Cultural Assimilation for Career Success

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Cultural Assimilation for Career Success

• Ollie Inez Taylor Ph.D., GCDF
• oitaylor_at_aol.com

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Some Aspects of White Culture

• 1. Rugged individualism The individual is the
  most important societal unit.
• 2. Nuclear Family An ideal family is defined
  as two parents and children.
• 3. Rationalism Mind, body, and emotions should
  be treated as separate entities.
• 4. Time Time is perceived as a quantity.
• 5. European Aesthetics Beauty is defined by
  European standards.
• 6. Action Orientation Everyone is responsible
  for what happens to her/him and controls ones
  own fate.
• 7. Universalism The normative and best
  characteristics are defined by European culture.
• 8. Competition The societys resources belong to
  the best.
• 9. History The most important American history
  is White.

• People should take care of themselves individual
  achievement is most valued.
• 2. Alternative family structures are considered
  deviant.
• 3. People who express emotions in rational
  situations are devalued.
• 4. People are expected to save time, spend time,
  and perform on time.
• 5. People cut, dye, and starve themselves to
  resemble the European ideal of beauty.
• 6. If people are homeless, it is because they
  want to be.
• 7. Introduction of multicultural curricula in
  schools necessarily means a diluted education.
• 8. Access to societal goods is determined by
  competition as reflected in test scores.
• 9. Separate weeks, months, and so forth are
  needed to teach about other groups.

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Stereotypes

• Asian Americans
• Hard workers
• Technical nerds
• Uncomplaining
• Docile
• Quiet
• A good labor source
• Highly qualified as scientists and engineers
• Not suitable for management positions
• African Americans
• Lazy
• Passive
• Not as intelligent
• Emotional
• Not trustworthy
• Violent
• Devious

• Native Americans
• Lazy
• Violent
• Not motivated
• Not academically inclined
• Not independent
• Not sociable
• Too slow to speak up
• Not really trying to be a team player

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Why Assimilation?

• Assimilation decreases the fear of admitting a
  different race , gender, age classification etc.
  into a group which is obviously different.
• Assimilation shows that an applicant has studied
  the culture of an organization and is willing to
  accommodate or can easily fit into the work
  culture.
• Assimilation does not require that one denounces
  his own personal likes, dislikes or cultural
  heritage outside of the work setting.
• Assimilation reflects a good will effort to
  become a team player.
• Assimilation diminishes stress in the work
  environment.
• Assimilation places emphasis on the corporation
  or group rather than the individual

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How Does History Play Into This?

• Fear of losing racial, social and religious
  identity caused detrimental laws to be enacted
  against any threats of change.
• Guilt of having taken advantage of minorities to
  grant opportunities for the majority led to
  prolific lies and false stereotypes which
  demeaned fellow human beings, enslaved millions,
  and corrupted honest acceptance and equal value
  for all Americans.
• Inhumane acts were committed, laws were changed
  to prevent work opportunities, property was
  stolen, education was denied and equal housing
  was conveniently made inaccessible.
• Our country was in a dilemma. What could we do
  with people of color who had variant cultures
  languages and values?
• The leader of the free world was found to be not
  only hypocritical in its treatment to its own
  citizens but also imperialistic towards the rest
  of the world.

• Milton Bennetts Development of Intercultural
  Sensitivity
• 1. Denial
• 2. Defense
• 3. Minimization
• 4. Acceptance
• 5. Adaptation
• 6. Intergration

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Information Inundation Technique

• 1. Match their speech and behaviors
• 2. Acknowledge and Spin it.
• 3. Find a connection.
• 4. Communicate you bridge building potential.
• 5. Make your difference a strength and show how
  you can or have adapted to a different working
  culture.
• 6. Stay positive and do not expose any negative
  body language.
• 7. Make it a habit to constantly maintain a
  positive disposition and practice to enhance it.

• 1. Interviews are often biased and difference in
  speech patterns, grammar, etc. are expected.
  Dont do this.
• 2. Openly profess to be who you are and then
  elaborate on how you can easily adapt to
  multicultural situations.
• 3. Find a commonality of interests skills
  common acquaintances , etc. with the interviewer
• 4. While using positive body language
  techniques, share
• examples of past successes and
  interest in other
• challenges.
• 5. Show how you have overcome transitioning
  yourself
• Into a different environment.
• 6. Maintain eye contact, lean forward, smile,
  keep you held up and slightly tilted to express
  keen interest.
• 7. Make sure you present yourself as confident
  and positive about the aspect of working on this
  job.