Intercultural Sensitivity among Private University Students in Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

ASEAN Economic Community, which started in 2015, promotes the need for college students to prepare themselves with competencies that facilitate performance in cross-cultural work environments. This study aimed to map the development of Intercultural Sensitivity (ICS) among students of Bina Nusantara University and other private universities in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia (n = 317), using Bennett’s DMIS theoretical framework (2004). The data was analyzed by using Z-score descriptive statistics, t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. The research results showed that the majority of Bina Nusantara University’s students are in the Acceptance stage, in which one is already able to value, respect, and appreciate different values, beliefs, and behaviors from other cultures. Meanwhile, the majority of other private, religious-based universities’ students are in the Defense stage, in which one still has a persistent belief that Indonesia’s culture (“Indonesia” as defined by their lens) is the most valid among the world’s cultures.