An introduction to culture bumps and the culture bump approach and its application in business, military, education along with a brief overview of its historical development

1. Introduction to
or
A Guide to Universal
Connections
Dr. Carol M. Archer

2. OVERVIEW
• Three definitions
– Culture Bump
– Culture Bump Approach
– Culture
An Overview of how the
Culture Bump Developed
Culture Bump Approach
used in:
Training
Community Building
Corporate Training
Writings

3. What is a culture bump?
• A culture bump is
merely a cultural
difference….
• Watch two young
men as they culture
bump…Josh from
the USA and Mazen
from Syria
• http://www.culturebu
mp.com/

4. What is a culture bump?
• A culture bump is merely a cultural
difference….
• An “apparent absurdity” - Hans Georg Gadamer
• A “cultural trace” - Martine Abdallah-Pretceille
• A hiccup…anonymous
a seed

5. to Differences

6. • Combines multicultural education and cross
cultural communication - both of which focus
on differences, but takes multicultural issues a
“step beyond diversity” and provides the
“next step” in cross cultural communication.
It does this by…

7. Shifting the focus from
understanding cultural
characteristics as a means
of dealing with differences
to…

8. Dealing with the difference itself.
Thus, people are in process with
culture rather than being a product of
culture.

9. Provides a specific change mechanism.

10. Humans…Being Connected

11. Definition
Theory
Steps
Skills
Toolkit
Training
Research
Publication

12. Toolkit for Culture and Communication
Perceptions
Culture
Bump
Values
and
Behaviors
Communication
Human
Commonalities
Emotional
Intelligence
Cultural
Adjustmen
t

13. Definition of Culture within the

14. Culture Defined
In the Culture Bump Approach, culture is viewed as a collection of
interpretative frames shared by groups of individuals to varying degrees along
a continuum. In this concept, the interpretative frames are never identical for
any two people, and it is only when a group of individuals share a majority
of similar interpretative frames that a culture can be said to exist. This
definition allows for the phenomenon of individuals sharing interpretative
frames with more than one group as well as for the phenomenon of
individuals sharing very few interpretative frames about a particular theme.
When individuals share a minimum number of interpretative frames about a
particular theme, a cross cultural relationship can be said to exist.
CM Archer 1996

15. Sample Cultural Groups
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Socio-economic
• Religion
• Tribe
• Race
• Language
• Sexual Orientation
• National Origin
• Age

16. Some Culture Bump Theory and
Protocol (Steps)

17. Culture Bump Steps
1. Pinpoint the bump
2. Describe what he/she did
3. Describe what you did
4. List your emotions when it happened
5. Find the universal situation in the incident when it
happened
6. List your expectations for that universal
7. Find the meaning for you when your expectations
are met
8. Have a conversation with “them” about how they
find that meaning

18. Culture Bump Steps
Lead to:
A. Detachment
B. Recognition of cultural relativism
C. Recognition of common humanity

19. At the moment of the bump, two things
occur simultaneously
• We experience
Emotional
disconnection
• We experience
– Rational
disconnection

20. Knowledge Dichotomy
• We experience
Rational
disconnection
Leading to a lack of
awareness of why we
are different….
• We experience
Emotional
disconnection
Leading to a lack
knowledge of how we
are the same…

21. This is a conversation about life - about living
life – a “Culture Free” interaction
• A conversation that can continue for a very
long time and one that deepens our
human connection…
• Includes cultural information but
• Allows for personal and individuality
• Includes self-reflection

22. A little history about the culture
bump…

23. 1978
• Cross Cultural
Communication
Course developed
at LCC(Language &
Culture Center) UH for
advanced level
students
• For students
• For teachers
• Best Practices
Stanford U Institute
– LSU: Pierre Casse
– UT – Dana Adelman
– Corporate training
• George Renwick &
Associates
• http://www.culturebump.
com/uncategorized/the-
beginnings-of-the-
culture-bump-journey

24. 1980s
• A second level of Cross
Cultural Communication
Course developed
at LCC for advanced
level students
• Became a reverse
ICW
– Perceptions
– Cultural Values
– Communication
– Cultural Adjustment

25. Books from…..1986

26. 1990s
• Basic course with text
(ICW)
• Advanced course built
on the basic course
• Advanced Individual
Coaching
But with Culture Bump
added…
Living with Strangers in the
USA

27. 1994

28. Then…
• September 11,2001
• The Toolkit for Culture
and Communication was
developed for the
University of Houston
Intellectual Property

29. 2002-2009
• http://culturebump.co
m/the-tool-kit
Marketed through the
Intellectual Property of
UH and Continuing
Education at UH for
$250.00

30. 2009
• http://culturebump.co
m/the-tool-kit
The physical Toolkit was
re-designed for website
and made available to
public for free.

31. 2010
• Toolkit for Culture &
Communication
Licensed to Auburn
University
Faculty Development
Publishing
Train Trainers
Outreach K-1
On-line classes
Training EFL teachers
Cyber training with students

32. Some applications..
Culture Bump Trainers work in:
U. S. Military
AIESEC
Personal coaching
Higher Ed
Diversity training
ESL
Education
Corporate training
Building America’s Villages
Training Fulbright Scholar
Applicants
Culture Bump App in Global
Classrooms
Applied to Science & Math
teacher training
Applied to translation of
allusions from one language to
another

33. T.V.
• http://www.wtvm.com/story/21130189/au-
tkae

34. http://www.houstonpublicmedia.or
g/articles/shows/2012/04/11/34507
/uh-moment-cultural-connections

35. Applied to immigrant and American
communities…

36. Culture Bump Publications Partial List
Archer, C.M., Nickson, S. (2012). Culture Bump: An Instructional Process for Cultural Insight in
Handbook of College and University Teaching: Global Perspectives. (Eds. Groccia, Alsudari, Buskist )Sage
Publishing
Archer, C.M., Nickson, S. The Role of Culture Bump in Developing Intercultural Communication
Competency and Internationalizing Psychology. Psychology Learning and Teaching Journal (PLAT).
Volume 11(3) November 2012.
Archer, C.M., Nickson, S. Chaudhury, S. R., (2013). The Impact of Culture Bump and Technology on
Creating Effective Diversity Leadership in Technology as a Tool for Diversity Leadership: Implementation
and Future Implications. (Ed. Lewis, J.) IGI Global Publishing
Archer, C. M., Tesh G. Culture Bump Guides: Culture Bump Kids. Textesol IV Newsletter. March
15, 2012
Niknasab, L. Translation and Culture: Allusions as Culture Bumps. SKASE Journal of Translation
and Interpretation, Volume5 (1) March 2011

37. Culture Bump Publications Partial List
Wenying, J. Handling Culture Bumps. ELT Journal, Volume 55(4)
October 2001.
Leppihalme, R. (1997) Culture Bumps: An empirical approach to the
translation of allusions. Multilingual Matters. Helsinki, Finland.
Archer, C.M. (1990). Living With Strangers in the USA:
Communicating beyond culture. Prentice Hall. New York

38. Partial List of Organizations Trained in
Culture Bump Approach
• Shell/Pecten Oil
• World Trade Center
• Longview ISD
• Lanxess
• Halliburton Oil
• Esso Eastern
• Exxon
• KBR
• Auburn University
• University of Houston
• Lone Star College
• St. Paul’s Methodist Church
• College of the Mainland

39. NOW!!
The Global Classrooms App is here

40. Exploring Global Classrooms

41. https://play.google.com/store/apps/de
tails?id=com.culture.bump
Can download on a computer using
Bluestacks App Player

42. Tutorials for teachers
Multicultural classrooms
• http://www.culturebump.co
m/uncategorized/how-to-
use-the-global-classrooms-
app-culturally-mixed-
classrooms/
Single culture classrooms
• http://www.culturebump.co
m/uncategorized/how-to-
use-the-global-classrooms-
app-culturally-homogenous-
classrooms/

43. Humans…Being Connected