Building Cultural Intelligence (CQ)

Description

1. Cultural Intelligence (CQ): An Overview        
2. CQ Megaskill:  Understanding My Cultural Identity          
3. CQ Megaskill:  Checking Cultural Lenses         
4. CQ Megaskill:  Global Consciousness
5. CQ Megaskill:  Shifting Perspectives
6. CQ Megaskill:  Intercultural Communication
7. CQ Megaskill:  Managing Cross-Cultural Conflict
8. CQ Megaskill: Multicultural Teaming     
9. CQ Megaskill:  Dealing with Bias
10. CQ Megaskill: Understanding the Dynamics of Power

Where Am I Now?  Self-assessment questions related to each megaskill. (Ex. pg. 54-55)

• Facilitates differentiated instruction, allowing reader to become more aware of his or her skill level with regard to each megaskill.  Furthermore, assessment provides reader with feedback on what areas of cultural intelligence require more attention and work, and one’s progress in building certain skills over time.

Performance Skills.  In each chapter, the reader will focus on developing a number of performance skills.  These performance skills appear at the beginning of each chapter. (Ex. pg. 51)

• By reading and applying the materials in each chapter, the reader develops a subset of specific performance skills related to each megaskill.  For example, the megaskill “checking cultural lenses” includes a number of performance skills such as “understanding the impact of cultural lenses,” “identifying different cultural truths,” and “respecting a variety of cultural lenses.”

CQ Applied.  Examples of people who have successfully put cultural intelligence to work on their jobs. (Ex. pg. 63)

• Shows how CQ brings about bottom-line results.

Your Turn.  Questions asked of readers, encouraging reflection on issues being addressed. (Ex. pg. 62, 63, 65)

• Facilitates both classroom discussions and/or online discussion boards.  By being active learners and applying the material to their own lives, readers develop greater awareness and understanding as they respond in writing to pointed, thought-provoking questions.

To Learn More.  Provides readers with Internet links as well as other activities to expand their cultural intelligence. (Ex. pg. 60)

• Allows readers to engage in learning through interactive sources of information, perspectives, and assessments; providing additional insight into their own CQ.  Building CQ reaches out to the digital leaner.

Did You Know?  Data from studies, the Census, and other sources provide clarification and support for issues related to cultural intelligence. (Ex. pg. 55)

• Provides compelling data that underscores the importance of CQ.

Reflect Before Reading.  Prepares learners for what they are about to read. (Ex. pg. 51)

• Enhances comprehension; helps learners connect to background knowledge, engage concepts and issues, and apply what they learn.

A Look Back: I Have Learned.  A summary at the end of each chapter, outlining major points the reader should have learned. (Ex. pg. 74)

• Reinforces learning by providing a review of each chapter.

Individual Action Plan (IAP).  IAP asks the reader to focus on improving a specific skill discussed in the chapter.  In addition, it asks reader to write strategies for developing this skill, what s(he) will do, possible obstacles, necessary resources, and means of assessment. (Ex. pg. 74-75)

• IAP reinforces the idea that there is no single “blueprint” for building CQ.  Self-directed learners take ownership for building their own CQ by specifying personal objectives, planning strategies to meet those objectives, and holding themselves accountable.

Bottom Line.  Each chapter concludes with a discussion of each megaskills’ impact on the bottom line. (Ex. pg. 74)

• Too often, CQ megaskills are viewed as desirable but not absolutely necessary.  This feature succinctly explains why each megaskill is critical to success on an individual and organizational level.

TECHNOLOGY AND PEARSON CHOICES

MyStudentSuccessLab (www.mystudentsuccesslab.com) is an online solution designed to help students ‘Start strong, Finish stronger’ by building skills for ongoing personal and professional development. This Learning Outcome based technology promotes student engagement through:

·          The Learning Path Diagnostic offers for the course, 83 Full Course Pre- and Post-Diagnostic (Bloom’s Taxonomy Levels I-VI) questions, and for each topic, 20 Pre- and Post-Test (Bloom’s Taxonomy Levels I-VI) questions.

·          The Overview provides learning objectives to build vocabulary and repetition.

·          Video interviews on key issues ‘by students, for students’.

·          The Practice exercises improve class preparation and learning. 

·          Graded Activities build critical thinking skills and develop problem-solving abilities (includes Essays and Journaling).

·          Instructors benefit from an Implementation Guide to easily assign and assess progress. 

·          Students have access to relevant FinishStronger247 YouTube videos, the Pearson student Facebook page chock full of tips, MySearchLab use for doing effective research, and more.

Dr. Richard Bucher is a Professor of Sociology at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC).  He has been nationally recognized for his teaching excellence and teaches a variety of courses, including Introductory Sociology, Cultural Diversity in the Workplace, and Race and Ethnic Relations.  The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education recently honored him for teaching excellence.  He served as the first Director of BCCC’s Institute for Intercultural Understanding (IIU).  Under his leadership, the IIU gained national recognition as an innovative diversity education program.  Dr. Bucher received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Howard University, with a concentration in race and ethnic relations.  He is also the author of  Diversity Consciousness 3rd edition (Prentice Hall, 2010).  We encourage you to visit his website at http://www.buildingcq.com and this Blog on the subject of diversity consciousness/cultural intelligence at www.diversityconsciousness.com/blog The author driven Blog is for faculty and educators who want to learn more about diversity and how it impacts their institutions, their communities, and their teaching.

Building Cultural Intelligence(CQ): Nine Megaskills

Building Cultural Intelligence is a must read for any course that emphasizes cultural awareness and understanding, human interaction, and cultural communication among diverse populations.  This practical, engaging, and interactive text promotes critical thinking and skills development.

Bucher presents cultural intelligence as a skill we can learn, develop, and manage.  He focuses on nine specific megaskills readers can use at work, home, and abroad to promote cross-cultural understanding.  Each chapter offers a number of diverse learning aids, including self-assessments.  Each megaskill supplies building blocks through specific competencies.  These nine megaskills are:

• Understanding cultural identity
• Checking cultural lenses
• Global conciousness
• Shifting perspectives
• Intercultural communication
• Managing cross-cultural conflict
• Multicultural teaming
• Managing bias
• Understanding the dynamics of power

Research and theory are discussed throughout, specifically with regard to culture and its impact on who we are, how we view ourselves and others, and how we relate in a variety of ways.  The relevance to employment and career goals, focus on critically important skills, and inclusiveness are all strengths of this text that will give students the edge in any environment.  

Readers become “CEO’s” of their CQ skill development rather than relying on others to take the initiative.  It explores bottom line relevance, real-life applications, and moves beyond awareness so the learner becomes more “intelligent” in terms of developing the ability to adjust to cultural differences. 

This engaging, interactive book on cultural diversity is suited for general courses across the disciplines (i.e. cultural diversity, human relations, freshman seminar/orientation, communications, sociology, business, health and human services, theology, education, management) as well as more specific ones (hospitality management, racial and ethnic relations, customer service, culturally competent health care, managing diversity, teaching diverse populations, multicultural counseling, muticultural psychology, transcultural nursing, family therapy, human relations/law enforcement).

The text treats cultural intelligence as a rich and dynamic skill set we can develop, and manage ourselves through self-directed learning.  Readers will develop nine megaskills; skills they can take with them and use at work, at home, abroad, or in any setting where cross-cultural awareness, understanding, and interaction is required.  These nine megaskills include:  1)understanding my cultural identity; 2)checking cultural lenses; 3)global consciousness; 4)shifting perspectives; 5)intercultural communication; 6)managing cross-cultural conflict; 7)multicultural teaming; 8)managing bias; 9)understanding the dynamics of power.

Highly interactive, promotes critical thinking, reflection, and application.  Includes self-assessments.  Readers are continually asked to reflect before and after reading, and write responses in the space provided.  Specific performance skills at the beginning of each chapter enable readers to focus on certain competencies they will develop.  By building these skills, readers will be able to acknowledge, understand, and leverage cultural differences. 

Throughout the text, research and theory are discussed, specifically with regard to culture and its impact on who we are, how we view ourselves and others, and how we interact.  For additional resources, please visit http://www.buildingcq.com  We encourage you to visit this Blog on the subject of diversity consciousness/cultural intelligence at www.diversityconsciousness.com/blog   The author driven Blog is for faculty and educators who want to learn more about diversity and how it impacts their institutions, their communities, and their teaching.

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