Initiatives in Global Justice Series - ''Intercultural Competence and the Ethics of Teaching International Development'' -Prof. Andrea Paras

Initiatives in Global Justice hosts lectures, study groups, workshops, and conferences that explore the ethical and socio-political dimensions of urgent problems that are transnational in scope, such as global warming, war and humanitarian intervention, food security, and chronic poverty. Professor Paras' talk will present research conducted in the context of short-term international study abroad programs, and consider how and why intercultural training should be integrated into teaching in IDS. 

"What intercultural skills should development practitioners possess, and how might we teach those skills to International Development Studies (IDS) students? For development practitioners to work effectively in complex and oftentimes insecure environments, they must understand and adapt to cultural differences in order to implement culturally appropriate interventions.  Research from the field of intercultural relations has demonstrated that high levels of intercultural competence can lead to better communication, heightened empathy, and more effective approaches to conflict resolution – all of which are requirements for successful development programs. However, this research also suggests that intercultural competence is a skill that must be intentionally cultivated or learned: even high levels of culturally specific knowledge do not necessarily lead to high levels of intercultural competence." The talk will provide a demonstration of how the Intercultural Development Inventory, a psychometric measurement tool of intercultural competence, could be used to help train students. 

Light lunch served! For details, contact Monique Deveaux, Department of Philosophy.