The role of the arts as conduits to build peace in a myriad of multicultural and multiethnic cont... more The role of the arts as conduits to build peace in a myriad of multicultural and multiethnic contexts is being acknowledged today: for creating opportunities for positive interactions, encouraging reconciliation in conflict-affected societies, contributing to greater social cohesion in communities, and cultivating empathy and a sense of global citizenship. For conflict-affected communities, the arts offer spaces for dialogue, healing, nonverbal engagement, nonviolent expressions, creating shared narratives, and envisioning a shared future. The nonlinear, generative, and expressive nature of the arts, as well as their close proximity to people and culture make them great channels for building peace. There are numerous arts programs, collaborations, and organizations in Northern Ireland engaging in peacebuilding work that continues after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which halted the thirty years of violent conflict referred to as ‘The Troubles’. The Troubles encompassed conflicts between groups that are referred to as the unionist Protestant majority and the nationalist Catholic minority, though it was more so a political and territorial conflict rather than a religious one. As national identity and belonging were at the heart of the development of the conflict, the peacebuilding work that continues must involve efforts towards shared narratives for the future and nonviolent expressions of their cultural identities. Many of the arts programs in Northern Ireland today are participatory, community-based, and include the themes of tolerance, developing positive relations, and reimagining their civic and cultural identities.
The capacity to bridge worldviews and cultural differences is essential for numerous multicultura... more The capacity to bridge worldviews and cultural differences is essential for numerous multicultural and multiethnic contexts today: from working in multicultural teams, working with international constituents, promoting constructive conflict resolution, and building greater social cohesion and fostering trust in multicultural communities. Navigating and managing these countless meetings of different worldviews and cultures require cultural fluency and cultural intelligence.
One definition of culture is a “dynamic and changing set of shared patterns reflexively interweaving with knowing, perceiving, behaving, and sense making in a given group of people” (LeBaron, 2014). Such patterns and understandings are often underground, not articulated, yet ever present in our sense making and interactions with others. Culture shapes our values, our behaviors, relationships, and the ideas that we consider to be important. It is very much a part of our identities as well as a part of the lenses through which we see the world, and make meaning of.
There exists extensive literature on cultural differences and there has also been significant attention on the importance of cultural competency to navigate various multicultural contexts. However, there is little study on the dynamics of intercultural interaction. Culture is often treated as an ‘add-on’ in organizational trainings and compartmentalized in conflict resolution practices, for promoting cultural sensitivity at most. In reality, the omnipresence of culture in the micro and macrodynamics of cross-cultural interactions calls for a closer and more comprehensive examination of culture as a complex and creative force that shapes and animates events and relationships in our personal and communal worlds.
While culture informs conflicts, from how one defines and perceives conflict to how they evolve and are resolved, it is important to note that cultural differences do not necessarily lead to or escalate conflict. The relationship between culture and conflict is more complex and multifaceted, and presents opportunities for constructive relationship building. In order to navigate these dynamic meetings of cultures effectively and gracefully, cultural fluency and cultural intelligence are invaluable capacities that need to be developed. How these capacities could be cultivated at the individual, organizational, and societal levels would also be important to study and practice.
This paper will be composed of an extensive literature review on the descriptions and examinations of culture and the cultural dimensions of conflict. Two models that demonstrate the complex dynamics of multicultural and intercultural interaction and provide a systemic look in how culture guides one’s behavior will be presented. Cultural fluency and cultural intelligence will be described as needed capacities in our multicultural and intercultural worlds for enhancing communication, developing shared understandings, and creating a constructive future. Potential interdisciplinary studies and avenues for training for cultural fluency and cultural intelligence will be explored.
The Syrian refugee crisis has clearly exacerbated the issue of overcapacity in schools in Jordan.... more The Syrian refugee crisis has clearly exacerbated the issue of overcapacity in schools in Jordan. Although the country has achieved universal enrollment in primary education and are committed to improving the quality of education in Jordan, it faces significant challenges and setbacks in providing quality education for children and youth in Jordan today, including Syrian refugees. At the secondary level, overcapacity in both public and private schools is a serious problem that must be addressed before further progress for quality education can be made. Data regarding the number of public and private schools, the number of Syrian refugees they have absorbed, the pupil to teacher ratio, schools running double shifts, and other conditions of classrooms will be examined to demonstrate that current numbers and conditions of secondary schools are insufficient and ill-equipped to provide quality education for Jordanian and Syrian students.
The conception of law and justice, and the procedures that follow to exercise justice in a given ... more The conception of law and justice, and the procedures that follow to exercise justice in a given society is an insightful depiction of the society’s most valued ideals. The Western conception of justice is arguably most closely linked, if not defined, by the administration of the law. The Rule of Law is a foundational principle in the judicial and legislative system of the West, in which it claims that “law should govern” and that every citizen is “subject to the law”. This approach of assigning such authority to the law with the goals of protecting democracy and individual rights, is not universal. Despite having received its own sets of criticisms, the Western conception of law and justice has been the most predominantly held and supported view in the world of developed countries and international organizations. As international law and the promotion of international human rights has been moving towards to the forefront of the agendas of such groups, however, the need to understand the East Asian conception of law and justice has become critical.
The language of social exclusion emerged in Europe in the 1970’s and steadily gained popularity t... more The language of social exclusion emerged in Europe in the 1970’s and steadily gained popularity throughout the 1990’s, as the international community started to see the shortcomings of their efforts to address poverty as a purely economic, income-based problem. The experience of the poor were investigated more thoroughly, as the impressive GDP growth of newly industrializing nations failed to translate into an increased standard of living, nor an improved quality of life, for most of its inhabitants. Discussions of various forms of ‘deprivation’ that encompassed more than income led to the development of the capabilities approach in welfare economics, led by Amartya Sen. This new comprehensive view of poverty as an “impoverished life”- as opposed to the one dimensional view of poverty, merely as a condition of low income, was one of the most significant contributions to the study of development. It acknowledged that there are numerous noneconomic deprivations that contribute to the experience of poverty, such as deprivation from education, employment, social relations, political participation, housing, and nourishment. The concept of social exclusion arose from this context, as scholars turned their attention to examining the relationships and the dynamics between such deprivations, and the experience of poverty persisted, despite rapid industrialization and economic growth that seemed to accompany globalization. Social exclusion is a multidimensional concept that articulates the relational features embedded in capability deprivation and the experience of poverty. It also pronounces a nexus of relationships that exist between poverty, deprivation, development, and globalization- the understanding of such relationships is crucial for policy makers and the general public, in order to effectively ameliorate the experience of countless marginalized individuals and groups of people today, who can be referred to as the ‘socially excluded’.
The role of the arts as conduits to build peace in a myriad of multicultural and multiethnic cont... more The role of the arts as conduits to build peace in a myriad of multicultural and multiethnic contexts is being acknowledged today: for creating opportunities for positive interactions, encouraging reconciliation in conflict-affected societies, contributing to greater social cohesion in communities, and cultivating empathy and a sense of global citizenship. For conflict-affected communities, the arts offer spaces for dialogue, healing, nonverbal engagement, nonviolent expressions, creating shared narratives, and envisioning a shared future. The nonlinear, generative, and expressive nature of the arts, as well as their close proximity to people and culture make them great channels for building peace. There are numerous arts programs, collaborations, and organizations in Northern Ireland engaging in peacebuilding work that continues after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which halted the thirty years of violent conflict referred to as ‘The Troubles’. The Troubles encompassed conflicts between groups that are referred to as the unionist Protestant majority and the nationalist Catholic minority, though it was more so a political and territorial conflict rather than a religious one. As national identity and belonging were at the heart of the development of the conflict, the peacebuilding work that continues must involve efforts towards shared narratives for the future and nonviolent expressions of their cultural identities. Many of the arts programs in Northern Ireland today are participatory, community-based, and include the themes of tolerance, developing positive relations, and reimagining their civic and cultural identities.
The capacity to bridge worldviews and cultural differences is essential for numerous multicultura... more The capacity to bridge worldviews and cultural differences is essential for numerous multicultural and multiethnic contexts today: from working in multicultural teams, working with international constituents, promoting constructive conflict resolution, and building greater social cohesion and fostering trust in multicultural communities. Navigating and managing these countless meetings of different worldviews and cultures require cultural fluency and cultural intelligence.
One definition of culture is a “dynamic and changing set of shared patterns reflexively interweaving with knowing, perceiving, behaving, and sense making in a given group of people” (LeBaron, 2014). Such patterns and understandings are often underground, not articulated, yet ever present in our sense making and interactions with others. Culture shapes our values, our behaviors, relationships, and the ideas that we consider to be important. It is very much a part of our identities as well as a part of the lenses through which we see the world, and make meaning of.
There exists extensive literature on cultural differences and there has also been significant attention on the importance of cultural competency to navigate various multicultural contexts. However, there is little study on the dynamics of intercultural interaction. Culture is often treated as an ‘add-on’ in organizational trainings and compartmentalized in conflict resolution practices, for promoting cultural sensitivity at most. In reality, the omnipresence of culture in the micro and macrodynamics of cross-cultural interactions calls for a closer and more comprehensive examination of culture as a complex and creative force that shapes and animates events and relationships in our personal and communal worlds.
While culture informs conflicts, from how one defines and perceives conflict to how they evolve and are resolved, it is important to note that cultural differences do not necessarily lead to or escalate conflict. The relationship between culture and conflict is more complex and multifaceted, and presents opportunities for constructive relationship building. In order to navigate these dynamic meetings of cultures effectively and gracefully, cultural fluency and cultural intelligence are invaluable capacities that need to be developed. How these capacities could be cultivated at the individual, organizational, and societal levels would also be important to study and practice.
This paper will be composed of an extensive literature review on the descriptions and examinations of culture and the cultural dimensions of conflict. Two models that demonstrate the complex dynamics of multicultural and intercultural interaction and provide a systemic look in how culture guides one’s behavior will be presented. Cultural fluency and cultural intelligence will be described as needed capacities in our multicultural and intercultural worlds for enhancing communication, developing shared understandings, and creating a constructive future. Potential interdisciplinary studies and avenues for training for cultural fluency and cultural intelligence will be explored.
The Syrian refugee crisis has clearly exacerbated the issue of overcapacity in schools in Jordan.... more The Syrian refugee crisis has clearly exacerbated the issue of overcapacity in schools in Jordan. Although the country has achieved universal enrollment in primary education and are committed to improving the quality of education in Jordan, it faces significant challenges and setbacks in providing quality education for children and youth in Jordan today, including Syrian refugees. At the secondary level, overcapacity in both public and private schools is a serious problem that must be addressed before further progress for quality education can be made. Data regarding the number of public and private schools, the number of Syrian refugees they have absorbed, the pupil to teacher ratio, schools running double shifts, and other conditions of classrooms will be examined to demonstrate that current numbers and conditions of secondary schools are insufficient and ill-equipped to provide quality education for Jordanian and Syrian students.
The conception of law and justice, and the procedures that follow to exercise justice in a given ... more The conception of law and justice, and the procedures that follow to exercise justice in a given society is an insightful depiction of the society’s most valued ideals. The Western conception of justice is arguably most closely linked, if not defined, by the administration of the law. The Rule of Law is a foundational principle in the judicial and legislative system of the West, in which it claims that “law should govern” and that every citizen is “subject to the law”. This approach of assigning such authority to the law with the goals of protecting democracy and individual rights, is not universal. Despite having received its own sets of criticisms, the Western conception of law and justice has been the most predominantly held and supported view in the world of developed countries and international organizations. As international law and the promotion of international human rights has been moving towards to the forefront of the agendas of such groups, however, the need to understand the East Asian conception of law and justice has become critical.
The language of social exclusion emerged in Europe in the 1970’s and steadily gained popularity t... more The language of social exclusion emerged in Europe in the 1970’s and steadily gained popularity throughout the 1990’s, as the international community started to see the shortcomings of their efforts to address poverty as a purely economic, income-based problem. The experience of the poor were investigated more thoroughly, as the impressive GDP growth of newly industrializing nations failed to translate into an increased standard of living, nor an improved quality of life, for most of its inhabitants. Discussions of various forms of ‘deprivation’ that encompassed more than income led to the development of the capabilities approach in welfare economics, led by Amartya Sen. This new comprehensive view of poverty as an “impoverished life”- as opposed to the one dimensional view of poverty, merely as a condition of low income, was one of the most significant contributions to the study of development. It acknowledged that there are numerous noneconomic deprivations that contribute to the experience of poverty, such as deprivation from education, employment, social relations, political participation, housing, and nourishment. The concept of social exclusion arose from this context, as scholars turned their attention to examining the relationships and the dynamics between such deprivations, and the experience of poverty persisted, despite rapid industrialization and economic growth that seemed to accompany globalization. Social exclusion is a multidimensional concept that articulates the relational features embedded in capability deprivation and the experience of poverty. It also pronounces a nexus of relationships that exist between poverty, deprivation, development, and globalization- the understanding of such relationships is crucial for policy makers and the general public, in order to effectively ameliorate the experience of countless marginalized individuals and groups of people today, who can be referred to as the ‘socially excluded’.
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One definition of culture is a “dynamic and changing set of shared patterns reflexively interweaving with knowing, perceiving, behaving, and sense making in a given group of people” (LeBaron, 2014). Such patterns and understandings are often underground, not articulated, yet ever present in our sense making and interactions with others. Culture shapes our values, our behaviors, relationships, and the ideas that we consider to be important. It is very much a part of our identities as well as a part of the lenses through which we see the world, and make meaning of.
There exists extensive literature on cultural differences and there has also been significant attention on the importance of cultural competency to navigate various multicultural contexts. However, there is little study on the dynamics of intercultural interaction. Culture is often treated as an ‘add-on’ in organizational trainings and compartmentalized in conflict resolution practices, for promoting cultural sensitivity at most. In reality, the omnipresence of culture in the micro and macrodynamics of cross-cultural interactions calls for a closer and more comprehensive examination of culture as a complex and creative force that shapes and animates events and relationships in our personal and communal worlds.
While culture informs conflicts, from how one defines and perceives conflict to how they evolve and are resolved, it is important to note that cultural differences do not necessarily lead to or escalate conflict. The relationship between culture and conflict is more complex and multifaceted, and presents opportunities for constructive relationship building. In order to navigate these dynamic meetings of cultures effectively and gracefully, cultural fluency and cultural intelligence are invaluable capacities that need to be developed. How these capacities could be cultivated at the individual, organizational, and societal levels would also be important to study and practice.
This paper will be composed of an extensive literature review on the descriptions and examinations of culture and the cultural dimensions of conflict. Two models that demonstrate the complex dynamics of multicultural and intercultural interaction and provide a systemic look in how culture guides one’s behavior will be presented. Cultural fluency and cultural intelligence will be described as needed capacities in our multicultural and intercultural worlds for enhancing communication, developing shared understandings, and creating a constructive future. Potential interdisciplinary studies and avenues for training for cultural fluency and cultural intelligence will be explored.
One definition of culture is a “dynamic and changing set of shared patterns reflexively interweaving with knowing, perceiving, behaving, and sense making in a given group of people” (LeBaron, 2014). Such patterns and understandings are often underground, not articulated, yet ever present in our sense making and interactions with others. Culture shapes our values, our behaviors, relationships, and the ideas that we consider to be important. It is very much a part of our identities as well as a part of the lenses through which we see the world, and make meaning of.
There exists extensive literature on cultural differences and there has also been significant attention on the importance of cultural competency to navigate various multicultural contexts. However, there is little study on the dynamics of intercultural interaction. Culture is often treated as an ‘add-on’ in organizational trainings and compartmentalized in conflict resolution practices, for promoting cultural sensitivity at most. In reality, the omnipresence of culture in the micro and macrodynamics of cross-cultural interactions calls for a closer and more comprehensive examination of culture as a complex and creative force that shapes and animates events and relationships in our personal and communal worlds.
While culture informs conflicts, from how one defines and perceives conflict to how they evolve and are resolved, it is important to note that cultural differences do not necessarily lead to or escalate conflict. The relationship between culture and conflict is more complex and multifaceted, and presents opportunities for constructive relationship building. In order to navigate these dynamic meetings of cultures effectively and gracefully, cultural fluency and cultural intelligence are invaluable capacities that need to be developed. How these capacities could be cultivated at the individual, organizational, and societal levels would also be important to study and practice.
This paper will be composed of an extensive literature review on the descriptions and examinations of culture and the cultural dimensions of conflict. Two models that demonstrate the complex dynamics of multicultural and intercultural interaction and provide a systemic look in how culture guides one’s behavior will be presented. Cultural fluency and cultural intelligence will be described as needed capacities in our multicultural and intercultural worlds for enhancing communication, developing shared understandings, and creating a constructive future. Potential interdisciplinary studies and avenues for training for cultural fluency and cultural intelligence will be explored.