Communication in the Community

Non-verbal communication is important when communicating with people from different cultures. It is vital to consider customs related to gestures, physical contact, and other aspects of body language (Cultural differences in non-verbal communication, n.d.). In order to begin communicating with all individuals from various backgrounds, we must first be aware of our own culture as well as initiate and build relationships with other people (Building relationships with people from different cultures, n.d.). 

When I communicate with authority figures, I have a more reserved demeanour that involves limited physical contact, evasive eye contact, and short, polite conversation. Steady eye contact makes me, personally, feel uncomfortable. When speaking with Asian people, this does not offend them but speaking with Caucasian people, they can take offence and I feel required to force myself to keep eye contact with people when they are speaking. Similarly, because Asians tend to be part of a high-context culture, they leave much of a message unspecified with a heavier reliance on non-verbal cues and interpretations, therefore, giving greater emphasis on subtle communication and body language (Kinsey, 2011).

Strategies for communicating effectively with different people, such as those from high-context cultures or of people in authoritative positions, include initial research about people's history and cultures, developing a better understanding of effective body language skills, as well as examining common biases related to different cultures.

Resources
Building relationships with people from different cultures. (n.d.). Community Tool Box. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/building-relationships/main

Cultural differences in non-verbal communication. (n.d.). Vermont Department of Health. Retrieved from http://healthvermont.gov/family/toolkit/tools%5CF-6%20Cultural%20Differences%20in%20Nonverbal%20Communic.pdf

Kinsey, C. (2011). Communication across cultures. American Management Association. Retrieved from https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/business-communication/communicating-across-cultures

Nonverbal Communication

I watched a Cantonese show on television called "The Gateau Affairs." The description said it contains romance and drama. Watching the show without listening to the sound would not be much of a problem because I do not understand the language although I would be able to take cues from their tones. I turned off the sound and subtitles. I initially had a problem figuring out the relationships as the workplace environment that it was set up to be did not facilitate for personal contact. However, as the episode progressed, I could distinguish that the young woman and the more mature bakery chef had a more loving relationship as he gave her roses, briefly held her hand, and looked at her in admiration; the sentiment which she returned through emotional glances. The context of why it was not a blossoming romance could not be determined without sound or subtitles and added further confusion when certain scenes had employee members getting into fights, thus showing strained relationships that I did not know the reason for. Exaggerated emotions, such as anger and excitement were easy to detect due to the physical appearances where facial expressions would show furrowed brows or tears (Krauss, Chen, & Chawla, n.d.).

Watching the same episode again, now with the sound and subtitles turned on, I could understand the sequence of events and the anticipation of emotions. I made the assumption that one particular character was a thug because of his appearance and mannerisms (fighting with others) but, knowing the context, he was standing up for another individual that had been offended and hurt. Therefore, the entire character's identity then changed. Following a show that I know well, established relationships would already be known to me and I would be able to anticipate emotions and certain events with established character identity from previous episodes.

Doing this particular exercise has taught me that we can make prejudiced assumptions based on appearances and actions that, by knowing an individual well, would differ from initial presumptions.

Resources
Krauss, R., Chen, Y., & Chawla, P. (n.d.). Nonverbal behavior and nonverbal communication: What do conversational hand gestures tell us? Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Retrieved from http://dennismeredith.com/files/documents/Hand_gestures.pdf

Competent Communicator

My high school principal was good at giving speeches to the students and conveying important messages in order for everyone, with varying degrees of English, to understand and take something away from the meeting. She was a skilled orator that chose her words carefully but could also sufficiently and effectively answer questions provided on the spot. With several speeches from peers and teachers during my high school graduation, they now seem like a distant, blurry memory. However, my principal's speech still resonates with me as she summarized our experience at high school and helped us visualize our future endeavours. She mentioned that no matter what we choose to do in life and whom we will meet, the time spent at high school would help us coexist and ground us in a world swimming of personalities. Her effective communication was not only due to the powerful words she spoke but also stemmed from the conviction in which she spoke. Her presence was as powerful one-on-one as it was on a stage in front of an audience, making a lasting impact on her fellow coworkers, her students, and our parents. From her strengths, I hope to one day be as convincing and make great impact with my words but, most importantly, be able to eloquently answer questions that I get asked. This would allow me to articulate my ideas and opinions without creating disharmony or controversy with sensitive topic matters. 

Professional Hopes and Goals

Working with children who come from diverse backgrounds, I hope that I will be able to establish relationships with them that result from (and be the cause of) open communication about their backgrounds, culture, and needs. By developing a positive relationship with families, I will collaborate with them in order to effectively implement programs and methods that incorporate their culture to their child's education without limiting their potential development. 

Diversity and the importance of equity and social justice has been researched in many different areas and regarding various subtopics. With the immense information that is being researched regarding different learning difficulties, I think that further research can be done with regards to understanding key identifiers of different learning difficulties, how teachers can implement programs that embrace their differences whilst also assisting them in educational, emotional, and physical development.

I have had the advantage of studying alongside many different people with varying backgrounds and they have helped guide me and provide me with insights regarding early childhood that I am grateful for. 

Welcoming Families from Around the World

Given the opportunity to welcome a child and her family to a daycare would encourage me to do additional research if necessary. In this instance, I have determined that the child's country of origin is The Philippines. As I know very little about the country's traditions, religion, and citizen's mannerism, I would begin by researching it's history and common facts. To work effectively and create a positive relationship with the child and family, I would contact The Philippines' embassy where I reside. I would gain more information from the people that work there and would, additionally, inquire about a possible Filipino support community that exists in my area. Once being able to contact the support group, I would learn more from them, go to their gatherings, keep in touch with them throughout the child's education, as well as set up meetings for the family to join them in order to become more acquainted with surroundings, customs, and have a sense of family away from their home. I would have several conversations with the family to understand more about their family dynamic, which may also include dietary or learning concerns, social or health issues, and how I can best help support them when they arrive. I would also inquire directly with the family (once understood from other Filipino representatives that it is permissible to ask personal questions) as to any customary traditions that they would like to highlight with regards to, for example, gender or religion, thus allowing me to research further about these traditions and set up potential activities and celebrations upon their arrival. Preparing for a family's arrival would potentially create a welcoming environment where children can feel accepted. Children in the current daycare would be briefed about certain customs and the situation so that they are able to welcome the child to class without creating microaggressions. It would also potentially allow the family and me to establish a foundation where communication and dialogue positively influences the child's learning and education. Furthermore, I would be able to gain more knowledge about a community that could lead to greater cultural awareness for myself in general. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Oppression

A large part of Cambodia's current development and the people's sense of being has been molded by Pol Pot's regime and the Khmer Rouge. Cambodia's citizens were forced into slave labour in the "killing fields" where many died from overwork, malnutrition and disease. Pol Pot's purge eradicated certain people that were discriminated against because of Pol Pot's own personal bias. These people included Buddhist monks, police, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and ex-soldiers together with their wives and children. The amount of power that Pol Pot was able to achieve combined with his prejudice against the educated and the wealthy allowed for great oppression and societal inconsistencies to occur. His acts created an equality among the remaining individuals alive but created destruction that excluded qualities of justness, fairness, and impartiality, thus diminishing the people's equity (Kranich, 2005).

When visiting Cambodia, the history of its people caused great internal perturb. However, despite the years of oppression and death, both old and young individuals were seemingly content and unfazed. As Cambodia can be seen as a developing country, many cultural and diversity issues are heightened with poverty, corruption, and lack of proper education. Certain actions can be done in order to limit the inequity within areas of Cambodia. For example, by eliminating corruption, the wealthy will not have a more dominating role and control compared to those less fortunate. However, this is a task that is difficult to pursue. Individually, one is able to narrow difference gaps in various groups by, for example, providing unbiased education with programs that does not exclude children of various backgrounds or household incomes.

Resources:
Kranich, N. (2005). Equality and equity of access : What's the difference? American Library Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/iftoolkits/toolkitrelatedlinks/equalityequity

Microaggression Awareness

A new term began at my current workplace and I had a few new students joining my class. When talking to a parent, I was eventually asked where I was from. I answered "Sweden," not going into much depth about my background as I feel that those types of questions are appropriately answered with a simple reply. The parent's response to my answer was "Oh, your English is very good!" as an expression of shock. The microinvalidation conveyed towards me was an unintentional insult to my culture and an insinuation that Swedish people tend not to speak with a "clean" accent (Potts, 2014). The comment, I assume, was in relation to my accent and not my use of vocabulary, proper grammar, or knowledge of the English language. I have received similar shocked expressions previously and have come to accept the comment, smile politely, and answer with a simple response explaining that I was raised bilingual in a predominantly English speaking household. Such microaggressions I find do not necessarily stem from racial prejudice but more from a lack of knowledge and an inclination towards stereotypes.

Learning about microaggressions has developed my knowledge about discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes with regards to their origin and individual biased outlooks. As it is often the subtle insinuations (that sometimes go unnoticed by the person making the remark) that cause the most harm, it is important to limit personal bias and automatic assumptions based on stereotypes by gaining more knowledge about other's cultures and surrounding ourselves among individuals of different backgrounds. In order to reduce microaggression in the classroom, all students should receive high expectations from their educators regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, or background (Potts, 2014). Also, it is important that when discussing identities and issues related to specific groups one should not focus solely on a child that one thinks represents that group because it makes an assumption about the children's identities and can put that child on the spot. 

Resources:
Potts, Z. (2014). Microaggressions. Fordham University: Center for Teaching Excellence. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/academics/office_of_research/research_centers__in/center_for_teaching_/the_art_of_teaching/microaggressions_89343.asp