Essay:
Create an essay to critically reflect on why cultural self-awareness is important to develop cultural intelligence.
• You should first define the term 'cultural self-awareness' and ‘cultural intelligence'.
• Discuss how and why cultural self-awareness assists people to be more culturally intelligent.
• For the Why part (use readings) and the How part (use your own experiences such as aspects from your mind map).
• Using at least 4 readings covered in the first 7 weeks, describe your experiences (such as one or two aspects you explored in your mind-map) that illustrate the points being made in the readings.
Structuring your critical reflection
Your critical reflection should be an example of academic writing. As a reflective essay, we expect you to write in the first person when you are recounting examples from your experience. Therefore, you will be moving between third person when you discuss the readings and first person when you describe your experiences that illustrate the points being made in the readings.
1. Introduction
Your essay should have an introduction that includes the following information:
o Orientation - background information
o Putting the assessment task into your own words
o A thesis statement/topic: an initial thesis statement
introduces and anchors your argument or discussion
expresses your viewpoint or stand on the subject
o An outline of the structure of your reflection - what are the different parts
o Scope - this is optional. It may not be appropriate to the reflection. The scope should outline the limits of the discussion.
2. Body paragraphs
o Your paragraphs must include a topic sentence, supporting sentences (theory and personal examples) and a concluding sentence.
o Integrate references into your points wherever possible.
o You should aim to have 4 to 6 paragraphs in the body of an essay of this length (not including the introduction or conclusion).
3. Conclusion
Ensure your conclusion does the following:
o Restate and qualify your thesis statement from your introduction
o Provide a summary of the key points covered in the body of your reflection.
Referencing
Theoretical ideas you use in this writing will come from outside sources. Ensure that all sources of information are correctly referenced in the text and in a reference list on a separate page at the end of your critical reflection.
If you are unsure of how to reference correctly, see the referencing style guide for APA6th available on the Charles Darwin University Library website. (link on right).
In - text references
An in-text reference is a way of showing that a phrase, sentence or idea is taken from another author or authors. To find out more about this academic skill, try the exercise opposite to help you learn how to use in-text references correctly.
Developing your critical reflection
A critical reflection is the process of identifying, analysing and explaining experiences in relation to issues. In this critical reflection there are three steps you need to complete:
1. Explain why cultural self-awareness is important to develop cultural intelligence.
2. Identify and analyse how your cultural self-awareness can develop in analysing beliefs, values, cultural practices, and/or social structures in your daily life (based on one or two aspects from your mind map).
3. Explain how these elements fit into a broader context in relation to the theories mentioned in Spencer-Oatey (2012), Taipale (2012), Russell (2011), Quappe and Cantatore (2005), and/or other relevant readings. Use these authors to support your analysis of how cultural self-awareness can help to build cultural intelligence (Brislin, Worthley and Mcnab (2006). You may also choose to explore ‘culture shock' (Flanja 2009) and how to avoid it with cultural self-awareness and developing cultural intelligence. NOTE- Keep the references relevant to the ideas you are developing.
Writing an introduction
Your essay should have an introduction that includes the following types of information:
• Orientation (also known as the context/background for the essay)
• Thesis (your 'argument' or 'claim' or what you will 'argue')
• Outline (the organization of your essay: how the sub-arguments will be developed)
Your essay should take a clear position (thesis) as to how and why cultural self-awareness is important to develop cultural intelligence. Use the video on the right to understand what a thesis statement is.
Have a go at writing a thesis statement for your critical reflection (this is a first draft). Your thesis statement only needs to be one sentence.
• Ask yourself - why is cultural self-awareness important to developing cultural intelligence?
• Think about issues associated with cultural awareness
• Jot down some ideas, particularly the focus for your critical reflection