Assessing the intercultural sensitivity of American expatriates in Kuwait

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to apply a developmental model of intercultural sensitivity to a group of people in an intercultural setting and discover whether or not the model is descriptive. The data collected are also used to determine whether or not the coping mechanisms employed by the sojourners are developmental in terms of this model of intercultural sensitivity. The population for this study was the American community of Kuwait in 1989 and 1990. Fifteen subjects, all of whom had lived in Kuwait at least two years, were interviewed in Kuwait. The model used is Bennett's (1984) Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. This model consists of six levels of sensitivity, including the three ethnocentric levels of Denial, Defense and Minimization, and the three ethnorelative levels of Acceptance, Adaptation and Integration. This is an exploratory study that utilizes a descriptive method of data collection and a qualitative method of data analysis. The in-depth interview is used as a research gathering tool. The initial exploratory phase of the research resulted in the development of the interview schedule. This was derived from a review of the literature of intercultural adjustment. The five major topic areas which emerged were (a) attitude toward difference, (b) interaction, (c) communication, (d) stress management, and (e) satisfaction. The questions were based on the most commonly agreed upon factors of adjustment and were designed to elicit responses which could be coded as representative of a particular level of intercultural sensitivity according to the model being examined. The coding of responses followed an analytical scheme developed by the researcher. The responses of each interview subject are analyzed and presented in the form of interview extracts labeled with the level of sensitivity. A percent of responses given at each level is the result. In the second part of the study, the purpose is to determine the developmental effectiveness of coping mechanisms employed by the sojourners. The themes which emerged from the data are arranged according to their developmental possibilities. Actions taken which encourage movement on the continuum of intercultural sensitivity are labeled developmental. Those which inhibit it are labeled nondevelopmental. The findings support the use of the model as a descriptive tool. The responses of the subjects are consistent; the majority of each individual's responses falls into one category of intercultural sensitivity. The examination of coping mechanisms reveals further consistency. The individuals labeled as ethnorelative account for a larger share