Importance of Intercultural Sensitivity

Due to the fast development in the domains of technology, education and research, different cultures worldwide have become interconnected and we are all considered to be living in the global village. Mutual understanding and tolerance in such a community is of crucial importance. Thus, intercultural sensitivity has become a core concept that needs to be understood and promoted worldwide among both younger and older population. The aim of this paper is to analyze the concept of intercultural sensitivity and its importance. Moreover, the paper discusses different models of intercultural sensitivity and the importance of intercultural sensitivity training programs. It is expected that the paper will raise awareness about this fundamental issue, and will contribute to its further understanding.

Evaluating the Impact of State Policy Interventions for LGBT Aging: Comparative Case Study of New York and California

The majority of aging network service providers are unprepared to deliver targeted services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) older adults. In 2017, California legislature mandated ongoing LGBT sensitivity training for congregate living providers. Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) developed a specialized training, Creating Inclusive Communities, for congregate living staff to learn the unique needs of LGBT elders. This secondary data analysis compared pre-test knowledge and attitudes of training participants in two states, one mandating LGBT aging sensitivity training (California, N=328) and one without the mandate (New York, N=622). Preliminary results show that prior to receiving training, California participants demonstrate significantly less knowledge of LGBT aging issues compared to New York participants; t(948)=-3.808, p<.001. Attitudinal differences were also demonstrated. These results suggest that laws mandating LGBT sensitivity training may help reach providers with greater training needs. Policy and practice implications will be discussed. Part of a symposium sponsored by Rainbow Research Group Interest Group.

Applied Scholarship in LGBTQ Aging: Implications for Policy and Practice

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) elders have shown considerable strength while aging in a society predicated on heteronormative and binary expectations for gender and sexuality. The life trajectories of LGBTQ older adults are shaped by discrimination and stigmatization, and the embodied resistance that comes with demanding their full participation and recognition in society. This symposium highlights the innovative scholarship of emerging scholars in the field of LGBTQ aging who are engaging in diverse substantive and methodological investigations. The first study takes a comparative cohort approach to explore differences in stressors and depressive symptomatology between younger and older sexual minorities, highlighting the significance of cohort effects among LGBTQ people. The second paper uses data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine anticipated nursing home placement needs between LGB and heterosexual adults with suggestions to better prepare aging service networks. The third describes the influence of state legislature mandating LGBTQ-sensitivity training by examining differences in provider baseline knowledge and attitudes toward LGBTQ older adults in two states, one mandating LGBTQ-sensitivity training and one not. The final paper highlights findings from a multi-methods study that explores how long-term care workers, managers, and administrators respond when staff, visitors, or residents challenge LGBTQ rights for religious and moral reasons. Although substantively and methodologically varied, these studies all demonstrate the importance of applied scholarship that builds knowledge in support of policies and practices that promote equity among LGBTQ individuals across the life course. Rainbow Research Group Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

The promise of an intersectoral network in enhancing the response to transgender survivors of sexual assault

Objectives This study explores the promise of an intersectoral network in enhancing the response to transgender (trans) survivors of sexual assault. Methods One hundred and three representatives of healthcare and community organizations across Ontario, Canada were invited to participate in a survey. Respondents were asked to: 1) identify systemic challenges to supporting trans survivors, 2) determine barriers to collaborating across sectors, and 3) indicate how an intersectoral network might address these challenges and barriers. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize quantitative data and qualitative data were collated thematically. Results Sixty-seven representatives responded to the survey, for a response rate of 65%. Several themes capturing the challenges organizations face in supporting trans survivors were identified: Lack of knowledge and training among providers, Inadequate resources across organizations and institutions, and Limited access to and availability of appropriate services. Barriers to collaborating across sectors considered important by the overwhelming majority of respondents were: Lack of trans-positive service professionals (e.g., a paucity of sensitivity training), lack of resources (e.g., staff, staff time and workload, spaces to meet), and Institutional structures (e.g., oppressive policies, funding mandates). Four ways in which a network could address these challenges and barriers emerged from the data: Center the voices of trans communities in advocacy; Support competence of professionals to provide trans-affirming care; Provide the platform, strategies, and tools to aid in organizational change; and Create space for organizations to share ideas, goals, and resources. Conclusion Our findings deepen our understanding of important impediments to enhancing the response to trans survivors of sexual assault and the role networks of healthcare and community organizations can play in comprehensively responding to complex health and social problems.

Thai Police Officers’ Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence and Victim Blaming: The Influence of Sexism and Female Gender Roles

Police officers are typically the first responders when victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) report abuse. Therefore, police officers’ attitudes toward IPV and victim blaming are crucial. This study aimed to observe how police officers’ sexist attitudes affect their perspectives on IPV and their victim-blaming attitudes, depending on the gender role exhibited by the victim. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory was used to classify 139 Thai male police officers into four groups of sexism: hostile sexist, benevolent sexist, ambivalent sexist, and nonsexist. Then, the participants were randomly assigned to watch a simulation video, in which a victim of IPV filed a report after being abused by her husband. There were two versions of the video, one in which the victim played a traditional gender role and the other a nontraditional role. Multivariate analysis of variance was employed for data analysis. The results demonstrated statistically significant effects of ambivalent sexism and victim’s gender role on attitudes toward IPV and victim blaming. This study contributes to the growing body of research on police officers’ performances in the context of IPV in Thailand and contributes to existing scholarship. It provides Thai police precincts with information that can equip them to develop new sensitivity training programs and can help legislators improve the effectiveness of victim protection acts.

The Role of Sensitivity Training for Managing Diversities in Sustainable Smart Societies

Entrepreneurial attempts play a key role to make behaviors in a global connected context. In this attempt, it is crucial to manage diversities and extend the capacity of the understanding and knowledge on the sensitivity for making sustainable and smart societies. This research aims to evaluate the perceptions of members of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) on sensitivity training and sheds a light on description, content and benefits on sensitivity and its’ training in order to create mutual understanding from life experiences on different types of NGOs. As qualitative research was employed in this research, interview and word association methods were used as data collection methods. As the study group, 35 members of various NGOs participated the research and their reflections on sensitivity training as a managerial and organizational perspective were analyzed using interview and word association methods coding through content analysis. In this respect, for data analysis, computer-aided qualitative data analysis software (RQDA) was conducted that R package was used. This research revealed firstly that the most frequently mentioned words for sensitivity definition were empathy which is related with interpersonal relationships and emotional intelligence (EQ); self-knowledge which is related with awareness and conscious; and the viewpoints of oneself like perception and bias. Secondly, to examine the suggestions of the different NGO participants suggesting the managers for raising awareness on sensitivity among their employers in a workplace, themes were identified as managers' own personal approach that is being their own example, trainings and the approach of the human resources department. Thirdly, the benefits of an education for sensitivity skill to sustainable smart societies for global citizenship and its contribution to the development of the sustainable smart societies are overlooked. The main themes were collected under the headings of communication, productivity and respected organization. In the light of the findings it can be stated that with sensitivity training in the workplace, social relations and group atmosphere improve and at the referred point, when benefits of sensitivity training is overlooked,very useful results are reached for individuals, groups and organizations that are directly related for sustainable and smart societies. The sensitivity training is an activity to determine the tasks to be carried out in order to achieve certain goals, to determine the personnel to perform this function, to determine the competencies and responsibilities and organizational relations of global citizens in smart societies. Keywords: Empathy, Global Citizenship, Management Sensitivity, Smart Society, Training

Fostering digital citizens: perceptions of sensitivity training

PurposeThe aim of the study is to evaluate the perceptions of participants on the sensitivity training in conducting online context.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers focus on the knowledge and attitudes of digital citizens as well as their perceptions on sensitivity training taking into consideration the technological aspects. In this qualitative approach, the available data were collected from 25 students from both graduate and undergraduate levels from different fields via an open-ended questionnaire in order to get their perceptions about creating a sensitivity training in the online context. In the questionnaire, metaphors were also used.FindingsThe themes derived from these metaphors and additional themes formed by narratives about technology and sensitivity equality feeding digital citizens allow ways to be examined and emphasize the importance of sensitivity training in technology and communication areas.Research limitations/implicationsBoth direct and indirect thoughts of the participants are limitations of the study.Practical implicationsPreparing students adequately for sensitivity in the workplace is a constant teaching and learning challenges in higher education.Social implicationsThis study focuses on universal values in a digital society in order to shed a light on sensitivity training in preventing conflicts in the global world.Originality/valueThe study focuses on the capacity of fostering digital citizens in e-society based on universal values and sensitivity training.

Investigating the Use of Language in Islam-related News: Evidence from Selected Non-Western Online Newspapers

The manner in which language is utilized in reporting Islam is disheartening. This is because sensationalized language, especially in the news media, could reinforce negative stereotypes. As such, those who rely on the media to understand Islam are likely to develop negative preconceptions about the religion. This study aims to investigate how the non-western online newspapers use language in news coverage of Islam. Content analysis was used to collect and analyze the data. Using purposive sampling, Punch and Vanguard were selected from Nigeria while The Star and New Straits Times were selected from Malaysia. A total of 599 Islam-related news articles were collected from the selected newspapers using internet-based search from November 2015 until September 2016. The findings showed that almost half of the overall Islam-related articles conveyed negative tone toward Islam while very few conveyed positive tone. This shows that the language used in news coverage of Islam is inappropriate and sensational. Hence, there is a need to enhance the reporters’ knowledge and writing skills through inter-media exchange program, exposure to different religious, social and cultural lives, workshops, seminars, conferences, as well as sensitivity training and retraining on reporting religions.