Abstract
The intercultural competence of Syrians who reside in Germany was assessed in order to shed light on patterns and behaviours that are practiced by them in a different culture. In total, 308 respondents completed the questionnaire, of which 54 (17.5%) were female and 254 (82.5%) were male. The mean age of the respondents was 30.5 years (SD = 7.5.). The respondents’ level of private self-awareness, particularly self-reflection and insight, and their level of well-being (depression, anxiety and aggression) were assessed. Intercultural competence was measured using APTOC, a 15-item scale that consists of 3 main subscales, namely Openness to Other Cultures, Global Mindset, and Narrow Mindset. Private self-awareness was measured with the Self-reflection and Insight Scale. Well-being was measured with three subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory, namely Depression, Anxiety and Hostility. Openness to other Cultures, Global Mindset and Narrow Mindset were found to have a significant impact on Self-reflection and the well-being determinants (except Anxiety). There was a significant negative correlation between Narrow Mindset and Insight. Conclusively, Intercultural competence was found to have a positive impact on Private Self-awareness (Self-reflection and Insight) and Well-being of Syrians who reside in Germany.
Highlights
Interaction between individuals from various countries and different cultures has been increasing due to the ongoing globalisation (Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman, 2003)
Results of Three Multivariate Analyses of Variance The three variables Openness to Other Cultures, Global Mindset, and Narrow Mindset were all divided into two groups, those scoring above vs. below the mean on the variable in question
Three multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) were conducted in order to compare the means of the two groups (Above Mean and Below Mean) with the concerned subscales as dependent variables: Self-reflection, Insight, Depression, Anxiety and Hostility
Summary
Interaction between individuals from various countries and different cultures has been increasing due to the ongoing globalisation (Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman, 2003). Since Syria and Germany have different cultures, and Germany is the largest host European country receiving 637,845 Syrians between 2011 and 2016 (The German Federal Statistical Office, 2018), Syrians who reside in Germany are considered as a suitable research subject for the aim of this article. The topics of intercultural competence and self-awareness have received interest from researchers involved in different arenas such as social and business psychology, management, communication, education, healthcare, social science, and even military The term intercultural competence is used interchangeably in the literature with terms such as intercultural sensitivity, cultural intelligence, and cultural awareness. Most of the interchangeable terms refer to the same construct, which is related to “the ability to function effectively in another culture.” (Gertsen, 1990, p. 342). Johnson, Lenartowicz and Apud (2006) found three aspects that are underlined by most definitions of intercultural competence: attitudes, skills, and knowledge (Johnson et al, 2006)
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