AFS Foundations Handbook_Final.docx

Welcome to the online version of Foundations of
Intercultural Learning & Global Competence!
This handbook compiles the key topics and reflection questions of each of the 11 modules
in this online course. The goal for this document is to be a support and guidance tool as
you go through the course. It can also be a good way to record your learnings to use in the
future!
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© 2020 AFS INTERCULTURAL PROGRAMS INC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Table of Contents
Unit 1: Getting Started with AFS and ICL
Module 1 - Welcome
This introductory module welcomes you to the course and the Learning
Management System. You will also have a chance to introduce yourself and meet
the rest of your cohort!
Module 2 - How AFS Creates Impact

In this module, you will learn more about what AFS does around the world and how
AFS creates impact. In addition to the AFS mission, we will also introduce you to
the AFS Theory of Change and how we create Active Global Citizens.
Module 3 - Connecting to Real-Life Experiences

Explores how encounters of people with different cultural backgrounds can lead to
misunderstandings or even interpersonal conflicts. You’ll reflect on your own
experiences and encounters with people of different backgrounds than your own.
Module 4 - Understanding Differences

What exactly is culture? What culture or cultures do you feel you belong to?
Answering these questions is key to understanding and interacting with other
cultures.
LIVE SESSION #1
This is your chance to meet and connect with your fellow cohort members live.
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Unit 2: Dive Deeper
Module 5 - Stereotypes and Generalizations
We all make assumptions about others. How can we make sure we’re making
informed generalizations and are not stereotyping?
Module 6 - Cultural Value Dimensions

Here we look at how certain powerful cultural generalizations help us understand
differences.
Module 7 - Communication Styles

In this module, we explore preferred styles of communication to help understand
how miscommunication might be linked to our cultural differences.
LIVE SESSION #2
This is your chance to meet your fellow cohort members to reflect on key content from
modules 5-7.
Unit 3: Applying your Intercultural Skills

Module 8 - Suspending Judgment
Here we give you a concrete tool for analyzing situations and events without
rushing to judgment.
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Module 9 - Understanding Inequality
This module introduces the importance of understanding inequality when looking
at differences in our society. You will explore the notions of mainstream and margin
and apply them to your own reality.
Module 10 - Active Global Citizenship

What is Active Global Citizenship? As AFS volunteers and staff, how are you
creating positive social impact within or beyond AFS? Here we will learn more
about Active Global Citizenship and also start exploring ways you can create social
impact in your local environment.
Module 11 - Closing
We will look back at what we have learned in this program and we will start looking
into the future. You will reflect on what you’ve learned and how you’ll apply it for
the benefit of AFS students, host families, other volunteers and staff, or anyone
else in your community.
LIVE SESSION #3
This is the third and final live session with your fellow cohort members where you’ll reflect
on key content from modules 8-11 as well as the course as a whole.
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Module 1: Welcome!
Foundations is the introductory level of the AFS Intercultural Link Learning Program,
AFS’s intercultural training and assessment program for volunteers and staff.
The goal of the course is to help volunteers and staff increase their intercultural and
global competence in their roles in and outside of AFS.
What sets AFS apart from other organizations: theory of change, educational goals and
learning journeys, and the #AFSEffect
REMEMBER: INTERCULTURAL LEARNING IS A LIFELONG JOURNEY!
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Module 2: How AFS creates impact
The AFS Mission: AFS Intercultural Programs is an international, voluntary,

non-governmental, non-profit organization that provides intercultural learning
opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to
create a more just and peaceful world.
AFS develops active global citizens committed to making the world a better place.
Through our international exchange and host family programs, educational initiatives,
volunteerism, and advocacy, we empower young people from all backgrounds with
essential global competencies—and the passion for making a difference.
AFS is a global network of organizations that operates all over the world. Since 1947, over
500,000 people have participated in AFS study abroad programs.
AFS also organizes workshops and events, and provides resources and tools, both
in-person and virtual, to schools, organizations and businesses to help people develop
their intercultural and global competence.
A theory of change is how an organization like AFS explains how they do what they do to
achieve their mission or how they create impact. AFS study abroad programs develop
active global citizens through three steps: Experience + Learn + Practice. This is our
theory of change:
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Step 01: Experience difference
AFS students experience differences by being immersed in a new cultural environment

while on an AFS program.
Experiencing difference is the first step to how we create active global citizens.
Step 02: Learn
AFS has designed intentional learning journeys for students, host families and volunteers.
The AFS Student Learning Journey uses a variety of proven experiential learning formats
and resources to engage students, help them process their everyday experiences and
learn from their reactions to new, and sometimes difficult, situations.
The AFS Educational Goals are the backbone of the AFS Student Learning Journey &
Curriculum. They are divided into four areas:
Stemming from the four areas of our educational goals, are the AFS Superpowers, that is,
key competencies to succeed in the 21st century and change the world:
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Besides impacting students participating in our programs, AFS’s reach extends into
schools all around the world, as schools and educators are key pillars of our hosting and
sending programs.
In some regions of the world, AFS engages in advocacy of Intercultural Learning and
lobbies to remove structural obstacles to student, volunteer and youth exchanges.
AFS also partners with like-minded institutions to build and grow a coalition of
stakeholders across sectors to ensure global competence education is available to more
young people worldwide.
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FORUM QUESTION:
Look back at AFS's Theory of Change of Experience + Learn + Practice. Describe how the
role you currently play at AFS relates to creating active global citizens. If you are new to AFS
and don’t have a clear role yet, how would you want to help develop active global citizens?
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Module 3: Connecting to real-life experiences
Culture | Person | Situation Model: a model that can help you understand that challenges
among people who are different from each other are not always linked to cultural
differences.
CULTURE: levels of culture (national, regional, professional, company) and the values and
attitudes associated with those groups.
PERSON: traces of personality (age, gender, experience, social background/status,

personal disposition, mood, etc.).
SITUATION: the context of the situation (public/private, formal/informal, location,

outdoors/indoors, noise, time, etc.).
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FORUM QUESTIONS:
Think about a challenging encounter you had with a person who had a background, belief or
behavior that was different from yours. You can think of a situation that you experienced or
one that you witnessed. Now, reflect on the following questions:
Who were the people involved?
What was the main challenge?
What differences were most striking?
What did the people do about the challenge?
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Module 4: Understanding difference
Each one of us belongs to many different cultural groups. It is not just about nationality
or the language one speaks.
The iceberg is a cultural metaphor that helps the understanding of what culture is. The
visible elements of culture are called artifacts. The invisible aspects of culture are its
values and beliefs.
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The artifacts are connected to the invisible part of the iceberg. The artifacts may be the
way that certain values or beliefs are made visible.
The iceberg as a metaphor helps us talk about culture in a more concrete way, but it also
has some limitations: We cannot touch cultures (as we can touch an iceberg), and cultures
are fluid and change over time.
There is usually a lot of variation between the beliefs, behaviors, values and interactions
that members of the same cultural group. While a culture has its preferred or dominant
set of beliefs, behaviors and values, there is still a lot of diversity within each cultural
group.
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FORUM QUESTIONS:
1) Think about your life. Make a list of 3 or more cultural groups you identify with. Write
them down.
2) Remember the list of your cultural groups? Take some time to reflect on the following
questions:
a. What might be the visible components of this culture (behaviors or artifacts)?
b. What might be the invisible components of this culture (values, beliefs, assumptions)?
c. How are the visible and invisible elements connected?
3) Draw the iceberg of the cultural group you chose.
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4) Comparing the icebergs:
a. How many of the artifacts above the waterline are the same?
b. What about the elements below the waterline?
c. How similar are they?
d. What is the relationship between the artifacts and the beliefs or values under the
water?
5) What are two reflections you have from creating your own cultural iceberg? What did you
learn from comparing different icebergs?
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Module 5: Stereotypes and Generalizations
A stereotype is a widely accepted (but not necessarily accurate) judgment or bias about
a group. Stereotypes are limiting and unhelpful. They can lead to discrimination and do
not help us understand others. Stereotypes tend to be:
● Incomplete
● Inflexible (they do not change in the face of new information or experience)
● Oversimplified
Where do stereotypes come from? The human brain looks for shortcuts in an attempt to
simplify the world and save us time in interpreting what is happening around us. They also
come from our own personal experiences.
Generalizations can help us prepare for an effective and appropriate first encounter with
people of other cultural groups. Generalizations are flexible. Making informed cultural
generalizations means grouping people based on similar behavior, without limiting them
to it.
Suspending judgment: the process of staying flexible and not jumping to stereotypes, that
can help us make informed conclusions while remaining curious, which is a key
competence for understanding differences. It means being aware of our biases and
questioning our assumptions before evaluating or judging other people.
Questions to help suspend a judgment:
● “Is it positive?” If it is negative, it's not going to be positive to talk to someone.
● “What else could be influencing this person's behavior?” One person belongs to
multiple cultural groups
● “Why do I think that?”
● “What other behaviors do I notice about people of this cultural group?”
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FORUM QUESTIONS:
1) Think back on the different groups you identify with:
a. What stereotypes do people have about these groups?

b. How do these stereotypes make you feel?
c. How are people in these groups impacted by such stereotypes?
2) Choose a stereotype about a cultural group you identify with and go through the four
questions that help you suspend judgement.
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Module 6: Cultural Value Dimensions
There are a few extra-powerful and useful cultural generalizations to act effectively and
appropriately when we interact with people from different cultural groups. These are
called Cultural Value Dimensions.
There are Cultural Value Dimensions that relate to:
● The relationship between the self and others

● Distribution of power
● Concepts of time
● Gender roles
● How one relates to the environment
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● Among others…
Recognizing these value dimensions can really help us understand a different cultural
context. They can even help us understand the cultural groups that we ourselves identify
with.
INDIVIDUALISM AND COLLECTIVISM
Members of individualistic cultures tend to emphasize the importance of a unique self

and value individual choices and needs.
● Focus on the “I” identity

● Value independence and uniqueness of individuals
● Put tasks before relationships
● Consider confrontations to sometimes be healthy
Members of collectivistic cultures tend to be more concerned with the group's needs,
goals and interests.
● Focus on the “we” identity

● Feel duty towards the in-group
● Put relationships before tasks
● Desire to maintain the in-group harmony
REMEMBER: CULTURE VALUE DIMENSIONS ARE A CONTINUUM! AND GROUP CULTURES ARE DYNAMIC AND CAN
CHANGE OVER TIME.
HIERARCHY VS EGALITARIANISM
This Value Dimension highlights that each cultural group has different needs regarding
power structures and dynamics. It refers to the extent to which people prefer structures
that rely on levels or ranks or structures where power is distributed evenly.
In hierarchical cultures:
● Status, age, rank, title and seniority matter in every part of daily life
● Credibility and experience are judged based on status
● Decision making is done by those in power
● Inequality is accepted
● Children are taught respect as a key virtue
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● Subordinates expect to be told what to do
● Authority is respected
In egalitarian cultures:
● The importance of status, age, rank, title and seniority is minimized by members of
the society
● Hierarchy is for practical purposes only
● All are believed to have equal rights
● Inequality is minimized
● Children are encouraged to be independent
● Subordinates expect to be consulted on decisions
● Individual credibility and expertise is respected
EMOTIONALLY EXPRESSIVE VS RESTRAINED

This dimension captures the difference in how cultures show and manage their emotions
in front of others.
In emotionally expressive cultures:
● People tend to reveal thoughts and feelings verbally and nonverbally

● Emotions usually flow easily and without inhibition
● Speaking loudly and with strong feeling is appropriate and sometimes even
admired
In emotionally restrained cultures:
● It is more usual for people not to reveal their feelings openly in public
● Emotions are often withheld
● Being cool and collected is often admired
FORUM QUESTIONS:
1) Where along the continuum of Individualistic to Collectivistic would you place

yourself generally? What experiences have you had with people who are in a different
place than you on the continuum? Did it lead to any conflict or misunderstandings?
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2) In your AFS role, how do you see these two dimensions (Hierarchy vs Egalitarianism)
play out? If you are new to AFS, how do you see these dimensions expressed in your
daily life?
3) Where do you fit into the Emotionally Expressive to Emotionally Restrained

continuum ? How comfortable or uncomfortable are you showing your emotions
openly in public? Similarly, how do you feel when you interact with people who have a
different preference for how they express or restrain their emotions?
Module 7: Communication Styles
Our different cultural backgrounds influence the way we communicate. Being aware of
different communication styles can help us avoid misunderstandings and bridge across
differences more effectively.
The way people communicate can be highly influenced by their cultural background, the
situation and their personal tendencies.
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To help us understand the different ways in which people communicate, we like to think of
a spectrum, with high context communication on one end and low context communication
on the other end.
People from high context cultures tend to rely on the context of what is said to
understand a message not just the words. They:
● Read between the lines: circumstances, body language, eye gaze, gestures,
previous experiences, facial expressions, environment, etc.
● Generally are more indirect
● Value relationships and harmony of those relationships over tasks
● May need to build trust and establish a good relationship between parties so that
they can communicate successfully
● May communicate in a more circular way (using a metaphor, for example)
People from low context cultures tend to communicate in a more straightforward way
with the entire message being stated explicitly. They rely mostly on words, leaving nothing
in between the lines. They:
● As listeners, pay the most attention to the words and much less to nonverbal
communication, the environment, or circumstances
● Tend to be more direct
● Consider the task more important than the relationships
● Tend to tell their stories in a linear fashion, a straight line, following a step by step
order
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Individualist cultures historically and generally tend toward a low context communication
style. Collectivist cultures tend to communicate in a high context way.
Our communication style tendencies can shape the way that we perceive others. If we
tend to communicate in a high context way, we may consider low context cultures to be
rude. Likewise, a member of a low context culture might perceive someone from a high
context culture as being unclear or untrustworthy.
Identifying different communication styles can be a great way to understand differences.
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FORUM QUESTIONS:
1) Do you tend to communicate in a high or low context style? For example, do you use a
lot of nonverbal signals and assume people will figure things out when you speak, like
a high context communicator? Or do you tend to give people thorough instructions
and use a lot of details and examples like a low context communicator? Why do you
think that is?
2) To practice telling the difference between high and low context communication,
choose a conversation you’ve had recently. During the conversation:
a. What strategies did you and the other people involved use to communicate
your messages?
b. Was the conversation generally more high context or low context?
3) In your AFS role, how do you see High and Low Context communication play out? If
you are new to AFS, how do you see these styles expressed in your daily life?
Module 8: Suspending Judgment

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A key ability in dealing with new or ambiguous situations is being able to suspend
judgment. This means that we avoid jumping to conclusions and judging the situation until
we have enough information to understand what is actually happening.
D.I.V.E (Describe, Interpret, Verify and Evaluate)
A tool that helps foster curiosity, suspend judgment and respond more effectively and
appropriately in unfamiliar or ambiguous situations.
DESCRIPTION
What do I see?
What elements can I observe in this situation?
INTERPRETATION
How do I make sense of what I see?
What are my assumptions about what I observe?
What are some possible interpretations of what is going on?
VERIFICATION
Which of my possible interpretations are most likely to be accurate?
What more do I need to know to find out which interpretation is most likely?
EVALUATION
How do I judge what I see?
What do I feel about what I think is going on?
Good or bad? Right or wrong?
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It's often the case that our first reactions are actually interpretations or evaluations,
because that is how the mind works. It's human nature that we want to classify and
evaluate what we see. The DIVE model can help us slow down and separate the facts
from possible explanations and to suspend our judgment.
The way we evaluate or judge what we observe can be based on accurate or inaccurate
interpretations. When they are based on inaccurate interpretations, chances are that we
are being unfair and making a judgment based on our bias whether intentional or not.
The DIVE tool takes our assumptions about what we observe and makes them visible,
opening us up to humility and curiosity, as we seek to discover how our interpretations
connect or don't connect with reality.
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FORUM QUESTIONS:
Think of a time when you have found yourself jumping to conclusions, only to realize later
that your first impression or judgment was incorrect. Could the D.I.V.E. tool have helped you
in that situation? How might you react differently next time?
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Module 9: Understanding Inequality
In society in general members of certain groups tend to occupy more positions of power.
This means that they have more decision making and more access to resources. One of the
reasons for this imbalance is that certain groups face structural discrimination.
Mainstream vs. Margin:
● In any society, certain groups are more visible and thus more normalized. These
predominant groups are called “the mainstream”.
● The mainstream determines what behaviors and traits are seen as the norm in a
certain context or society.
● Power can be understood as access to resources and decision making and the
ability to define reality for oneself and others. It does not need to be linked to a
position or title to exist.
● There are also groups that are less visible, have less access to power and
resources and are not considered the norm. We call these the margins.
● Mainstream and margins exist in all societies and depend on the situation and
context.
● Those who are part of the mainstream may not realize that their experience is not
representative of everyone in their community which can lead to discrimination.
This is why it is important for us to start developing a sense of which marginal
groups might be around us when we are in the mainstream, as well as which
marginal groups we ourselves belong to.
Why it matters to understand the difference between Mainstream and Margins:
● We need to be aware of ways people might be marginalized and not assume that
everyone is part of the mainstream - this allows us to learn and develop as a
community.
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● Being aware of the groups that are in the margins, using empathy and including
members of marginalized groups in decision making, will lead to better outcomes. It
will make these groups much more visible helping to balance the inequalities in
society.
● In our work at AFS, we are in contact with people from very different backgrounds.
Understanding the difference between mainstream and margins is crucial for us to
create inclusive experiences for participants and families as well as other
volunteers and staff. It also helps us avoid reinforcing discrimination that people
on the margins might already be facing in their daily lives.
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FORUM QUESTIONS:
1) Pick five companies or organizations in your country that have at least 20 staff
members. Go to their websites and find the staff page. Look for patterns among the
pictures or names that you are seeing. Are you seeing any groups that appear to be
more represented than others? How well do the people in these pictures seem to
reflect the makeup of the society you live in? Are there any differences between the
higher ranks (board, executive team) and the lower ranks (interns, staff)?
2) What other examples of discrimination and inequality, whether intentional or

unintentional, can you think of?
3) Remember a time when you were in the margin. How did it feel? What could people in
the mainstream have done to support you in that situation? In the groups where
you’re in the mainstream, what actions could you take to support people in the
margins to be more visible and have more voice and power?
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Module 10: Active Global Citizenship
Remember that in Module 2 we talked about the AFS Mission and what it means to be an
active global citizen? If not, take a look back before we start talking about Active Global
Citizenship!
What is Active Global Citizenship?
Active Global Citizens see themselves as members of the global community and
recognize that the challenges the world faces are interdependent and that our choices
and actions may affect people and communities locally and globally. Active Global Citizens
engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions with people from different
cultures and take an active role working with others to make the world more just,
peaceful, inclusive, secure and sustainable.
Social Impact
Let’s look back at the definition of Active Global Citizen we saw before. At the end of the
definition it says, “take an active role working with others to make the world more just,
peaceful, inclusive, secure and sustainable.” Actively contributing to a more just and
equal world is a way of making a Social Impact.
Social impact can be defined as a significant, positive change that addresses a pressing
social challenge.
A key step to create positive social change is being able to recognize our context and
where we can make a difference, or in other words, where we have the power to
influence reality.
As Active Global Citizens our role is to be aware of the challenges around us and how the
local is connected to the global. In other words, we understand how the actions we take
to make our communities better places are connected with the global challenges we are
all facing.
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As an AFS volunteer or staff member, everything you do supports AFS students and can
inspire them in creating positive social impact, whether this happens as a part of AFS
projects or after their time with AFS has come to an end.
The AFS Theory of Change help us see how volunteers and staff help AFS students create
impact:
● Experience: AFS volunteers and staff do essential work to help facilitate

participants having meaningful experiences of difference that lay the foundation
for later action.
● Learn: AFS volunteers and staff support students to learn the competencies that
will help them move from experience to action.
● Practice: AFS volunteers and staff support students to take action in many ways.
You are an Active Global Citizen by helping AFS advance its mission. By supporting our
students through the Experience + Learn + Practice model, your involvement creates a
ripple effect that fosters a more just and peaceful world.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created in 2015 as a
“to do list for humanity”. They are 17 goals that we aim to reach together by 2030 to help
solve the most pressing issues the world is facing today. It offers specific areas where we
can take action to help the global community reach 169 concrete targets.
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By volunteering with AFS you are already contributing to goals #4 - Quality Education and
#16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions! More specifically, at AFS we are contributing
to the SDG target 4.7, which says:
“By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote
sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable
development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of
peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of
culture’s contribution to sustainable development.”
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FORUM QUESTIONS:
1) Which parts of the Active Global Citizen description do you identify with? Which
parts do not apply so well to you?
2) Can you think of other examples of AFSers who are creating positive social impact
within or beyond AFS? If so, please list them below.
3) Which of these global issues is important to you personally and in your local
community? To what extent can you tackle that issue within AFS?
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Module 11: Closing
Recap:
To build your self-awareness and awareness of others, we talked about the different
cultural groups we belong to, and you reflected on a time when you had experienced
differences first-hand with the help of the Culture-Person-Situation model.
We then introduced you to different tools to help you understand and bridge differences.
We looked at stereotypes and generalizations, the value dimensions of individualism vs.
collectivism, hierarchy vs. egalitarianism and emotionally restrained vs. emotionally
expressive. We also looked at high and low context communication styles.
To build on your capacity to bridge across differences, we introduced the D.I.V.E. model
and looked at how being aware of the mainstream and margins can help us understand
inequalities.
Finally, we explored how Active Global Citizenship is connected to social impact, how
understanding differences is a key competence for solving global challenges, and how
your engagement with AFS contributes to that.
Looking to the future:
Being an Active Global Citizen comes with responsibility. Not everyone has the
opportunities you have had to connect with different cultural groups, experience new
cultural environments and to learn about intercultural and global competence. You are
well-equipped to put this learning to good use.
3 steps for you to continue growing as an Active Global Citizen:
1) The first step is simply Practice Practice Practice! Like building muscle memory or
refining a new skill, it’s important that you continue using and developing your
ability to understand and bridge differences. This is something you can do
anywhere, and certainly in your role at AFS. Try being aware of the different
cultural backgrounds of people you meet and reflect about how the cultural groups
you belong to shape your worldview and your daily experiences.
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2) The second step is to connect with other Active Global Citizens. There is a broad
and growing movement of people committed to bridging differences and creating
social impact. Think of the different communities you belong to: your
neighborhood, your university campus, your work environment, the global AFS
community, etc. Remember that being an AFSer means you are already part of a
network of Active Global Citizens, so make the best use of that! Look at who else in
those communities is doing work that contributes to the Sustainable Development
Goals, and find ways to connect with them and exchange experiences.
3) Being surrounded by like-minded people is also important for the third step which
is to commit to putting your global citizenship values into action. Think back to
the previous module on social impact and how the competencies you have worked
on in this course can help you transform the way we view and treat one another.
What actions can you take to build more bridges and broaden your positive impact
on society?
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FORUM QUESTIONS:
1) What are three main insights you are taking away with you from this course?
2) What are you able to do now that you were not able to do before taking this course?
3) How are you planning to apply what you have learned in this program for the benefit
of AFS students, host families, other volunteers and staff, or anyone else?
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Welcome to the online version of Foundations of

Intercultural Learning & Global Competence!

Module 2 - How AFS Creates Impact

Module 3 - Connecting to Real-Life Experiences

Module 4 - Understanding Differences

Module 6 - Cultural Value Dimensions

Module 7 - Communication Styles

Unit 3: Applying your Intercultural Skills

Module 10 - Active Global Citizenship

REMEMBER: INTERCULTURAL LEARNING IS A LIFELONG JOURNEY!

The AFS Mission: AFS Intercultural Programs is an international, voluntary,

AFS students experience differences by being immersed in a new cultural environment

Step 02: Learn

PERSON: traces of personality (age, gender, experience, social background/status,

SITUATION: the context of the situation (public/private, formal/informal, location,

Who were the people involved?

What was the main challenge?

What differences were most striking?

What did the people do about the challenge?

3) Draw the iceberg of the cultural group you chose.

Questions to help suspend a judgment:

● “Is it positive?” If it is negative, it's not going to be positive to talk to someone.

● “Why do I think that?”

● “What other behaviors do I notice about people of this cultural group?”

1) Think back on the different groups you identify with:

a. What stereotypes do people have about these groups?

There are Cultural Value Dimensions that relate to:

● The relationship between the self and others

INDIVIDUALISM AND COLLECTIVISM

Members of individualistic cultures tend to emphasize the importance of a unique self

● Focus on the “I” identity

● Focus on the “we” identity

EMOTIONALLY EXPRESSIVE VS RESTRAINED

In emotionally expressive cultures:

● People tend to reveal thoughts and feelings verbally and nonverbally

1) Where along the continuum of Individualistic to Collectivistic would you place

3) Where do you fit into the Emotionally Expressive to Emotionally Restrained

Module 7: Communication Styles

Identifying different communication styles can be a great way to understand differences.

Module 8: Suspending Judgment

D.I.V.E (Describe, Interpret, Verify and Evaluate)

What elements can I observe in this situation?

What are my assumptions about what I observe?

What are some possible interpretations of what is going on?

What do I feel about what I think is going on?

Good or bad? Right or wrong?

Mainstream vs. Margin:

Why it matters to understand the difference between Mainstream and Margins:

2) What other examples of discrimination and inequality, whether intentional or

What is Active Global Citizenship?

● Experience: AFS volunteers and staff do essential work to help facilitate

Looking to the future:

3 steps for you to continue growing as an Active Global Citizen:

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