Culture: Avenues and cul-de-sacs

Judith and Chris wander down the often problematic, and always fascinating labyrinth that is the nature of culture.

What do we think of when we hear the word culture?  Judith reflects on what the term means in the boardroom as compared to in the ‘outside world’.  Inward and outward views abound.

Culture can be perhaps seen in different ways: from the personal perspective thinking about other places and the cultural norms that exist there (fascinating, unnerving perhaps, curious), food, language etc.  And from the professional view of institutional culture – a great term that can both facilitate action and prevent it.

Chris reflected on his experience working in organisations internationally, particularly when working on a branch campus looking to replicate the home campus model in the midst of significant diversity and what this means for culture and identity.

We made no attempt to define culture in this podcast but rather took the opportunity to reflect, muse on the topic and probe a little deeper into our own understanding.  Using examples from our own backgrounds (personal and professional) we talked about language, distance, connection and association with places and how this shapes our experience, our outlook and to some extent, ourselves.

Chris reflected on his time in Malaysia and the UAE and the reality that when places ‘look’ or ‘feel’ the same there is an expectation that they will be the same as ‘home’ and when it inevitably isn’t, this can actually be more jarring that somewhere completely different.  When you are in a distinctly different place, you are the different one and this can help reshape your approach and outlook.

How do we articulate the notion of culture within an organisation, or even within ourselves?  For those of us in international higher education, this is a daily reality – both in conversation and reflection.

 

#culture #languagelearning #diversity #institutionalculture #organisationalculture #smallcultures #senseofplace #association #identity