Understanding Empathy Through Jojo Rabbit

This tool provides several activities for facilitators to use for either an entire unit on understanding empathy through the film JoJo Rabbit, or for one activity after viewing the film. With these activities, students will engage with a variety of topics surrounding Jojo Rabbit. These activities will challenge students to work outside of their comfort zone, understand new perspectives, and to support one another.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Tradition and Identity in Whale Rider

Whale Rider is a 2002 movie that follows Paikea “Pai” Apirana, a 12-year old Māori girl in New Zealand who aspires to become the chief of her tribe. However, her grandfather (Koro) is very traditional and believes that this role can only be held by a man. Pai’s twin brother, who died at birth, was supposed to fill that role. Koro at first rejects his granddaughter because of the loss of his grandson, but they eventually develop a close, but strained, bond. The movie primarily focuses on the relationship between Pai and Koro and the conflict that arises between them as Pai attempts to learn skills that are traditionally reserved for boys in their village.

The discussion guide in this tool provides questions that highlight the relationship between tradition, values and identity portrayed in Whale Rider. After viewing the movie, participants will discuss these questions and reflect on how they see some of the themes play out in their own lives.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Where Are You From?

The video, "Where are you from?" depicts a fictionalized microaggression. After watching this video, participants can identify the loaded implications behind the questions "where are you from?", as well as discuss the harmfulness of stereotypes and microaggressions and develop empathy for individuals who are the targets of microaggressions. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

HSBC Cultural Differences Commercials

This activity uses HSBC Bank commercials to get participants to reflect on cultural differences in various countries, as well as discuss how media creates or perpetuates stereotypes. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Farewell, The: Family & Cultural Difference

The Farewell is a 2019 movie created by Chinese-American director/writer/producer Lulu Wang. It is based on a true “good lie” that Wang’s family told her grandmother (who lives in China) after they learned she was diagnosed with cancer. In China, it’s common for doctors to first inform family members about a medical diagnosis, and the family members often decide to not tell their loved one if the prognosis is grim. The Farewell essentially chronicles the conflicted emotions that Wang felt about her family’s decision to hide her grandmother’s (Nai Nai) diagnosis, as she spent most of her life in the United States, where the individual—not the family—is the basic unit of society.

In this activity, participants will either watch The Farewell or listen to the This American Life episode where Wang describes this experience with her family. Then, the facilitator will lead a discussion about the internal and interpersonal conflicts that Lulu (Billi in the movie) faces as a result of the cultural differences within the family. Then, they will ask participants to reflect on the cultural dynamics within their own families.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Dialogue, The

Watching this film will enable participants to acknowledge the pressing need for intercultural understanding in an increasingly interconnected world, find an interest in developing intercultural competencies, develop counterbalances to stereotypes and sensationalism in the media, and reflect on their own and others' preconceptions of the "other."

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Danger of a Single Story

"Danger of a Single Story" is a TED Talk given by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. In this activity, participants will watch her TED Talk and discuss the concept of stories and how they impact how we view others.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Crossing Borders

Watching this film will enable participants to acknowledge the pressing need for intercultural understanding in an increasingly interconnected world, find an interest in developing intercultural competencies, develop counterbalances to stereotypes and sensationalism in the media, and reflect on their own and others' preconceptions of the "other."

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Things People Say (Common Stereotypes)

The video in this tool is a part of the Boiler Inclusion Project, which was created by the Division of Diversity and Inclusion at Purdue University. This tool challenges participants to develop empathy for individuals who are often the target of stereotypes. They will first watch a video that presents common stereotypes that are directed at individuals because of various facets of their social identities. Then, they will discuss that video using talking points linked on the following page.  

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Incremental Process

The video in this tool is a part of the Boiler Inclusion Project, which was created by the Division of Diversity and Inclusion at Purdue University. This tool challenges participants to understand that learning how to interact with individuals who are different from them is a skill that is developed gradually over time. They will first watch a video that depicts an individual who “puts her foot in her mouth” and says something offensive to her friends. Then, they will discuss that video using talking points linked on the following page.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Implicit Bias and Self-Regulation

The video in this tool is a part of the Boiler Inclusion Project, which was created by the Division of Diversity and Inclusion at Purdue University. This tool challenges participants to interrogate their own implicit biases and develop skills for challenging those biases in interactions with others. They will first watch a video that depicts two individuals discussing their biases and stereotypes. Then, they will discuss that video using talking points linked on the following page.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

First Impressions Video

The video in this tool is a part of the Boiler Inclusion Project, which was created by the Division of Diversity and Inclusion at Purdue University. This tool challenges participants to interrogate their own preconceived notions and the stereotypes they may associate with individuals when they first meet them. They will first watch a video that depicts a scenario where stereotyping occurs. Then, they will discuss that video using discussion questions and talking points linked on the following page.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Confrontation and Dialoguing

The video in this tool is a part of the Boiler Inclusion Project, which was created by the Division of Diversity and Inclusion at Purdue University. The tool challenges participants to develop skills that enable them to confront individuals who use offensive language, as well as dialogue with people they disagree with in order to come to mutual understandings. They will first watch a video that depicts a scenario where someone uses offensive language. Then, they will discuss that video using discussion questions and talking points linked on the following page.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Eye of the Storm, The & A Class Divided

The Eye of the Storm and A Class Divided are documentaries on Jane Elliott's groundbreaking discrimination lesson, in which participants are divided into blue-eyed and brown-eyed groups and one group is privileged over the other. Elliott first performed the lesson in 1968 with her entirely white third grade class in Riceville, Iowa. The lesson was a response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Eye of the Storm shows Elliott leading the lesson with her 1970 third grade class, and A Class Divided is a follow-up 15 years later. 

The PBS, Facing History and Ourselves, and Concord Media links in the tool are three options to consider for debriefing after watching the video(s).

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

Say My Name

Say My Name is a video created by Chinese international students at Columbia University in response to a xenophobic prank where name tags displaying Chinese names were ripped off of residence hall doors. The targeted students created the video to share the significance and meaning behind their names. In this activity, participants will watch the Say My Name video, along with a video interviewing the students involved, and discuss the personal and cultural importance behind names as well as the importance of respecting names and pronouncing them correctly. Furthermore, they interrogate how racism and stereotypes can affect how individuals perceive themselves and aspects of their identity (such as their name).

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Films as discussion starters

CILMAR Annual Cycle of Assessment: 2019 Report

A report assessing whether CILMAR met its goals in 2019. 

0 comments 0 reposts

CILMAR Annual Cycle of Assessment: 2018 Report

A report assessing whether CILMAR met its goals in 2018

0 comments 0 reposts

Barnga

Barnga, a simulation game, teaches how to communicate across cultural groups and what happens when we use different "rules" or "norms" from others in a group.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Playing Cards

IAT (Implicit Association Test)

As a result of this activity, participants will be able to "experience the principle behind the Implicit Association Test for measuring bias" (Thiagarajan & van den Berg, 2017, p. 58).

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Playing Cards

Social Justice: When Diversity Isn't Enough

This activity enables participants to define "self hate," consider how they interact with "diversity issues," and discuss stereotyping, privilege, and social justice. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Playing Cards

Poker Face

As a result of this activity, participants will be able to discuss cultural norms, diversity, inclusion, and how we place value on others, analyze how stereotypes and first impressions inform perception and interactions, and discuss how non-verbal communication (body language or facial expression) communicate meaning to others.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Playing Cards

Magic Spelling

Magic Spelling is an activity that uses a mathematical card trick shown in a video by Michael Stevens on his Youtube channel D.O.N.G. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Playing Cards

Co-Opoly

This board game simulates players running a democratically managed cooperative business. It allows participants to practice communication, conflict resolution, team building skills, and decision-making skills. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Board Games

Walking in Good Relations

Walking in Good Relations is a board game that can help participants recognize scenarios that look like they are helping but are actually harmful. Additionally, it enables participants to unlearn the practice of normalizing oppressions and enact the Squamish practice of Chen chen stway (holding each other up) while calling out neocolonial scenarios of oppression.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Board Games

Mental Blocks: Understanding Different Perspectives and Privilege

This activity uses the board game Mental Blocks to help participants understand different perspectives, build empathy, and become aware of privilege and how it affects power dynamics. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Board Games

Keep It Real Diverse Game

Keep It Real Diverse is a board game that enables participants to practice suspending judgment and asking deeper questions, recognize emotional and intellectual dimensions of more than one worldview, recognize new perspectives about their own cultural rules, and develop real connections based on deep relationships with other participants, ideally from backgrounds other than their own. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Board Games

Figuring Out Life

This tool uses the board game CV to help participants develop an understanding of their own worldview values as well as discover their peers' values. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Board Games

Engaging with Communication Styles Through Board Games

This tool uses Just One and Codenames to enable users to recognize different aspects of indirect communication styles. They will also develop mental empathy and teamwork skills, as well as learn how to navigate cultural context. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Use Board Games

Counter-Storytelling

Counter-storytelling, a method often used in critical race theory, highlights the stories of individuals who are marginalized within society. It aims to push back against dominant narratives that often privilege certain voices over others.

This activity introduces the concept of counter-storytelling through the points of view of Asian/Asian American individuals who have experienced racialized microaggressions. Participants will first read excerpts from Yeo et al. (2019) and watch three videos that depict Asian/Asian American perspectives on the microaggressions they endure because of their race. Then, they will discuss these videos as examples of counter-stories and identify what they can learn from these perspectives. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Zoom In, Zoom Out

There is often a tendency to equate culture with nationality. However, cultural behaviors, values, and identities often transcend national borders, or many different cultures can coexist within the same country. Therefore, this activity asks participants to consider how culture is both bigger and smaller than nationality by first mapping out subgroups within a particular country and then identifying cultural identities that eclipse the national border and appear throughout the continent/region surrounding that country. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Tradition and Identity in Whale Rider

The discussion guide in this activity provides questions that highlight the relationship between tradition, values and identity portrayed in the movie Whale Rider. After viewing the movie, participants will discuss these questions and reflect on how they see some of the themes play out in their own lives.

0 comments 0 reposts

Perspectives on Intersectionality

This activity asks participants to write an essay defining, applying, and critiquing the term intersectionality. To prepare for writing this essay, participants will read several documents. In the first part of their essay, participants will juxtapose these readings and do a bit of research to discuss the history of the term “intersectionality” and to demonstrate how the concept is applied in a current social justice movement. They will then read critiques so that, in the second part, they can discuss their own position on the possibilities and limits of the intersectionality for advancing the goals of a social movement they care about.

0 comments 0 reposts

COVID-19 & Intersectionality

This activity brings together Sisneros et al.’s (2008) Web of Oppression, the concept of intersectionality, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The lesson presents two options for discussing the relationship between intersectionality, the Web of Oppression, and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic:

  • In Option 1, participants are provided with a short reading about intersectionality and several articles on how COVID-19 has impacted different marginalized groups. Then, using the Web of Oppression, they will discuss how people with interconnected, marginalized identities face greater health and economic consequences as a result of the pandemic. The approach is primarily cognitive. 
  • In Option 2, participants will do their own research on how different communities represented on the Web of Oppression have been affected by COVID-19. Then, after watching two videos, they will discuss the term intersectionality and how it connects to the Web of Oppression and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The approach is more constructivist. 

0 comments 0 reposts

"'We're So Freaking Polarized': See How Americans with Opposing Views Interpret the Same Situation" - CBS News

This article describes a social experiment facilitated by CBS This Morning co-host Tony Dokoupil, where he showed Republicans and Democrats the exact same clip of a confrontation between police and protestors. He asked each person who was the aggressor in the situation. Democrats were overwhelmingly more likely to say the police, while Republicans were overwhelmingly more likely to say the protestors. 

The article also references the concept of the "bias blind spot," meaning that individuals often have trouble determining when they are being biased.  

0 comments 0 reposts

Intersectionality Exercise

This activity enables participants to recognize the impact of various social identities on people's lives and how those identities intersect with compounding effects. Each participant will be given an identity card, and whenever a statement is read by the facilitator, they must respond to that statement based on their assigned identity. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Intersectionality

Hidden America: An Intersectional Perspective

This activity asks participants to analyze two 20/20 specials, Children of the Mountains (2009) and Children of the Plains (2011), using Sisneros et al.’s (2008) Web of Oppression and the concept of intersectionality and consider how identity contributes to discrimination and disadvantage.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Intersectionality

Perspectives on Intersectionality

This activity asks participants to write an essay defining, applying, and critiquing the term intersectionality. 

To prepare for writing this essay, participants will read several documents. In the first part of their essay, participants will juxtapose these readings and do a bit of research to discuss the history of the term “intersectionality” and to demonstrate how the concept is applied in a current social justice movement. They will then read critiques so that, in the second part, they can discuss their own position on the possibilities and limits of the intersectionality for advancing the goals of a social movement they care about.

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Intersectionality

COVID-19 & Intersectionality

This activity brings together Sisneros et al.’s (2008) Web of Oppression, the concept of intersectionality, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The lesson plan presents two options for discussing the relationship between intersectionality, the Web of Oppression, and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic:

  • In Option 1, participants are provided with a short reading about intersectionality and several articles on how COVID-19 has impacted different marginalized groups. Then, using the Web of Oppression, they will discuss how people with interconnected, marginalized identities face greater health and economic consequences as a result of the pandemic. This approach is primarily cognitive. 
  • In Option 2, participants will do their own research on how different communities represented on the Web of Oppression have been affected by COVID-19. Then, after watching two videos, they will discuss the term intersectionality and how it connects to the Web of Oppression and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach is more constructivist. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Intersectionality

Intersecting Identities: "Coming Out Meatless"

This activity asks participants to consider the concept of intersectionality and apply it to a episode of the podcast Gravy. In this episode, the interviewee, Choya, discusses various aspects of his identity, including his vegetarianism, and how they affect his relationship with his family. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Intersectionality

Episode 9: What the BEVI tells us about the difference that identity makes in online versus fact to face classes

In this episode, Dr. Shalyse Iseminger discusses the difference that identity makes in online versus face to face classes. Dr. Iseminger presents comparative data from the BEVI (the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory) collected at the beginning and end of several semesters of AGR 201: Communicating Across Cultures, a course designed by Dr. Pamala Morris, Assistant Dean in the College of Agriculture. These data illustrate that the identity of students matters to their educational experiences and provide insights into how students from different environments may thrive or struggle more in different classroom modalities.

This post contains a link to the complete video of the webinar with Q&A, the syllabus for AGR 201, a previous presentation on the same course that occurred before the pandemic, the Transformative Learning Collection on the HubICL, and the website for the BEVI. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Purdue Virtual ICL Webinar Series

Better Angels

From their "What We Do" page: "Launched in 2016, Better Angels is a national citizens’ movement to bring liberals and conservatives together at the grassroots level — not to find centrist compromise, but to find one another as citizens. Through workshops, debates, and campus engagement, Better Angels helps Americans understand each other beyond stereotypes, form community alliances, and reduce the vitriol that poisons our civic culture."

0 comments 0 reposts

Small town people talking about party lines

From Matthew: "Both of my grandparents voted for Trump. That doesn't make them any less my grandparents, like I may disagree with them on some political things...We just have to talk to folks like they are people."

0 comments 0 reposts

Christian Picciolini on Escaping the Neo-Nazi Movement and Helping Others Leave It Behind

In this episode of Clear + Vivid, Alan Alda interviews Christian Picciolini, a former member of a neo-Nazi group who now works to disengage people from extremist hate movements. During the interview, Picciolini describes his process for getting individuals to leave hateful ideologies behind: He first listens to them and engages them on a personal level. Then, when they're ready, he takes them to meet people who they thought they had hated. He says, "I can tell you that every single time I've done that, I've never had a bad experience and everybody's always walked away different."

0 comments 0 reposts

Story Circles: UNESCO's Human Rights Based Intercultural Competence Development Methodology

UNESCO and Darla Deardorff collaborated on a concrete method for developing intercultural competence. The method is designed so that facilitators with varying levels of experience and resources can successfully lead the activity. 

0 comments 0 reposts

The People's Supper

Powerful conversations over a potluck dinner, centering on the question, "What needs healing here?"

0 comments 0 reposts

Purdue's Democracy, Civility, and Freedom of Expression series

From the DDI homepage: "The Division of Diversity and Inclusion is introducing a programmatic theme for 2020: Democracy, Civility, and Freedom of Expression. Throughout the spring semester, students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members are invited to engage in conversations about and consider the importance of each element of the theme. Activities and events will include interactive workshops, inspiring performances, high-impact public speakers, and innovative conversational gatherings."

0 comments 0 reposts

SmarterEveryDay interview with President Obama

The power of (1) looking someone in the eye and (2) listening

0 comments 0 reposts

Disagree Better: Empathy Gym

Disagree Better: Empathy Gym is a tool that can be used to facilitate conversation between people across party lines. In this activity based on Jamil Zaki's concept of the empathy gym, participants will have a conversation with someone who has a different view than them. Instead of arguing, they will ask each other how they came to develop that opinion and simply listen to each other's point of view.

0 comments 0 reposts

WeThePurple

WeThePurple is a bipartisan coalition aiming to restore U.S. citizens' faith in the country's democratic values and promote civic engagement. The coalition publishes a podcast that discusses issues facing the American democratic system, and they encourage dialogue across party lines.

0 comments 0 reposts

Senators of opposing parties marooned themselves on an island

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) talk about their participation in the reality TV show - Rival Survival, in which the two of them need to fight to survive on a deserted island.

0 comments 0 reposts

‘That’s Not Activism,’ Obama Says

From the transcript: "You know, this idea of purity and you’re never compromised and you’re always politically woke and all that stuff — you should get over that quickly. The world, the world is messy. There are ambiguities. 00:00:16.440 —> 00:00:22.450 People who do really good stuff have flaws. Like if I tweet or hashtag about how you didn’t do something right or used the word – wrong verb or then I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself because, 'Man, you see how woke I was, I called you out.' I get on TV. Watch my show. Watch 'Grown-ish.' You know, that’s not activism. That’s not bringing about change."

0 comments 0 reposts

Jonathan Haidt on Why We’re So Divided and What to Do About It

"If everything else were equal then there is some truth to what you say, because one of the big findings in personality research on politics … What’s different about the personalities of people on the left and the right is that people who have one of the big five traits, the five main personality traits, one of them is openness to experience. Kids who are born … It is partly heritable. People who are born and raised … When they’re kids they just like trying different things, they like exploring different things, they’re more open to new foods and experiences, it’s a fairly stable personality trait. Such people tend to be more attracted to progressive or left-wing causes. People who like order, predictability, stability, routine, they do tend to be attracted more to conservative parties, and that’s true around the world."

0 comments 0 reposts

Episode 8: Creating Inclusive Classrooms and Programs

In this episode, diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership from Purdue University's cultural and disability centers answer questions about inclusive online teaching practices that they recommend, the learning outcomes they have for their students, how they measure learning in their programs, and how faculty and staff can support their educational mission. Nastasha Johnson, assistant professor of Library Sciences and a mathematics and physics information specialist at Purdue University, guest hosts this webinar. 

This post contains a link to the complete video of the webinar with Q&A and a PowerPoint that includes a more detailed version of the Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center (AAARCC) portion of this webinar. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Purdue Virtual ICL Webinar Series

Episode 7: Let's Talk About Color

This episode features a panel of Purdue students who describe the issues they face in and outside the classroom that affect their performance in courses, both face-to-face and online. This panel was organized by Natasha Harris, Assistant Director of Science Diversity in Purdue's College of Science. 

This post includes a link to the recorded presentation with Q&A, as well as links to the following materials referenced during the presentation:

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Purdue Virtual ICL Webinar Series

Human Values Continuum

In Human Values Continuum, participants are asked to move to particular sides of the room depending on how they feel about statements read by the facilitator. This activity can be adapted for online learning using Jack Calabrese's Fist of Five Voting technique. Instead of having participants move about the room as they would if they were performing this activity in-person, the facilitator can instead ask participants to hold up 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 fingers depending on how they feel about the statement. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools for Distance Learning

Episode 6: Embedding Intercultural Learning into World Languages: Italian at Purdue

This episode features Dr. Tatjana Babic Williams, Director of Italian Studies and Senior Lecturer, and Dr. Annalisa Mosca, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of Italian 101-202 at Purdue University. They discuss the Italian program's efforts to redesign the curriculum to incorporate intercultural learning at all levels. In particular, they discuss their use of backwards design to embed intercultural learning outcomes into several of their courses. 

This post includes links to the episode recording, the presentation slides, and the following resources/tools referenced in the presentation:

0 comments 1 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Purdue Virtual ICL Webinar Series

Episode 5: Transforming a 24-Hour Field Study Tour into a Hackathon

This episode features Dr. Svitlana Buko, researcher and consultant from Russia, and Dr. Eithne Knappitsch, professor and director of the Intercultural Management program at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences in Austria. In their presentation, Dr. Buko and Dr. Knappitsch describe how they adapted their 24-hour Cross Border Challenge into a hackathon in light of COVID-19. The 24-hour Cross Border Challenge involved a group of students traveling between Villach, Austria; Udine, Italy; and Nova Gorica, Slovenia—all of which are border cities. During their 24-hour journey between these three countries, students experienced how transportation, language, business, and government operate in these intercultural, border areas. 

This post contains links to the recorded episode (with Q&A), the presentation slides, and the following supplementary resources:

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Purdue Virtual ICL Webinar Series

Metaphors Across Culture

This activity enables participants to articulate relationships between components of metaphor theory, such as targets and sources; analyze common underlying cultural metaphors for abstract concepts (e.g., love, friendship, time); and Compare and contrast metaphorical understandings of the same concepts from different cultural perspectives.

0 comments 0 reposts

Language Constructs Enemies

This activity enables participants to interrogate the tone and common tropes used in the United States media and reflect on how that media may cause them to view other cultures in a particular way. They will also identify examples in mainstream media that negatively portray groups and people and apply what they learned when they consume media in the future. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Intersecting Identities: "Coming Out Meatless"

In this activity, participants listen to an episode of the podcast Gravy in order to help them define intersectionality and recognize why it's an important concept to understand. They also discuss how intersecting or overlapping identities can lead to internal and/or familial conflict as well as discrimination and disadvantage.  

0 comments 0 reposts

Draw a House

In this activity, participants compare and contrast features of houses around the world; articulate how and why cultures organize spaces, such as homes, differently; and consider when and how to adapt to different spaces.

0 comments 0 reposts

Understanding Empathy Through Jojo Rabbit

This activity uses the movie Jojo Rabbit to help participants build skills in order to work well with people from other parts of the world as well as to emotionally connect and engage with people from other cultures. It also enables them to develop an ability to understand other perspectives and feelings.

0 comments 0 reposts

Becoming Self-Aware of American Culture Thru Hamilton

In this activity, participants watch and analyze the play Hamilton to develop awareness of their own cultural rules and biases and conduct research and critically analyze media that will help shape their response to cultural biases.

0 comments 0 reposts

Figuring Out Life

This activity uses board games to help participants develop an understanding of their own worldview values, discover their peers' values through interactive interviews and games, engage with peer groups of other cultures, ad practice teamwork skills. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Curious "Show & Not Tell" Icebreaker

This reflective activity enables participants to develop awareness of the complexity of culture while celebrating similarities and differences. It also helps them to ask complex questions about other cultures and articulate answers that reflect multiple cultural perspectives.

0 comments 0 reposts

Barbie Savior: A Lesson in Intercultural Empathy

This activity enables participants to articulate definitions of empathy and intercultural empathy and apply the concept of intercultural empathy to improve a problematic situation.

0 comments 0 reposts

Why Rwanda is Doing Better Than Ohio When It Comes to Controlling COVID-19 — NPR

This article, by Jason Beaubien, details Rwanda's significant efforts to curb the effects of the coronavirus within the country. It discusses how citizens are asked if they want to be tested as they are going about their day. The tests are voluntary, but there is social pressure to comply. The Rwandan government has also been extremely diligent and successful with contact tracing, and they have dedicated facilities for those who test positive to isolate. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Intersecting Identities: "Coming Out Meatless"

For this activity, participants listen to an episode of the podcast Gravy called "Coming Out Meatless," where a young man named Choya describes his experiences of disclosing his various identities (being gay, being vegetarian) to his family. Through this podcast, participants will discuss the term intersectionality and how intersecting or overlapping identities can lead to internal and/or familial conflict as well as discrimination and disadvantage. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Tools that Incorporate Podcasts

Ode to Frontline Workers — Global Play Brigade

This video features individuals from 35 countries thanking and paying tribute to frontline workers in a number of different languages.

"The Global Play Brigade (GPB) has emerged in response to the global pandemic that is affecting all of humanity. We are artists/performers/therapists/educators who come out of the growing social movement of performance activism. We believe that integrating and utilizing play, impro, clown, theater and therapeutics into everyday life is a vital methodology for creating hope, possibility, emotional well-being and development. This current human crisis is unleashing a surge of human creativity and connection that has always been there but was hidden or suppressed—and now, out of necessity, it’s seeing the light of day in beautiful expressions across the globe."

0 comments 0 reposts

Refugees and Social Media: Smartphones Become a Critical Tool for Refugees — CBC News

This news segments demonstrate how refugees use social media to make their journey into Europe. Many will use apps like Facebook and WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family members and help them prepare by letting them know what they should bring and which smugglers and border crossings are safe and reliable. However, some smugglers are also using social media to deceive refugees and get them to pay thousands of dollars for perilous journeys. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Top 10 Immigrant Countries — The Daily Conversation

This video presents the 10 countries with the most foreign-born immigrants: 1. United States, 2. Russia, 3. Germany, 4. Saudi Arabia, 5. United Arab Emirates, 6. United Kingdom, 7. France, 8. Canada, 9. Australia, 10. Spain

*Note: The video lists Puerto Rico as one of the areas where the United States receives the highest number of immigrants. However, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and people from Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens.

0 comments 0 reposts

Stirring Images of Syrian Boy's Body Now Symbol of Europe's Crisis — NBC Nightly News

*WARNING: This video contains a graphic, upsetting image.

A Syrian boy washed up on the beach in Turkey after his boat sank became the symbol for the refugee in crisis in Europe in 2015. This video describes the plight that refugees face as they make the dangerous journey to Germany, Sweden, and other countries in Europe that have accepted large numbers of displaced people. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Immigration in Germany — DW News

This video describes immigration trends in Germany in 2012-2013. In those years, Germany had the second highest rate of immigration (after the United States). Many immigrants come from countries in southern Europe, such as Italy or Greece, to escape high rates of youth unemployment. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Refugees Cheered into Germany and Austria — Channel 4 News

In this video, thousands of refugees are greeted as they enter Germany and Austria by train. However, it also highlights how many refugees don't ever make it to Northern/Western Europe, as many of them end up in Hungarian "alien holding centers" and sent back over the border into Serbia.

0 comments 0 reposts

Refugee Crisis in Hungary: How Thousands Spend the Night at Keleti Station

This video demonstrates the chaos that meets refugees who enter Hungary. The refugees depicted in this video are forced to spend the night at Keleti station in Budapest. Some Hungarian citizens are hostile towards them while others attempt to help by providing food and entertainment for children.  

0 comments 0 reposts

How to Solve the Refugee Crisis — The Economist

David Miliband, former British foreign secretary and current president and chief executive officer of the International Rescue Committee, offers strategies for how to solve the refugee crisis. Those strategies include allowing refugees to work, educating child refugees, and supporting the countries that host refugees. Miliband describes the refugee crisis as global, which means it requires a "global solution."

0 comments 0 reposts

Immigration Wave: Will Europe Still Be Europe? — CBN News

This video describes the rise of right wing political parties in Europe as a result of the turmoil associated with the current refugee crisis. These political leaders play off the fear that European culture will be erased as more people enter the continent. The video points to examples, such as in Sweden, where violence has escalated because of tensions between refugees/migrants and individuals originally from Sweden. 

It's important to note that CBN (the Christian Broadcasting Network) is a far right-leaning news network that presents stories from a conservative perspective. Most of the people interviewed express anti-immigration and anti-multiculturalism viewpoints. 

0 comments 0 reposts

The 'Vital' Role of Mobile Phones for Refugees & Migrants — BBC News

Gavin Lee interviews a refugee from Syria who describes how he's using his cell phone to reach Germany. Lee notes that—in addition to food and water—refugees are often provided with places to charge their phones. Mobile devices have become an essential item for refugees and migrants because they enable them to communicate with the people assisting them on their journey and provide them with alternative routes. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Refugee Crisis: What's the World's Responsibility? — Al Jazeera

This video criticizes the world response to the current refugee crisis, especially from richer, more developed countries that have resisted taking in refugees from Syria and several other countries in the midst of war and political unrest. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Refugees vs. Migrants, What's the Difference? — Al Jazeera

This video explains the difference between migrants and refugees. It also highlights that the majority of people seeking entry into Europe are refugees and not migrants. 

0 comments 0 reposts

What does it mean to be a refugee? — Benedetta Berti and Evelien Borgman

This video, from TED-Ed, explain the term refugee—particularly in relation to the word migrant—and describe the difficult journey that refugees experience as they flee their home countries. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Inside Story: Migrants or Refugees? — Al Jazeera

In this segment of Inside Story, Mike Hanna discusses the difference between the terms "migrant" and "refugee" with Gauri Van Gulik, deputy director for Amnesty International in Europe and Central Asia; Adrian Berry, chair of the Immigration Practitioners' Association; and Francois Gemenne, research fellow from the Centre for Ethnic and Migration Studies. Refugees are people who have fled persecution in their home countries, while migrants are people who seek better opportunities. Refugees have the right to seek asylum, and they cannot be deported to their home countries. Van Gulik, Berry, and Gemenne believe that European government officials will often use the word "migrant" to describe people fleeing their home countries to release themselves from the responsibility of helping them. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 12: Healthy City Design, Global Mobility Concepts

Week 12 focuses on building/designing healthy, more environmentally friendly cities. Additionally, students discuss mobility, particularly in terms of automobile transportation. They discuss how the automobile reflects cultural values and how those values—and in turn the automobile—have changed over time.

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 11: Review of Global Challenges, Sustainable Development

Students review the top 5 global challenges: climate change, poverty, secured food and water, education, and violence (war and terrorism). They also discuss principles surrounding sustainable development and how technology can follow these principles. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 9: Design Thinking and Cultures; Human Trafficking

This week, students discussed the grand challenges facing two particular cultures: Kenya and Peru. Students considered how they might go about addressing those challenges, but they also reflected on the "American perspective" of solving problems and how that perspective does not work everywhere.

Students also discussed human trafficking, a crisis that affects the entire globe. They discuss how technology like social media, databases, and apps can mitigate the problem. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 8: Clothing, Tattoos, Piercings, and Facial Hair; Global Cyber Security

In Week 8, students talk more about culture in relation to clothing, tattoos, piercings, and facial hair. They also discuss cyber warfare and terrorism, which has become a global challenge. They discuss the differences between cyber warfare and terrorism (notedly, they focus on how terrorism is a relative term) and are presented with examples of cyber warfare in different countries across the world.

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 7: Social Media's Influence on Global Perspectives

Week 7 focuses on how social media has affected culture and society in a variety of ways, including mental health, information access, and multi-national projects. The class also discusses the role of cell phones and social media for refugees and migrants. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 6: Defining American Culture; Clothing, Tattoos, Piercings, and Facial Hair

Week 6 asks students to define American culture based on their own and other's perspectives. They examine American culture based on history, gender roles, music, freedom, spirituality/religion, traditions, education, politics, race/ethnicity, and sports/leisure. They also discuss how things like clothing, tattoos, piercings, and facial hair are often dictated by cultural values, traditions, and norms. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 5: Refugee Crisis

Week 5 begins with an activity called "Home-Work-Play" where students discuss where they fall on various cultural continua (like face, uncertainty, power distance, etc.) depending on whether they are at home, at work, or in social situations. Then, they discuss the global refugee crisis, focusing specifically on the difference between migrants/immigrants and refugees. They also hear personal experiences of refugees and attempt to understand how it would feel to be forced to upend their lives and start over somewhere different, where they are most likely a minority. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 4: National Profiles, Intercultural Development

In Week 4, students continued discussing Hofstede's cultural dimensions, and they were introduced to the Intercultural Development Inventory. The instructor also facilitated the following activities:

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 3: Worldwide Education, Cultures and Business, National Profiles

In Week 3 students continued conversations about worldwide education but also began discussing the relationship between business and culture. They used Hofstede's Value Dimensions to discuss cultural differences across countries. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 2: Worldwide Education

Week 2 focused on educational challenges across the world and the relationships between society, culture, and education. Students discussed whether they believe education is a right or a privilege, and they completed an activity called "Levels." In this activity, students are presented with life at four different levels of income and what people have to do survive at those levels (their priorities, motivations, etc.) and what they have to do to advance. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Week 1: Cultures and Accepted Norms

The first week focuses on culture and requires students to reflect on themselves as cultural beings. The Iceberg, My Emotional Hot Buttons, and Circles of Identity tools are used to facilitate conversations about culture. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Course Syllabus

The syllabus includes a course overview, course objectives, class policies, and a weekly calendar.

This iteration of the syllabus is from Spring 2020, which means that the course had to transition online after Week 9 due to COVID-19. Therefore, this post includes versions of the syllabus both before and after the online transition. 

0 comments 0 reposts

Episode 4: Embedding Intercultural Learning into the Purdue Polytechnic Institute Curriculum

This episode features Dr. Robert Cox, PhD, Associate Dean of Globalization at Purdue's Polytechnic Institute (PPI). Dr. Cox discusses the evolution of his Technology and Global Society (TECH 330) course, which examines the interplay of technology, globalization and ethics. It also uses a common intercultural competence instrument to help students better understand their personal ability to work effectively across difference.

This post includes links to the full episode recording, a segment on embedding intercultural learning college-wide, the slide deck for the presentation, and the following tools/resources mentioned by Dr. Cox:

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Purdue Virtual ICL Webinar Series

Episode 3: Embedding Intercultural Learning into a College of Science Study Abroad

This episode features Dr. Laura Starr, PhD, Director of Experiential Learning in Purdue University's College of Science. Dr. Starr discusses how she was able to pivot to remote learning for a history of science course that was originally scheduled as a spring break study abroad in Morocco. 

This post includes links to the episode recording, programs overseen by Dr. Starr (Global Science Partnerships Learning Community & College of Science Global Dialogues Program), and the following resources mentioned by Dr. Starr:

0 comments 0 reposts

Profile picture of Annette Benson

Annette Benson onto Purdue Virtual ICL Webinar Series