Differences That Make a Difference

From the Summer, 2007 issue (Vol. 6 No. 2) of the Community Leader newsletter:

By: Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid, BCLP Trainer

The changing demographics of rural Minnesota are creating a number of opportunities to interact with people from a broad range of backgrounds unmatched in the state’s history.

The key word here — opportunity!

What a remarkable piece of wisdom it is that the Chinese symbol for crisis is the same symbol used for opportunity. While there are some that see these changes through the lens of ‘crisis,’ the vast majority continue to experience this as a wonderful opportunity that most of our parents and grandparents did not have. The opportunity to create the kinds of diverse communities typically found in the largest and most urban areas of the country is one our workforce will be able to use to set us apart from many of our Midwest neighbors.

Take our ‘differences’ survey.

Unlike many of the ‘big cities’ ­ the Midwest, particularly Minnesota ­ has a rich tradition of inclusion and hospitality. This has led to a rich mosaic of cultural expression through the arts, food and various clothing trends. This aspect of culture will be a driving force all over the state for new business opportunities and renewed economic growth.

But this is but one aspect of culture — and a very small one at that. Culture is about the way we interact, the way we see the world and the way we understand and define our communities. It influences so much of what we think and feel. And to further complicate things, we all belong to and actively participate in more than one culture at any given time!

©2003 The New Yorker Collection from cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved.

Take for example John and Fatimah, working together on a class science project. John brings the cultural experiences and influence of his family ­ being an only child, his church ­ Midwestern Lutheran, his white-skinned U.S. American identityŠand of course ­ being a 16-year-old male in high school! A true culture within itself! Fatimah brings her cultural experience of being the oldest of four children, Somali, Muslim, female and once againŠbeing a 16-year-old female in high school! While they may have many things in common ­ they also have many differences that may merit attention if they are to work together effectively.

Some of these individual perspective differences include their concepts of modesty as it relates to interactions across genders, their concepts of time, their approach to building relationships and even their definitions of ‘personal space’ (the comfortable distance between two people as they communicate with one another).

None of these aspects that make each individual unique is readily visible to the eye.

The iceberg that sank the Titanic could neither be averted nor plowed through. The structure underneath was simply too massive. Just as that iceberg¹s mass was not readily apparent, so are the ‘invisible’ aspects of culture. These hidden but underlying structures of culture are the very places which need our attention.

Further Reading…

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Anne Fadimon
Lia Lee was born in 1981 to a family of recent Hmong immigrants, and soon developed symptoms of epilepsy. By 1988 she was living at home but was brain dead after a tragic cycle of misunderstanding, overmedication, and culture clash: ‘What the doctors viewed as clinical efficiency the Hmong viewed as frosty arrogance.’ The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a tragedy of Shakespearean dimensions, written with the deepest of human feeling. Sherwin Nuland said of the account, ‘There are no villains in Fadiman¹s tale, just as there are no heroes. People are presented as she saw them, in their humility and their frailty-and their nobility.’

For more information on understanding diversity issues for effective leadership the Community Leader Team recommends One Ummah, a team of trainers and consultants from a broad range of fields who assist organizations in building their multicultural competence. With over 50 years of combined experience, they offer innovative solutions, comprehensive strategies, and a wide range of services to help organizations move from awareness to action in creating more inclusive and productive work and learning environments.

Other helpful Web sites include Tolerance.org, SPLCenter, and EdChange.

Question
What are the underlying cultural differences that impact your work as a community leader?

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