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Contributions from
the Column
Books and Media
New challenges for development policies
Southern Africa:
not all liberators are democrats
Lobbying:
a guide for NGOs
Communication:
tips for intercultural understandin
New InWEnt website
01/2005 |
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Communication:
tips for intercultural understanding
What obstacles lie in the way of intercultural encounters? What stumbling blocks are hindering mutual understanding? What traps are waiting for the uninformed guest? There is now talk of intercultural competence – where people try to come to an understanding and reach agreement across cultural and ethnocentric borders, using peaceful and empathetic means. There are numerous ideas floating about on how this challenge can be tackled.
The series “Handlungskompetenz im Ausland” (Skills and abilities to act abroad) expands this discussion with practical know-how. Titled “Beruflich in ...” (Working in ...), it addresses people who want to prepare for their stay in other countries. So far in the series, there are volumes on Argentina, China, Great Britain, Indonesia, Kenya/Tanzania, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and the Czech Republic.
The volumes are reminiscent of the excellent series “SympathieMagazin” published by the Studienkreis für Touristik und Entwicklung (Institute for Tourism and Development) in the information they want to impart. While these journals – of which there are over 50 – (Understanding Egypt, Understanding Sicily, Understanding Buddhism etc.) are aimed at travellers and holiday makers, the team of authors led by editor Alexander Thomas are now compiling “Training Programmes for Managers, Specialists and Executives”. In the book on Kenya and Tanzania, the “self learning programme” is divided into ten training units and begins with a short tale portraying an encounter between Germans and East Africans. This is followed by a series of analyses. Finally, the specific situation is placed in a cultural and situational context.
The themes covered in the volumes include the core aspects of vocational communication, such as human resources management, project management, cooperation, participation, motivation, agreements, hospitality and religion, as well as everyday situations or the tense relationship between the private and public spheres. The language is concise throughout and the content is reduced to the essential points.
The volumes of “Beruflich in ...” (Working in ...) are published by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (Göttingen). Every book has about 160 pages. Price: Euro 24.90.
Jos Schnurer
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