Project Overview
In this project, you will reflect on your worldview and how it affects your understanding of the world around you. Then, you will research the culture of another country and share strategies for collaborating between and among cultures.
This work will help you practice cultural competency and awareness. These are important skills in the modern diverse workplace.
Competency
In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:
- Describe perspectives of more than one worldview in real-world interactions
Scenario
You work for Agua Sin Fronteras (ASF, or “Water Without Borders”), an international nonprofit. ASF works to provide access to clean drinking water, improve sanitation, and deliver health education programs. Globally, children living in urban poverty have little control over their water sources. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) awarded funding to ASF to work on solving this problem. ASF plans to use this money to expand its efforts into new countries.
Your supervisor, Sue Edge, asked you to be on a committee that recommends countries for ASF’s programs. These programs include the following:
- Building wells
- Installing water purification systems
- Creating educational materials about water health
Directions
- Committee Orientation ActivityThe committee leader, Ty Dalwave, wants the team to be aware of their biases when doing research. To build that awareness, he has asked everyone to reflect on their worldview by doing the following:
- Describe your worldview, including how it changes and forms.
- How do you view the world?
- How do you understand how the world works? How do you understand your purpose in the world?
- What assumptions, beliefs, and values affect how you explain the world, understand your circumstances, and live your life?
- How did your worldview develop? How has it changed over time?
- Explain how your worldview affects the way you interact and perceive others at work.
- How could your worldview affect your interactions with and perceptions of your coworkers?
- Describe your worldview, including how it changes and forms.
- Committee BriefNow that you’ve reflected on your worldview and its effect on how you navigate the world, you are ready to start researching. As a committee member, you will investigate the social, political, and cultural situations of another country and report what you learn to the group.
- Choose a country to research.Choose a country that you are not familiar with and would like to learn more about.Note: For this project, you should assume that ASF’s worldview is the same as your own. For this reason, you must investigate a country that’s different from your own.
- Research your chosen country.Use the Country Analysis Questions document to help you research your chosen country’s social, political, and cultural situations.If you would like to, you can do some of your own research beyond the country profiles information provided in the Supporting Materials section. Remember to use authoritative sources and cite them in your work.
- Explore how ASF could conduct operations in your selected country.The committee wants you to present your findings in a committee brief. Remember to assume that ASF’s worldview is the same as your own and base your responses on that. In your committee brief, include the following information:
- The name of your selected country
- A summary of the country’s geography, government, health, education, culture, economy, and history
- A discussion of how you think various groups in your selected country would perceive ASF’s work:
- What potential sources of conflict do you expect? Brainstorm and describe at least three.
- How do people in your own country interact in groups and at work? How does this compare to your selected country?
- Propose at least three actionable solutions to address potential conflict and foster collaboration. Consider the following question:
- If ASF started working in the country that you chose, what recommendations would you make to support collaboration and avoid conflict between differing worldviews?
What to Submit
Every project has a deliverable or deliverables, which are the files that must be submitted before your project can be assessed. For this project, you must submit the following:
- Committee Orientation ActivityReflect on your worldview and describe how it affects your interactions and feelings of others. This should be 250–500 words (about 1–2 pages).
- Committee BriefResearch and write a summary of the social, political, and economic situations of the country you chose. Then, discuss how ASF would be perceived in that country. Identify potential conflicts, and propose ways to reduce conflict and increase collaboration. Your committee brief should be 750–1,200 words (about 3–5 pages). Note: Do not submit the Country Analysis Questions document.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor, it is important to not only educate future healthcare professionals on medical knowledge and skills, but also on cultural competency and awareness. In this project, students will have the opportunity to reflect on their own worldview and learn strategies for collaborating with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. This skill is crucial in the modern diverse workplace, especially in the healthcare industry where patients come from various cultural backgrounds.
1. Committee Orientation Activity – Reflect on your worldview and describe how it affects your interactions and feelings of others.
As a healthcare professional, my worldview is constantly evolving based on my experiences with patients, colleagues, and other individuals. At its core, my worldview is shaped by my beliefs and values, as well as the cultural and societal norms that I have been exposed to throughout my life.
In terms of how I view the world, I believe that every individual has inherent worth and deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. I believe in the importance of empathy and understanding, especially when it comes to people who are different from me. I also believe that science and evidence-based medicine are critical in advancing the field of healthcare and improving patient outcomes.
When it comes to my interactions with colleagues and patients, my worldview affects how I perceive and approach situations. For example, I try to be open-minded and non-judgmental when working with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. I also strive to understand their perspectives and experiences in order to provide the best possible care. However, I am also aware that my own biases and assumptions may affect how I interact with others, which is why it is important to constantly reflect and seek feedback.
2. Committee Brief – Research and write a summary of the social, political, and economic situations of the country you chose. Then, discuss how ASF would be perceived in that country. Identify potential conflicts, and propose ways to reduce conflict and increase collaboration.
For this assignment, I chose to research India, a country with a rich cultural history and diverse population. India has a federal parliamentary democratic republic government and a mixed economy that is fast-growing. However, the country also faces social, political, and economic challenges, including poverty, corruption, and a lack of access to clean water and sanitation.
If ASF were to expand its efforts into India, there may be some potential sources of conflict due to cultural and societal differences. For example, some individuals may view water access as a communal resource rather than an individual right, which may affect how they perceive ASF’s efforts. Additionally, there may be challenges related to language and communication, as well as navigating bureaucratic processes.
To address these potential conflicts, I propose that ASF take the following steps:
1. Partner with local organizations and community leaders to gain a better understanding of the social, political, and cultural norms in the areas where ASF will be working. This will help to build trust and foster collaboration.
2. Provide culturally and linguistically appropriate education materials about water health to ensure that the information is accessible to all individuals, regardless of background or language fluency.
3. Offer training and support to local individuals and organizations to help them advocate for their water rights and improve access to clean water and sanitation. This will empower local communities to take ownership of their own health and well-being, which is a key aspect of sustainable development.
Overall, by building relationships and partnering with local organizations, ASF can help to improve access to clean water and sanitation for individuals in India while also respecting and working within the country’s cultural and societal norms.