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Copyright © 2007 EVS Actually
E.V.S. Copyrights
We are not claiming that the information you will find on this website is our production. The amount of data is vast and we have carried out a secondary research in order to find gather all this data from hundreds of different websites, magazines, books etc.
Feel welcome to reproduce any of the information you find on this website as long as you do not claim it is your own work...it is not our own neither, except personal opinion parts. After all, we are a non-profit informal group! Thank you evs actually 
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| Intecultural Learning |
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‘Intercultual learning’…a term we are sure you have met before. Now…what does it have to do with EVS?.. keep on reading!
Steps of Intercultural Learning The term “intercultural learning” can be understood on different levels. On a more literal level it refers to an individual process of acquiring knowledge, attitudes or behaviour that is connected with the interaction of different cultures. However, intercultural learning can also be seen in a larger context to denote a concept of how people with different cultural backgrounds can live together peacefully, in community and in constant interaction. Learning in this context is understood less as an individual process but emphasises instead the open ended character of the process towards an intercultural society (beyond multiculturalism). Intercultural learning demands that you know yourself and where you come from, before being able to understand others. It is a challenging process as it involves very deeply rooted ideas about what is good and bad, about how you structure your world and your life. In a process of intercultural learning, what we take for granted and feel is essential is put into question. Our identity is challenged by other people’s ways of doing and thinking and this occurs not always without conflict. Developing intercultural sensitivity is a gradual process from denial to integration of differences. But lets leave definitions away for a while and try to put this in our own context … the context of EVS. Young as we are, our thought, values, ideas and likes are developing constantly. We want them to develop and evolve and this is one of the reasons we(you) are not staying back home but you have already made a step of trying the unknown … learn from it … become better through it. EVS volunteers coming to Greece tend to go through a culture shock at times. We Greek are surprised!!! How can these people be shocked in a lovely country such as ours?!! Hmmm!!! Going through this process involves a great understanding of ourselves. It involves questioning the very fundamentals of us! But how far can we go? How far do we want to go? It really depends on us, on the reflection we will go through, our openness to try something new and our willingness to communicate the feelings that evolve within us. Greece, like every other country has its advantages and disadvantages, its pros and cons, its beauty and ugliness its fairness and unfairness (although we romantic volunteers would like to think only positive!). You coming here does not necessary mean that you have to become Greek! No one could ever ask something like this from you. We are only asking you to give your best to go though your own intercultural process, discover who we are, and then you as a free person will decide naturally on how much you will change and become more Greek, maybe more Mediterranean or even more of the nationality of your lovely foreign volunteers you will be interacting with. However, realizing the culture of Greece is something that you should give it a try on. Lets see culture through the idea that it can be pictured as an iceberg: only a very small portion of the iceberg is visible above the waterline. However, the tip of the iceberg is in fact supported by a much larger, although invisible, part underneath the waterline. This part of the iceberg is its foundation.  The same happens with culture, there are some visible parts: architecture, art, cooking, music, language, just to mention a few; but the powerful dimensions of culture are more difficult to spot: the social norms, the values, the basic assumptions about space and time, the relation with nature, the conception of justice and of “self”, etc. The iceberg model of culture implies that the visible parts of culture are just expressions of its invisible parts. It also highlights the difficulty of understanding people from different cultural backgrounds because although we may see the visible parts of their “iceberg” we cannot immediately realise what the foundations are. I think you already understand that in order to discover the hidden parts, sometimes you have to take a deep breath and dive in!!! We are welcoming you to do so! And this way you can develop a better understanding of who we are and why we are this way. Don’t forget…every action of human beings has a reason behind it, and usually this involves societal, political economical, historical and anthropological facts! Below you can have a look at the main stages of intercultural learning. by Groschen/Leenen  How can you move on to the next step? Answer these questions and good luck with your intercultural learning! |
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