Intercultural Development Inventory Analysis

My initial Intercultural Development Inventory was around the middle of the minimization section. This meant that I needed to work towards the acceptance and adaptation stages. I ended up with a score of which put me in the beginning of the acceptance section. Reflecting on how I might have achieved my growth, it seems like the majority of it can be attributed to two different reasons. The first was simply understanding the IDI framework and the ways in which we should approach other cultures. The second was working on developing the intercultural skills that I struggled with. Without an understanding of the IDI framework I am not sure if I would have even seen any positive results from my post examine. How can you grow if you don’t even know
I scored low on the “ability to see yourself as others see you” on the Intercultural Skills assessment. This ability to understand how others see you is an important piece while in another cultural environment. The ability to see how you are viewed has a lot to do with awareness. We see other people through our own lens, instead of who they truly are. Working towards seeing the world through another’s perspective is so difficult, yet so helpful in understanding those around us. This is an important skill to develop in order for me to transition in the next stage of the
Trying to understand how my comments will be understood has been a challenge. Indirect communication is like a game of interpretation that are constantly playing. You have to make sure that you are understood in the way you want to be understood, but without being direct. One place I see this happening is with my Jordanian friends. Jordan’s culture has an indirect style of communication, while the United States has a very direct communication style. According to Figuring Foreigners Out, by Craig Storti, people in these types of cultures “tend to infer, suggest, and imply” and what message can be understood by what is not said. This type of communication is often part of cultures where confrontation is avoided and harmony and saving face are the “greatest goods.” There are many times when my Jordanian friends want to hang out, but I do not really want to. A reply is an absolute must. Ignoring is not a good way to avoid hanging out with someone since it comes off like you do not want anything to do with them. Saying something direct like “no, I’m busy tonight” does not come off that well either. You have to say something along the likes of “Classes have been going good and we have been learning a lot. I miss hanging out with you, hopefully we can hangout soon.” You have to be slightly off topic and not answer the question directly. The indirect message is quite clear that you do not want