A developmental approach to training for intercultural sensitivity

The development of Intercultural sensitivity demands attention to the subjective experience of the learner. The key to such sensitivity and related skills in Intercultural communication is the way in which learners construe cultural difference. This article suggests a continuum of stages of persona! growth that allows trainers to diagnose the level of sensitivity of individuals and groups and to sequence material according to a developmental plan. The developmental continuum moves from ethnocentrisrn to ethnorelativism. Earlier stages of the continuum define the parochial denial of difference, the evaluative defense against difference, and the universalist position of minimization of difference. Later stages define the acceptance of difference, adaptation to difference, and the integration of difference into one's world view. The stages of development are illustrated with typical statements and behaviors of learners that can be used to diagnose levels of sensitivity, and strategies to facilitate movement from each stage to the next are suggested. Special attention is given to questions of ethics and credibility that often arise in intercultural training situations.