Ch. 4 A Multicultural Worldview
Metaphors for seeing life/world from different view points. Rah gives the metaphor of viewing from the ground and then from a plane or mountain top. Yesterday, you talked about in science using different lenses to see different things. "What is invisible in one light, becomes visible in another."
Cultural Intelligence - the ability to know your own culture and also to observe/critique it from another culture (84).
Creating the environment - being open to other cultures means acknowledging that others may not (often will not) react the same way as you do to a particular situation. Again, Rah emphasizes the need for corporate/individual confession of racial barriers in the past (85).
I'm reminded of a conversation I had with some Haitian leaders while in Haiti on a mission trip. They gave our group (of college students) their story (our shared history) from the Haitian perspective. Their story revealed many failures on our part as Americans and as Christians to love our neighbor. At the end, I remember weeping while I apologized for all I had done. A real friendship blossomed out of my confession and their forgiveness. God indeed moves in wonderful reconciling ways!
"While self-awareness is important to our work in the church, a social-cultural awareness is just as critical in how we connect to the church and world around us" (86).
Individual focused culture - people are judged on individual traits and individual priorities are often above that of the group (89) Group focused culture - children are taught that they belong to the family, tribe, village. "I belong; therefore, I am" (90).
Guilt vs. Shame " 'true shame cultures rely on external sanctions for good behavior, not, as true guilt cultures do, on an internalized conviction of sin. Shame is a reaction to other people's criticism...Guilt [is] not." Quote by Ruth Benedict (91).
Power dynamics in different cultures: Equality vs. Hierarchy
ex: Asian American male child's grade went down because the teacher asked for volunteers and he never volunteered. He respected authority. However, when called on, he would answer. Need to be invited to speak (94).
Communication: Direct vs. Indirect (95)
Task vs. Relationship
Ex: meetings, motivated by the tasks and time or the relationships of those in the room.
This chapter has revealed to me some of my "red zones" for leadership. I score high for individual-oriented, equality-oriented, direct-oriented, and task-oriented. These qualities for leadership mark my efficiency and individual success, but I really need to be pushed and push myself to be more respectful of authority, more intentional about the way I communicate things, and have more concern for relationships instead of pushing agendas ahead. Being aware of this is key if I want to work with people of other cultures.
Chapter 5: Enhanced Connections
Primary vs. Secondary Cultures
My the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" Toula's family (Greek) represents a primary culture and Ian (WASP) represents a secondary culture.
"A healthy interaction between two disparate cultures can challenge those from each to bring out the best in both" (104).
Another model - Hot vs. Cold Cultures (Sarah Lanier) - geographically based
High vs. Low (Edward Hall's Beyond Culture) In high culture everything matters (who you know, what you wear, etc). In low culture things matter little.
"The three paradigms...are insufficient to describe the complexity and layers of the range of cultures in the world" (106). However, they do present some trends and patterns.
Identify the church culture.
Ch. 6: Power Dynamics
Power Dynamics in the Early Church (Acts 15). Judeo-Christians want to establish norms (circumcision) and generate racial/ethnic hostility toward the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas remind the Jews that God Incarnate (Jesus) did not distinguish between the two groups, but granted grace for salvation for all.
Rah demonstrates how similar this power dynamic between ethnicities is today for the Christian Church. White Christians are in the minority, yet we are still trying to "run" the church.
Situation described of an Anglo church desiring to reach immigrant communities. It is not about a handout or a hand up - it is a hand across (121). We are now co-laborers and co-seekers of the kingdom of God. Partnerships, not paternalism.
" 'Equality came only after they [dominant culture group] had recognized the inequality of power and that it was through giving up of power that equality could occur' " Eric Law (124).
Pushed meaning of Ephesians 5 - what does it mean to lay down one's life for another? Giving up of everything for mission, goal, relationship. How committed are we to the multicultural calling?
There is so much to comment on in this section of Rah's book--and your discussion of it. But I'll make a couple of observations.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your story of your time in Haiti. Most people deny corporate responsibility, particularly if the situation is "distant" in geography or time. But acknowledging our culpability and repenting opens the door, not only to new relationships, but also to deeper spiritual sensitivity. Apologizing puts us on the same side with those who have been wronged, and begins to give us deeper cultural understanding.
I also appreciated your reflections on your own leadership strengths and weaknesses. Self-understanding is a real key when working across any cultural boundary.
Understanding the "layering" of culture (and other complexities) is also key. It's awfully easy to make assertions and come to conclusions about situations without considering the surrounding historical/ social/ political/ ecclesiastical/ethnic culture. I've had several conversation just in the last week about our current denominational struggles where the statements being made sounded very naive against the backdrop of our current denominational and broader social cultures. Obviously we can never had a complete understanding, but it is important that we are at least aware of what we might not understand.
And then there is the issue of "power". This is a huge area for thoughtful consideration. Power is often disguised and unrecognized--as well as misused.