Interculturality and the European Union | Course outline

 

 

Living in a multicultural society, we daily meet people with different cultural backgrounds. Therefore it is important that students are well prepared to work in intercultural groups and develop intercultural competences. The course aims to give students concepts to speak and learn about the intercultural encounter.

We start with a broad framework of interculturality, in which intercultural awareness is emphasized. Next, we pay attention to the training on intercultural communication skills. Furthermore, social, ethical and anthropological issues related to interculturality are discussed.

During the course we focus on:

 

  1. What is culture?, etnocentrism vs cultural relativism, intercultural skills
  2. The multicultural society in Belgium, acculturation
  3. Theoretical models of culture
  4. Migration, consequences of migration, migration and health care
  5. Intercultural communication
  6. History of western culture
  7. Differences between European cultures

 

In the first part of the course the students will be asked to interview several health care professionals who are specialized in interculturality. In the second part of the course a visit to the European parliament and the European Commission will be made.

 

Competences

 

  • Generic competences
Category Competency Core
Intellectual and cognitive capacities The student can reason logically with regard to profession-specific matter. No
Acquisition and processing of information. The student can look up, analyze, summarize, handle and acquire profession-specific information. Yes
Critical reflection Reflecting critically on profession-specific functioning. No
Communicative competency to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions, both to specialists and non-specialists: The student is able to explain and justify the basic principles and the working methods. No
Capacity for teamwork. The student can work in a team in an international, intercultural or multidisciplinary setting. No

 

  • Specific competences
Main category Category Competency Level Core
Psychodiagnostical Worker Gathering information The student independently gathers relevant information, using scientific methods. He links the obtained information together within a relevant psychological frame of reference. Application Yes
Psychodiagnostical Worker Analysis of the appeal or assignment The student analyzes a psychosocial appeal/problem in a scientific way. The student reformulates the question into testable hypotheses. Application Yes
Psychodiagnostical Worker Synthesis The student orders and interprets the obtained data to reach an objective synthesis from which he can deduce a psychological decision or advice. Application Yes
Psychodiagnostical Worker Reporting The student clearly formulates the decision/advice and the process leading to up this. Application Yes
Psychological Counselor Supplying information The student gives oral and written information in a clear and objective manner. He frames the question in the language of the client. insight No
Psychological Counselor Giving advice The student works demand-driven, is able to compare and interpret various actions and guide the client to a responsible choice. insight No
Psychological Counselor Support during change processes The student initiates change in the client or his situation. The student can monitor and support these processes with attention for relapse prevention. He acknowledges resistance for change and handles this with psychological methods. insight No
Trainer-Coach Education The student can actively participate and support learning processes. He transfers knowledge and insight in a didactically sound manner. integration Yes
Organizer and communicator Formulating a plan of action The student sets the goal together with the client in order to reach a feasible plan of action from a psychological perspective. integration No
Organizer and communicator Carrying out a plan of action The student carries out the plan of action in a structured way, observing the psychological and ethical guidelines. integration No
Intercultural worker Awareness of diversity The student sees each psychological intervention in a broader perspective and pays attention to factors and processes leading to prejudice. application Yes
Intercultural worker Ability to work with clients with other cultural backgrounds The student is able to work with clients from diverse cultural and societal backgrounds. He is able to empathize with the client and see things from their perspective. The student can adjust his psychological actions to the ethnic, cultural, religious and social background of the client. application Yes
Intercultural worker Interpersonal sensitivity The student sees, cares for and respects the feelings and opinions of the client and has a tolerant and positive attitude regarding differences in needs and points of view. application Yes
Professional teamplayer Professional cooperation The student cooperates on different levels with colleagues inside and outside of his profession to reach team goals. He supports colleagues and shares information with them. He acts with an open, respectful and constructive attitude that stimulates the personal and professional development of the team members. application Yes
Professional teamplayer Setting up and maintaining professional relations The student is able to build harmonious working relations, on all levels, inside as well as outside of the organization. application No
Professional teamplayer Networking The student knows about the various relevant working fields and disciplines, initiates contacts with other organizations and builds useful networks. insight No
Reflector Self-evaluation The student can look back on situations and analyze his actions and their consequences. He can think of alternative actions for similar situations in the future. insight No
Reflector Empathic appraisal of self and others The student can estimate his actions and thoughts in various situations and has insight in his strengths and weaknesses. He also tries to estimate the behavior of others and the needs of himself and others to function well in an organization. insight No
Reflector Critical analysis The student is prepared and able to examine his past, present and future in order to develop his personal and professional functioning. He also questions the near and further environment in which he functions. insight No

Preparatory activities

 

The course presupposes a basic knowledge in psychology and the ability to communicate in the English language.

Educational tools

 

  • Type

    Learning material will be published on Toledo
    Notes made during lectures
  • Obligatory educational tools

    The attendance of working visits.

Learning activities

 

  • Lectures
  • Working visits
  • Interviews with professionals working in intercultural invironments

Evaluation

 

  • 1st exam period (January)
    Students will take a written exam on the theoretical topics of the course (80% - during exam period)
    Students also need to do an interview with a health care professional who is specialized in interculturality (20%)
  • 2nd exam period (June)
  • 3rd exam period (August/September)
    Students will take a written exam on the theoretical topics of the course
 

Details

 
 
  • Semester: 1
  • ECTS: 4
  • Language: English
  • Teacher: Caroline Huyskens, Filip Dejonckheere en Miet Craeynest
  • Coordinator: Caroline Huyskens
 
 
 

Dept. of Speech Language Therapy and Audiology

 
   
 
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