Essay: Cultural Self-Awareness and Intelligence in CUC107

This essay provides a critical reflection on the concepts of cultural self-awareness and cultural intelligence. It begins by defining these terms and explores their interrelationship, drawing upon the readings and course materials from CUC107. The essay highlights the importance of recognizing one's own cultural background, beliefs, and values as a foundation for understanding and interacting effectively with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The student uses personal experiences and religious beliefs (Hinduism) to illustrate cultural self-awareness and its impact on developing cultural intelligence. The essay also discusses how cultural self-awareness helps in overcoming biases and navigating cross-cultural communication. It emphasizes the significance of acknowledging and adapting to different cultural norms to enhance one's ability to succeed in a diverse environment. The essay concludes by reiterating the importance of both cultural awareness and cultural intelligence in fostering effective communication and understanding in a globalized world, aligning behavior to interact with people from different cultures.

Running Head: CULTURE 0
CULTURAL ABILITY AND INTELLIGENCE
JANUARY 11, 2019

CULTURE 1
Cultural awareness is a very broad term and for exploring various linked aspects, one needs
to perceive own cultural characteristics (Spencer-Oatey & Franklin, 2012). In every community, there
is a presence of many numbers of cultures separated by race, class, cast and religion. If a person
wants to communicate and share ideas with individuals belonging to other culture, cultural
awareness will be required as it provides people an individual recognition in the community with
considering several sorts of beliefs, perceptions and value (Heine et al, 2008). In this reflection, I am
trying to refer my own culture with respect to cultural self-awareness and cultural intelligence.
When cultural self-awareness is evolved in the individuals, they also tend to recognise their
responsibilities, preferences and rules in arrangement with other cultures and this aspect plays a
significant role in the development of an individual (Quappe & Cantatore, 2005). Moreover, there
are numerous advantages for the people recognised their culture beliefs. For instance, there are
some respective values constituted in and by an individual and in leadership, when individuals
acquire knowledge of value cultural values and beliefs, it helps them to use these values and beliefs
into their particular style considering leadership. Later on, it also helps leader in various particular
practices and progress of leading by outlining various negative aspects to him. Moreover, in business
enterprise, cultural awareness is important, as there is building of relationship with clients that
invites discoveries, core values, authenticity and respective communication (Olson. 2008). Hence,
the significance of cultural awareness is linked to various areas relating to communication and
comprehensive thinking.
On the other perspectives, cultural intelligence refers to the ability of an individual to be
successful in a comprehensive environment. Going beyond existing concepts of cultural awareness
and sensitivity, it is significant to recognise the recurring capabilities of individuals who can
effectively attain their goals, whatever the cultural framework (Ng, Van Dyne & Ang, 2009).
Moreover, this aspect also helps during the effective course of leadership and support the belief that
– “leader knows the way, shows the way and goes the way”. Other than organisation, cultural
intelligence also helps individuals in their routine life practices by making them aware of various
outcomes and happenings. For instance, it helps people to communicate with others that belong to
other cultures, consists of unlike beliefs and thoughts, and thus leads to progressive considerations
among one another (Spencer-Oatey & Franklin, 2012). As per the philosophy of cultural intelligence,
it is important that individuals be aware of their own cultures, values and beliefs with consideration
of other cultural aspects and philosophies (Brislin, Worthley & Macnab, 2006). In addition, one can
develop their cultural intelligence effectively in major three areas and procedures. These are –
develop learning strategies to find access points into the new culture, showing people that you
accept individual from other culture and believing in your ability to adapt to the diverse cultures.

CULTURE 2
An individual value and beliefs in developed with the help of cultural self-awareness. In
addition, religion also plays an important role in learning of these philosophies, values and beliefs
(Pargament & Sweeney, 2011). For instance, there are numerous values and beliefs in the Muslim
religion intend on the followers. These values and beliefs different from religion to religion and thus
also influence various cultural norms. For example, in Hindu religion, there is a particular belief that
every individual possesses some spiritual essence in the form of Atman, Karma, Dharma and Moksha
and this defines and frames culture in the society. Considering my religion, I am a Hindu and in my
Hinduism religion, all people are considered to be a part of God. This religion is around 4000 years
old and it is third largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam (David, 2009). My religion
Hinduism helps me to live my life with full respect and self-esteem. As a Hindu, I also respect to
various other cultures, their values and beliefs and I know that there are many other cultures and
religions, which their core value and thoughts need to be acquired by me so as to established mutual
coexistence. This represents one the important aspect of cultural self-awareness and helps in
building of cultural intelligence in an individual from various perceptions. As I am fully aware of
various aspects of my religion, it will help me to confront and resolve various barriers before
affecting my decisions in relation to cultural difference.
Cultural self-awareness also reflects uniqueness and uniformity in an individual and this
stimulates people to recognise these individuals because of their unique characteristics (Han &
Northoff, 2008). This appreciation makes them feel valuable and important for the community and
society. Sometimes cultural self-awareness becomes difficult due to various unconscious cultural
aspects. It is difficult for many individuals to be aware of their own cultural biases. One of the
mechanisms that help in culture perpetuation is naturalization. We are not born with our
perceptions or culture, we shape the way we see the world as we get through various insights of our
culture. Some times this results in occurrence of culture shock when two individuals get confused in
communication and this cannot learn or understand new things at one time (Flanja, 2009).
Therefore, it is crucial to acknowledge as this help individuals to be more culturally
intelligent. Every people needs to follow certain cultural principles in society and this will also help
them to get associate with various other diverse cultures. Moreover, this will also fulfil the basis
characteristics of human needs i.e. socialization as Human beings are naturally social who needs
sharing of mutual and common ideas with others and this procedure helps them to effectively
communication with one another and thus share respective ideas and thoughts. However, there is a
requirement of certain ethics principles and morals to be framed under these cultural aspects in
order for peaceful communication. Therefore, it can be said that individuals’ social nature is the

CULTURE 3
primary reason for which cultural self-awareness influence cultural intelligence in response to
communication in the routine life.
In last, it can be said that both Cultural awareness and Cultural Intelligence impact
understanding of cultural similarities and differences and adjust one behaviour while interacting
with people from diverse and unfamiliar cultures. Globally, there are many sorts of cultures and
gaining insight into each will help individual in embracing cultural self-awareness necessary to
develop cultural intelligence.

CULTURE 4
References
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behaviors that serve people's goals. Group & Organization Management, 31(1), 40-
55.
David, A. R. (2009). Performing for the gods? Dance and embodied ritual in British Hindu
temples. South Asian Popular Culture, 7(3), 217-231.
Flanja, D. (2009). Culture shock in intercultural communication. Studia Universitatis Babes-
Bolyai. Studia Europaea, 54(4), 107.
Han, S., & Northoff, G. (2008). Culture-sensitive neural substrates of human cognition: A
transcultural neuroimaging approach. Nature reviews neuroscience, 9(8), 646.
Heine, S. J., Takemoto, T., Moskalenko, S., Lasaleta, J., & Henrich, J. (2008). Mirrors in the
head: Cultural variation in objective self-awareness. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin, 34(7), 879-887.
Ng, K. Y., Van Dyne, L., & Ang, S. (2009). From experience to experiential learning:
Cultural intelligence as a learning capability for global leader development. Academy
of Management Learning & Education, 8(4), 511-526.
Olson, E. G. (2008). Creating an enterprise-level “green” strategy. Journal of business
strategy, 29(2), 22-30.
Pargament, K. I., & Sweeney, P. J. (2011). Building spiritual fitness in the Army: An
innovative approach to a vital aspect of human development. American
Psychologist, 66(1), 58.
Quappe & Cantatore. (2005). What is cultural awareness, anyway? How do I build it?
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%20Awareness.pdf
Spencer-Oatey, H., & Franklin, P. (2012). What is culture. A compilation of quotations.
GlobalPAD Core Concepts, 1-22.