Cultural intelligence and inclusion

Cultural intelligence is related to neohumanism because it is the ability to work with others despite our differences, and to learn to thrive whilst doing that.

There are many different types of cultures: generation, nationality, profession, religion, family and more. We are all influenced by these different cultures to different degrees. Just because you come from a particular country, does not mean that you behave like the average person there. We are all unique and nobody likes to be put in a limiting box or classified. This uniqueness can come from our background. Perhaps one of these cultures has influenced us in such a way, that in a particular group, we bring a fresh perspective… BECAUSE of our difference. This is related to the topic of diversity. The more diverse we are, the more potential we have for solving problems. E.g. a group of teachers need to team up with people with administrative skills to run a school. Too much of one thing can leave us “lop sided”.

Cultural intelligence is therefore our ability to work with others who are very different from us. To what extent are we motivated to learn about other cultures and overcome differences? How much do you understand about the similarities and differences between cultures? Are you able to plan for multicultural interactions? Are you able to adapt your speech, behaviour etc in other cultural environments?

Understanding other cultures doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to memorize a list of norms from other cultures. Rather it’s having a deeper awareness of some of the topics that might come into play in a multicultural setting and your ability to learn and adapt. For example, being aware of the 10 cultural values can give insights into some of the ways we are similar or different to others. Try and see if you can recognise what you tend to have a preference towards. https://culturalq.com/products-services/assessments/cultural-values-profile/#CVDetail

Inclusion

By contrast, Inclusion is related to some of the inequality regimes that exist because of how others might be prejudiced against us. If you look at large group data, you might find that a particular subgroup has greater levels of poverty. This is a type of systemic prejudice. For example, if black women are on average in worse financial circumstances that the rest of the population, this implies that there could be a system cause, or systemic racism/sexism. However we are more than our skin colour. We can also be prejudged for topics such as sexuality, religion, social class, disability and more. In some areas we may be privileged and in others we are subject to an “inequality regime”.

Inclusion aims to bring people together from all different backgrounds and have them feel welcome, rather than subject to inequality regimes, or subtle situations that lead to alienation. Imagine attending an interfaith religious gathering, but that the unconscious focus was always on one religious perspective (e.g Buddhism). Other faiths would likely feel like they are not “part of the club”. Inclusion finds what is common amongst us and moves beyond the idea of “club”. It also celebrates our diversity. It doesn’t assume that everyone is part of the dominant culture. It frames conversations and provides opportunities in a more universal way. Watch the short video from Life Without Borders below.

Challenges to achieving inclusion

One of the resisting forces against inclusion (and by extension equal rights), is that those whom have traditionally been in power may incorrectly start to feel “discriminated” against when others are included and racism declines. Studies have found that many white people see racism as a “zero sum game”. This means that there is a (perhaps) unconscious belief that when things get better for one group (e.g. blacks), the other group (e.g. whites) suffers. For example, the fallacy that one job for a black person means one less job for a white person. This perspective of “reverse discrimination” does not align with what studies reveal.

When faced with facts about the difference in economic mobility (that black boys are more trapped in poverty cycles in the US ), one white reader in the article linked above asked why racism had to be the only answer, implying there was something wrong with the boys biologically. Those in social work fields tell us that “poor people have many problems”, i.e. not just economic. When they haven’t been afforded the same access to education, emotionally secure upbringing, a financially secure upbringing and so forth, then they start with a huge disadvantage compared to others. Therefore biological excuses are entirely the wrong reason when instead there are complex social reasons, of which structural racism plays a significant role. Biological excuses have long been a means of keep other groups suppressed, be it due to skin colour, gender, disability, sexuality and all the other ways human beings are different. The white supremacy argument has been built off the idea that white people, particularly white men, are more biologically superior and therefore “deserve” more powerful positions, and greater opportunities. Science has long since debunked these ideas, yet they subtly the pervade the consciousness of many.

Another complicating factor is that economic pressures can often be blamed on the wrong groups, exacerbating racism and prejudice – especially when combined with the zero sum game mindset. For example, Adolf Hitler rapidly rose to power by misguiding the people with the sentiment that Jews were the cause of their economic struggles. World War 2 and devastating genocide resulted. Likewise, Donald Trump blamed Mexicans for taking the locals jobs and used that sentiment to garner support for his political aspirations, fueling greater racism in the US. On a personal level, I (Satya) was bullied at school upon moving to Australia from New Zealand, because my parents were allegedly “taking jobs away from the locals”. This is despite that fact that my parents were highly qualified and very few local people could actually do those jobs. Therefore this zero-sum game mindset is astonishingly prevalent.

Migration is normal. However in times of economic scarcity some people blame the wrong groups for that scarcity. Therefore inclusion is also about recognizing the true source of economic scarcity rather than blaming innocent groups. Furthermore, inclusion means to take the approach of figuring out a way to include and help each other so that we all have a chance to fulfill our potential and contribute to society.