Developing Socio-Cultural Awareness in the Military

Sociocultural awareness is becoming more important in the military. At present there appears to be sociocultural gaps in military leadership development. The researcher Janice Lawrence believes that leaders will be called upon to engage socially across many different cultures and to build trust, create alliances, read intentions, and influence and understand people and their motivations (2011). This type of learning is fundamentally different and higher than previous learning. 

For decades the military has been at the helm of leadership development. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have highlighted some gaps. The development of higher sociocultural awareness helps leaders understand the local population, their needs, and their motivations. To create greater cross-cultural awareness requires skills in empathy, respect, genuine interest in others, flexible behavior, tolerance for ambiguity, open-mindedness, sociability, and initiative (Early & Ang, 2003). 

A failure to be culturally aware means that leaders may not be aware of the deeper issues at play. As all language contains a coding, transference and decoding process of signals it is necessary for leaders to understand the non-verbal cues of the local population to understand their emotions such as anger, happiness, disgust and many other facets to get a deeper picture of the local population. 

Situational awareness is important to military leaders but so is cultural awareness. It cannot be easily documented in a photograph or satellite picture. It requires an understanding of interests, habits, intentions, beliefs, social structure, and political systems (McFate, 2005). It is a subtle skill that should be rewarded in military training. 

There is a natural blending between military and social science. Leadership exists within a medium of culture. Culture is not finite or immobile and doesn’t exist by the same standard rules one might find in other sciences. The author indicates that sociocultural competence should be rewarded in the military as its impact in saving lives may be more profound than other methods.  To understand the situation and the people that have a natural impact on that situation can do much in being more effective strategically, socially, and militarily.

Comment: The subtle tones and non-verbal expressions can give an indication of how a person is receiving, interpreting, and adjusting to new information. When engaged in cross-cultural communications the specific nuances of human expression may be more important in determining intention than the words themselves. Understanding the local population, how they view the situation, and their likely actions, will help in improving upon effectiveness. Social skill at a deep neurological level that creates awareness is difficult to train but can be fostered. 

The same process applies to business leaders that may not have a strong grasp of the culture and the associated cognitive models within their workplace. It is possible to find workplaces where there are 2 or 3 different cultures that interpret information differently. Strategic changes will naturally have a different impact and interpretation to each of the different cultures. Understanding how a new strategic plan will be interpreted will impact its business effectiveness and the success of the organization.

Earley, P. & Ange, S. (2003). Cultural intelligence: individual interactions across cultures. Stanford, CA: Stanford Business Books. 

Laurence, J. (2011). Military leadership and the complexity of combat and culture. Military Psychology, 23

McFate, M. (2005). The military utility of understanding adversary culture.  Joint Forces Quarterly, 38.

Scientists Discover How Deeply the Brain Processes Speech

Language was once thought to be a single side of the brain phenomenon. New technology helps to seek how the brain maps sounds and language to come up with meaning. Researchers at UC San Francisco found that people use both sides of their brain to categorize and understand language. 

This wasn’t the only discovery. Instead of responding to phonemes the brain actually responds to more elemental pieces of information called Features. The difference is profound as the individual sound isn’t as important as the categorization of these sounds at an elemental level. The brain is processing deeper than scientists originally predict. 

The way in which a person uses lips, tongue or vocal cords determines the overall meaning and understanding. If this is true then language has a biological component and is based in deeply held abilities of what makes us fundamentally human when compared to other species. 

The research is important because it can help people with reading and speech problems. It may even adjust how we come to understand and teach the English language. If the speech is associated with the movements of air within the mouth then classifications and history of words can be analyzed on a different level. 

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Are You Part Neanderthal? Check Your Hair and Teeth

Are you part Neanderthal? Of course we would never consider ourselves to be part brute but that is what our DNA is telling us. A majority of us have a few percentage points of Neanderthal DNA within our bodies. Ironically those things that make us look attractive like hair and teeth are more closely tied to our ancient ancestors. 

Studies in the journal Nature and Science help us think about human development from the beginning of time until now. It is believed the Neanderthal was a northern creature while humans came from Africa. Somewhere along the path they interbred and the Neanderthal died off. Apparently, the males were not so great at breeding when mixed. 

Human development appears to be on a continuum from the past to some marked point in the future. Each child creates a new genetic destiny based upon a historical past and develops something unique. As the environment changes, humans change with it to ensure they able to survive and pass on their genetic code. 

Neanderthals died off due to lack of communication skills and environmental adjustments. Modern language appears to be one of the most defining and beneficial aspects of social development. Where Neanderthals could run around in packs of a half dozen humans can now travel in the thousands. 

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12961.html

Saving Gifted Butterflies with Service Learning

Service learning can help high school and college students raise their grades and connect to a wider world. A paper by Bruce-Davis and Chancy (2012) discuss to a greater degree how service learning improves upon the platform for regular students but can help gifted students reach new heights. Education isn’t always stuffed in some dusty book and can include practical application of interests. Once engaged, gifted students can engage for years until breakthroughs are created.

Gifted learners are often underachievers. Their brains work at a capacity where standard curriculum bores them right out of school and directly into the school of life. This is why history is full of the genius drop out. Adding on top of this, teacher misperceptions, rigid classroom structures, and improper social relations, the school system can seem more like a prison system. 

Gifted learners underachieve because there is little to achieve for. If their classmates are focused on the latest He Man toy or newest Barbie member over the next Mad Science edition there is going to be dissonance. As these children grow into adolescents the focus on rigid social adherence and outward perception can also take their toll. Teachers may encourage these social patterns as “healthy development”. 

The problem is that gifted learners are asynchronous and develop at different stages and times. Service learning allows gifted students to throw themselves into something that interests them. Strong teachers can integrate normal class work into some service activity the gifted student finds interesting. The options are unending and can range from poetry to feeding the poor. 

Other researchers have found that service learning allows for practical application of knowledge and can be beneficial in raising motivation and grades. Service learning can be even more profound for inner city students that desire to find purpose and meaning in school while connecting with a wider community. The percentage of college readiness and graduation rates increase if high schools use these methods. 

If we look at a definition of giftedness from Renzulli and Reis (1997) you will find that service learning fits within task commitment, abilities, and creativity. “Gifted behavior consists of behaviors that reflect an interaction among three basic clusters of human traits—above average ability, high levels of task commitment, and high levels of creativity. Individuals capable of developing gifted behaviors are those possessing or capable of developing this composite set of traits and applying them to any potentially valuable area of human performance. (p. 8)” Some gifted individuals can engage in these activities for years, decades, or lifetimes. 

Service learning can help most students gain a bigger picture of their life’s responsibilities beyond their own needs. For gifted individuals, service learning can help them find practical application and motivation for their existing skills. For those who are previously undiagnosed, service learning methods affords opportunities to do something interesting and expose their greater abilities beyond rote textbook learning. High grades often measure intelligence but fail to measure higher abilities and capacities beyond sequential learning. Who wouldn’t be enthusiastic about saving butterflies, reducing child hunger, or creating better methodologies?

Bruce-Davice, M. & Chancy, J. (2012). Connecting Students to the Real World: Developing Gifted Behaviors through Service Learning. Psychology in the Schools, 49 (7). 

Reis, S. M., & Renzulli, J. S. (2009). The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A focus on student strengths and interests. In J. S. Renzulli, E. J. Gubbins, K. S. McMillen, R. D. Eckert, & C. A. Little (Eds.), Systems and models for developing programs for the gifted and talented (2nd ed., pp. 323 – 352). Mansfield Center, CT: Creative Learning Press.

Call for Papers-2014 Advances in Business-Related Scientific Research Conference

Location: Venice, Italy

Submission Deadline: February 13, 2014
Submission Deadline for Presentations: February 20, 2014
Conference Registration Deadline: February 20, 2014

ABSRC is an important international gathering of business and business-related sciences scholars and educators. In addition to scientific papers, the focus is on various best practices and solutions, which are important for business activities.

Submissions have been received from researchers and practitioners from 35 different countries.
Web address: http://www.absrc.org