics (signs and symbols), proxemics (physical proximity between people), and individualism in global workplaces.
This is complex stuff not likely to be learned, studied, and researched at any depth during our K-12 years, or even beyond. At the same time, these are the events and activities of daily life that we need to learn to adapt to and become safe and secure within our highly variable and multifaceted lives. The inculcation of these skill sets into our personalities is crucial if we are to succeed in building relationships, a family, a professional career, and opportunities for our own growth and development. Intercultural competence is paramount if we wish to include travel, commerce, curiosity, the expressive arts, and many other fields and ways of being.
This is living-and-learning that is best understood and managed through direct life experience. While opportunities to expand our understanding and awareness in this domain are plentiful if we reach out, most of us don’t often have chances to learn about “interculturalism” in a more educational context. One such opportunity comes up shortly — Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. — at the Greenfield Public Library (a free event). Participants attending my in-person presentation there will hear a lot about the book I just edited and published, “Creating the Intercultural Field: Legacies from the Pioneers.”
Beyond learning about the making of this important book (focusing on 12 intimate autobiographical narratives of several of the pioneers who created this field from nothing), those present will explore why and how living with an intercultural perspective makes relationships, work, family, and community more interesting, engaging, productive, and meaningful. Our time together tomorrow night will enable and catalyze a deeper connection to others while providing for greater self-awareness of often hidden biases and assumptions. All who are learners and students of life are heartily welcomed to attend and engage!
Daniel Cantor Yalowitz, Ed.D., writes a regular column for the Recorder. He in an intercultural and developmental psychologist and writes about issues focused on human and civil rights, human values, and his ongoing commitment to create a better world for us all. Reach out to him at danielcyalowitz@gmail.com.