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Worldview is “how we see the world.” Cultural awareness, on the other hand, is “the ability of standing back from ourselves and becoming aware of our cultural values, beliefs, and perceptions,” according to the Culturosity Group.
It’s asking ourselves questions like:
Why do we do things that way?
How do we see the world?
Why do we react in that particular way?
There are Four Degrees of Cultural Awareness (Culturosity):
1. My Way is the Only Way
People are aware of their own way of doing things and believe that their way is the only way. They tend to ignore cultural differences and their impact during this stage. Culturosity refers to this as the “Parochial Stage.”
This was my degree of cultural awareness before I left America at the age of 19 to study in France. I thought my American way was the only way . . . until I was exposed to another culture and saw another way of living.
I didn’t even realize that I carried my American culture with me in my suitcase until it suddenly collided with another culture—the French culture.
2. I Know Their Way, But My Way is Better
During this stage, people are aware of other ways of doing things. However, they still consider their way as the best way. People tend to perceive cultural differences as sources of problems and ignore them in order to reduce their significance. Culturosity refers to this as the “Ethnocentric Stage.”
In a recent conversation with my friend from Norway, she was describing her last trip to Guatemala to visit her husband’s family. While there, she struggled with their “cultural differences” around the notion of time. Norwegians are very prompt; whereas, Latin Americans tend to be “late” . . . sometimes “very late.”
When my friend challenged her husband’s family about being on time, they realized (maybe for the first time) that there were obvious cultural differences between them. However, the problem, the tension, and the significance of their cultural differences were ignored. My Norwegian friend would simply have to adjust to their way and their notion of time.
3. My Way and Their Way
People become aware of their own way of doing things and others’ ways of doing things. According to the situation, they will choose the way that seems best to them. In this stage, people tend to realize that there are both problems and benefits resulting from cultural differences. They begin to look at cultural diversity and search for new solutions and alternatives. Culturosity refers to this as the “Synergistic Stage.”
As an American married to a French husband, this is the reality of our cross-cultural marriage and family life. We are almost always aware of our different ways of doing things —American and French, and we are forced to constantly choose the way that seems best for each situation. (Which language will we speak in our home? Which Christmas traditions will we celebrate this year? How will be discipline and educate our children?) There are obvious advantages and disadvantages in each of our cultures—leading to tensions, problems, and benefits—but we try to use our cultural diversity for our good and the good of our children.
After years of cross-cultural marriage and family life . . . we gradually developed “Our Way.”
4. Our Way
People from various cultural backgrounds gather together to create their own culture of shared meanings. They dialogue together, create new meanings and new rules for a particular situation. Culturosity refers to this stage as the “Participatory Third Culture Stage.”
This is the beauty of our many years of cross-cultural marriage and family life. It also describes the uniqueness of our “Oasis of Cultures” that we have formed around the world. We love to gather together—representing 10 or more countries and a smattering of diverse cultures and languages. We dialogue together, we learn from each other, we share our cultures with each other, and we create a new “third culture” together—an “international culture” wherever we are.
Get Your Free Ebook—”The 5-Day Journey to Cultural Awareness”!
Why is it Important to Develop Cultural Awareness?
“Culturosity” is defined as:
1. A desire to learn about and engage with other cultures
2. An essential mindset in a global world
3. Today’s competitive advantage
Having cultural awareness makes us global citizens! It helps us break down cultural barriers and build cultural bridges. I know it’s a cliché, but it truly can help us “change the world.” When we break down those cultural barriers, we learn to love those who are different from us. We begin to see the beauty in our diversity which truly can “make the world a better place.”
As we begin to see our own culture and understand ourselves better, we will be better able to relate to people of other cultures—resulting in less cultural conflict and more cultural connection.
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
My Gift to You—Get Your Free Ebook—”The 5-Day Journey to Cultural Awareness”!
Let’s Weave Cultures!
When you look at the four degrees of cultural awareness according to Culturosity, where do you see yourself? What can you do to develop your own cultural awareness—expand your global tapestry—right where you are?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
I wish that I had known and understood what cultural awareness was before going abroad in college. I had to learn the hard way! Thank you for enlightening us all.
I agree!!! Oh, we could have saved ourselves so much hardship! 🙂
Weaving Culture- My Weaving Journey
The shot of COVID making a small part of the fabric that is becoming my life is an accent color. A small detail that has changed the weave I am making. This time stands out, it was quite amazing to live through the WORLD experiencing a pandemic. I reflected on the mentors and fiber art teachers I have known.
I wonder if the family I wove with in Chiapas was safe
I thought of the little girls who were backstrap weavers down Baja way
The docent at the underground railroad quilts who took me to lunch in Georgia and spoke of how the quilting craft gave refuge to those running to freedom.
The group of ladies I wove with outside Tulum and learned backstrap weaving from (even though my salvage is always as windy as a jungle path)
I thought of how many fiber masters I have learned from. My first weaving teachers were Ms. Gertie and Ms. Patsy. Ms. Gertie owned Casa de Las Tejedoras, a small weaving store/studio in Santa Ana CA. So many teachers and so many colors. I love thinking of all the colors as a warp/weft, adding to how fiber is truly universal in cultures across time and geography.
It has been a pleasure to see the arch fiber arts the last 30 years in Orange County. In the early 90’s I was part of the Living History guild at San Juan Capistrano. Weaving plain broadcloth on a back-strap loom, I was dressed in the traditional white workers smock seen in my 4th grade history book mission images. I returned to CA in 2016 and was pleased to see the Mission now offers traditional Acjachemen Indian Basket Weaving technique with Marian Walkingstick and Teeter Romero. Recognizing native fiber arts is so invigorating for me to see.
I was trained as a weaver at the University of San Diego by Florence Spuelar in back strap and 4 harness loom weaving. At the time, I was engulfed in color theory and natural dying. My interest in fiber arts ties to culture did not come until I visited Mexico. The people were so welcoming to me taking me into their homes as well as their craft. Sitting in these weaving gatherings, among 7 to 12 masters was so humbling. I am enthralled with their seemingly effortless ways they spin and weave their cloth. Creating patterns that are unique to the weaver and the region. I have been stopped four different times by people (three fiber artists) commenting that I have been to Chiapas. I am always so prideful when I wear these gifts and am immediately connected to this group of weavers. I feel like I am in the cool kid’s club.
Now I am taking fiber art to a new blended approach. Bridging all the teachings I have learned into my own weaving style. I am using a four-harness floor loom to weave images I have gathered in my travels. Recently, I am weaving the National Parks, starting with our backyard Joshua Tree National Park. I couple my weaves with audio stories collected in the park from random visitors. Connecting the National Parks with their native names is incorporated into this project. In the past I have woven images from Borrego Springs, Eastern Europe including Hungry, Vienna and Prague. Am excited to continue this cultural fiber arts journey and seeing where my global tapestry leads.
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing the story of your weaving journey. I love how you are practically weaving a global tapestry! I checked out your website, and your work is beautiful. I wish you could teach me to weave! Let’s weave cultures! 🙂