Ali Groome

PR 490
Dr. White
7/30/15
Intercultural Sensitivity Evaluation
Experiencing a new culture is both rewarding and challenging simultaneously. Part of
immersing oneself into another culture is learning how to become more aware and sensitive to
those who are different. I have experienced firsthand that becoming sensitive toward other
cultures takes a great amount of time and effort. After entering a new culture for the first time,
there are transitions that everyone will encounter. Transitions from one realization to the next
can be organized into different stages as an individual progressively becomes more sensitive to
another culture. These stages can be measured through Bennetts Stages of Cultural Sensitivity.
It is imperative to point out that many people may never reach the first of Bennetts
stages if they never encounter a different culture, and every individual who does will move
through these stages differently. Denial is the first of Bennetts stages. During denial, people do
not perceive there are any cultural differences between the country they are in compared to their
own. I had my first experience with denial upon arriving in Urbino, where I proceeded to order
food in English expecting to hear it back. I did not consider how a small town of Italians would
react to a large group of loud Americans walking through town at midnight, and I continued to
look at Italy through the lens of an American. I even told a friend after examining the landscape,
This is a pretty good mix of Florida and Tennessee, wouldnt you think? I was treating Urbino
like Disney World, thinking citizens of Urbino could magically meet my American needs and
expectations. Once I realized this was not the case, the euphoria vanished and shock set in.
This led to the second stage called Defense. This stage comes with the realization that
there are differences between ones own culture and the culture being experienced. These
differences can be viewed as negative and even dangerous to ones own values. As I began to
notice the cultural norms of Italians, I was overwhelmed. With a mix of jetlag and homesickness
not helping the situation, I began to make judgement calls about the locals based off the rightness
of my own mind. I hated the idea of siesta because the city was not catering to my norm of being
able to shop or snack whenever I wanted to. Furthermore, I could not fathom how a place as hot
as Urbino could function without air conditioning! I did not want to understand Italian culture,
partly because I was afraid of how it would affect my daily routine and lifestyle once I returned
home. I finally began to notice similarities between American and Italian culture, like their love
for staying out late, pop music, shopping, and food. After living in Urbino for almost a week, it
was difficult to resist attempting to understand the culture.
Once I began to make basic correlations between American and Italian culture, this led to
the third stage called Minimization. At this stage people begin to realize their own cultural
stereotypes and respect and appreciate the differences between their culture and the one being
experienced. Although, they still think parts of their culture are universally understood. As I
started acclimating to Italian culture, I became self-conscious of how Americans looked and
sounded to Italians. I would try to be quiet eating at restaurants, and blend in with the locals as
much as possible. By attempting to utilize siesta as a time to rest and slow down to live life at an
Italian pace, I was trying to minimize my own culture and embrace Italian values. Although, I
still expected Italians to speak English to me, split checks like an American restaurant would,
and treat time monochronically as I would. I was used to a way of life that was very fast-paced

and monochronic. I slowly began to understand and learn about my own culture while becoming
sensitive to not project it on others.
After gaining an understanding of not only Italian culture but my own, I shifted to the
fourth stage called Acceptance. In this stage one can shift his or her internal perspective from
one culture to another, while at the same time remaining committed to original values. While I
continued to prefer my values and norms, I could usually put myself in the shoes of Italians and
empathize with their values. There were still moments that I shifted back to stage three, but after
I looked past my frustrations I could see the reasons Italians did certain things, like using a bidet.
Bidets allow the user to efficiently clean themself while conserving water by taking fewer
showers. While I continued to prefer toilets and long showers, I completely understood why
Italians used another method. It is also important to understand that in other cultures the same
action can mean something different. For example, cutting in line is something that is looked
down upon in the U.S., but in Italy people do not find it offensive because they value time
polychronically. The acceptance stage is where I have stayed for the majority of this trip. While
I understand why Italians have certain norms and values, I continue to struggle adapting to some
norms of Italian culture including the perception of time.
Understanding that the same action can mean something different is the turning point to
transition to the fifth stage called Adaptation. In this stage, people can successfully shift between
their own culture and the culture they are encountering and interact successfully in both. This
stage develops in two parts, cognitive and behavioral adaptation. Cognitive adaptation is the
ability to mentally shift into the value scheme of another culture. Behavioral adaptation means
one can behave according to the norms of another culture. I believe I have scratched the surface
of this stage, because I have noticed I can mentally shift to remember a restaurant in town
probably will not open until 7:30 pm, or a store may be closed for siesta. I can usually alter my
behavior and decisions accordingly, even though the norms I remember are mainly superficial. I
do not feel I am at the point where I can operate successfully or confidently on my own. This is
mainly due to my lack of knowledge about the Italian language. My confidence comes from
how I communicate, and when that function is taken away I begin to depend on others to interact
for me. Even though language is a barrier, it is amazing to experience adapting to a new culture
and see it become routine overtime.
Having the ability to evaluate norms based one ones own culture and the culture being
experienced marks the transition to the final stage called Integration. Switching cultural
perspectives becomes natural in this stage, and one can easily evaluate situations from different
cultural perspectives. It takes an experienced person to reach this stage, since that person must
first have enough knowledge about another culture to naturally integrate, and then have the
ability to move from being ethnocentric to polycentric. This is known as Hofstedes third-culture
individual. While it can take lifetimes to reach, this stage calls for an individual that can easily
integrate from culture to culture. More importantly this individual must be willing to go with the
flow of another culture, and completely set aside negative perceptions. I will most likely never
reach this stage, as I am still very ethnocentric and unable to fully adapt to cultures that I do not
understand. It would be difficult for me to fully immerse myself into another culture without
feeling as though I lost my identity. From the beginning of this study abroad trip to four weeks
later, I have achieved a great amount of intercultural sensitivity from where I began. I am able to
accept the values and norms of other cultures, and realize that my norms and values are not right
or wrong compared to another culture. They are simply different.