Creating a Safe Space - Case Study Example

Creating a Safe Space Name: Institution: Date: Contents 1.0 Introduction 3 1.1 Background 3 1.2 Scope 3 1.2 Aim 3 2.0 Summary of the video 4 3.0 Summary of literature 4 4.0 Observation of video 6 5.0 Discussion 6 6.0 Recommendations 7 7.0 Conclusion 8 8.0 References 10 1.0 Introduction Culture refers to those qualities individuals possess in social groups, and they could be the safe way people talk to each other to avoid misconceptions and misunderstandings that could create enmity. Spencer-Oatey (2013) argues that those individuals who wish to use some actions or language, not in the know of others should explain themselves first. 1.1 Background This subject is essential because currently people move from one place to another and encounter new surroundings. K.R. (2011) argues that growing up in such circumstances forces one to reassess the immediate surroundings, own identity, immediate roles and those interacting with to avoid conflicts. This analysis supports the video clip’s scene where Zack’s acting partners come apologising to him, but he says they made fun of him. They, however, go further and demonstrate that they like giving each other a hard time by telling one of them “you look like a playing mantis” and at that moment, Zack accepts the apology and goes out with them (Prady, Molaro, & Holland, 2007). 1.2 Scope The scope of this study involves the set of beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviours that particular group shares but synthesised differently by group members and communicated from one generation to another. 1.2 Aim This report aims to show that cultural awareness is the foundation of communication within the society and it involves doing away with individual stands and becoming aware of the immediate cultural values, beliefs and perceptions (Quappe & Cantatore, 2005). Improving the safety of the working place shall involve adapting acceptable working and communication culture that makes everyone comfortable and allows them to express themselves freely. 2.0 Summary of the video This video clip was made in 2007, and it shows that having a common culture could help remove misunderstandings in the society. In the video, Zack tells his friends that he watched on discovery channel a clip showing a person killing a starfish and it comes back to life. His friend asks him if the starfish was wearing a boxer short insinuating Zack was watching something else. Zack goes further saying on the channel; they showed how dolphins are smarter than people, but his friends said the dolphins are smarter than some people and by that they were insinuating Zack. Zack got offended because he did not understand they liked teasing one another during their free time. Later, they apologised when they demonstrated their social behaviour, and he became part of the group. The setting appears to be a college environment where the students pass from one generation to another defined cultural beliefs. 3.0 Summary of literature A safe space as explained by Holley and Steiner (2005) is an environment that changes both how much and what one learns when interacting with others. For individuals to form a productive and coherently working society, it is impetuously necessary that people must have shared goals, beliefs, aspirations, immediate surroundings knowledge, and a common understanding as Flanja (2009) argue. Therefore, cultural intelligence can be said to be that capability to relate well and work efficiently across the diverse cultures. According to Quappe and Cantatore (2005), the cultural capabilities in this study shall enable each to know about their culture and how it shall shape their lives. Besides, it is imperative to understand other cultures as this shall assist in effective communication and will play a role in understanding own culture and its perspectives better as demonstrated in the video by Prady, Molaro and Holland (2007). Moreover, this knowledge elicits the realisation that there are many skills, attitudes and values that encourage effective communication across cultures and so valuing difference shall be a benefit not only to the individual but the rest of the society and the coming generations. Also, the realisation points out that without cross-cultural capability in individual levels of the society, there will be communication breakdown and conflicts will emerge but when people with different backgrounds and cultures make an effort to collaborate, the number of ideas they shall create will jump drastically. Cultural self-awareness will promote communication across cultures as it brings about the aspect of cultural sensitivity and also the willingness to reflect critically on a given situation and set of circumstances (K.R, 2011). This awareness will bring about the ability to adapt to the functioning, living and also working comfortably in different cultures while valuing the differences inherent. In the end, the individual will hold openness to others, be willing to challenge assumptions, develop a mentality of curiosity in others and the world, and also develop respect for other people and their views. This realisation shall help to point out that in a diverse environment, a safe space does not necessarily refer to that environment without discomfort, struggle or pain but it includes confronting issues that bring elements of discomfort and this forces one to struggle who they are and what they believe and eventually the rewards that shall include self-growth and become a better social worker will outweigh penalties like possible embarrassment and ridicule (Jones, 2008). 4.0 Observation of video In the video, when Zack explains what the picture on the magazine they just brought in is, all the other individuals look at each other in an unusual manner. This body language demonstrates that they are in agreement with him but want to challenge him by stressing him as they are used to. The voice used by the rest except Zack demonstrate people with a common culture as they attack each other defensively and there is no offence about it. However, they behaved badly by attacking a new person, in this case, Zack, without caring to know if he acknowledges their kind of talk. This group members display ignorance in their communication to an individual who is not part of them and so they need to be guided how to judge what to talk when a person with some different reasoning joins their group. In the end, the group members throng to Zack’s place, and they come apologising to him and explaining that their kind of talk is their culture. They go ahead teasing each other without showing any offence and Zack finds it cool. Therefore, they should have informed this kind of communication to Zack the first time they saw he was offended – when he asked if they believe he is stupid and one of them said they were implying it. At that point, Zack stormed out and not one person offered an apology even when Zack’s companion appeared offended too and came to his defence. 5.0 Discussion At the beginning of the video, one member confirms to another that people don’t what to play with him because of his weirdness to which the attacked person confirms and says he has also been wondering about the same since pre-school. This part shows that the group members demonstrate a high level of cultural intelligence based on this easy communication. However, Immediately Zack comes in and tries to explain what is on the cover magazine to which the members remain silent and express some elements of discomfort with his answer. Zack’s partner understood that and answered a question projected to her that she is in Zack again. She demonstrates congruence with the culture at this place, and that is why she told Zack they should leave when Zack wondered if they had been in that room before. At this point, the partner saw that Zack might not fit in that quickly and so she wanted him out, but he insisted that he wanted to talk to the science guys. Throughout the conversation, Zack displayed a high level of cultural ignorance, and he failed to get that the guys were making fun of each other. To him, talking facts was the order of the day just as he introduced the topic on the starfish and the dolphins, things that science can prove to be correct or not. However, responses Zack received showed that the guys were making fun of him only that he did not get it fast enough. For instance, he says that the guys believe he is stupid and one of them confirms so to which he hastily walks out. Under such an occasion, he should have sat down and get to understand these guys before making a contribution. This could be the best way Zack was to fit into this group without feeling embarrassed as a person who does not know anything about science. At the end of the video, the group members come to Zack and apologise with a demonstration on how they attack each other without any member taking it as offensive. At this point, Zack gets absorbed to their kind of communication, and even he does not wonder when another individual exclaims about his one in a million years remark. Therefore, Zack becomes culturally aware of the nature of this group and together they go out to make fun of one another. 6.0 Recommendations The scenario should be changed by first the participants explaining the nature of their culture to the new individuals as this is the was one can get accustomed to their way of life without getting offended. As Quappe and Cantatore (2005) argue, culture is about standing back from our individual beliefs and in the process becoming aware of the surrounding cultural values, beliefs and perceptions. We should in an instant do things in a different way that should not hurt other people and so see the world differently. The group members in the video understand each other but as Zack wondered if he had been with them, they should have introduced him first before attacking him. With an introduction, misconceptions shall not occur as no member will lack awareness of individual behavioural rules. Besides, this knowledge shall form the basis of what we project to others and we should avoid assuming but find out what a behaviour means to others. Therefore, individual experiences, values, and cultural backgrounds should lead the society members to see things differently and do them in a way that shall accommodate every member within the vicinity. More importantly, it may help when people gather feedback from foreigners on how their culture impacted them and adjust for the better when dealing with other foreigners in future 7.0 Conclusion This video clip covered a scenario where a new person joins people with some common culture, and he starts talking to them, and in return, they respond using a communication he is not used to. This video shows that without being culturally sensitive, some safe spaces can be painful and may lead to feelings of dejection and isolation. However, during the initial encounters, each member should get to understand the culture within the immediate surroundings and respond appropriately so as to eradicate elements of misunderstandings as shown in this video. The members should have introduced Zack to their group and show him the kind of offensive they do to each other without any person taking it personally as an insult, and they could have avoided inflicting pain and elements of abuse to him. 8.0 References Flanja, D. (2009). Culture shock in intercultural communication. Studia Europaea, LIV(4), 107- 112. Holley, L.C., & Steiner, S. (2005). Safe Space: Student perspectives on classroom environment. Journal of Social Work Education, 41(1), 49-54. Jones, N. (2008). “4.0: Self-Doubt, the Fear of Failure, and the Power of Symbols.” Human Architecture Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge, 6(2), 147-155. K.R. (2011). Growing up a third kid: A Sociological self-examination. Human Architecture, Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge, IX(1), 29-42. Prady, B., Molaro, S., & Holland, S. (2007). The Big Bang Theory: Who’s smatter dolphins or Zack? (Television series). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK-b1CtlATw Quappe, S., & Cantatore, G. (2005). What is Cultural Awareness, anyway? How do I build it? Culturosity.com, 1-3. Spencer-Oatey, H. (2012). What is Culture? A compilation of quotations. GlobalPAD Core Concepts, Accessed on October 5, 2016, from http://go.warwick.ac.uk/globalpadintercultural Read More