A Developmental Model of Interreligious Competence

Scholars generally agree that intercultural competence has cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions. Because of the wide interest in intercultural competence in multiple disciplines, nuanced and varied labels of this concept are prolific. This has caused a measure of confusion, exacerbated by little cross-referencing between disciplines that research intercultural competence. Bradford, Allen, & Beisser recognised this in their attempt to synthesise existing definitions and labels of intercultural competence and concluded that intercultural communication competence and intercultural effectiveness have been used interchangeably in literature. This chapter presents the Process Model of Intercultural Competence, the Integrated Model of Intercultural Communication Competence, the Intercultural Competencies Dimensions Model, the Intercultural Competence Model by Byram, the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity and the Anxiety/Uncertainty Management (AUM) Model in more detail. Research in intercultural competence spans over several academic disciplines as well as in applied fields. There are, of course, some challenges to pervasive and effective development of intercultural competence across multiple levels of society.

This prospective longitudinal study will report the results of a quantitative analysis of the change in Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) scores and the distribution of students in 5 orientations along the Intercultural Developmental Continuum (IDC) in 8 cohorts of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students during their academic preparation. The expanding interest in developing intercultural sensitivity in an increasingly more complex and diverse health care environment calls for the dissemination of research on the effectiveness of innovative curricular models that include psychometrically strong outcome measures. Research suggests that health care providers can develop intercultural sensitivity when provided with didactic knowledge, experiential learning, self-reflection, mentoring, and a systematic individualized development plan. The participants were from a sample of convenience of 616 DPT students from the graduating classes of 2015-2022. The study is a repeated-measure design. The IDI was selected to guide targeted intervention and assessment of intercultural sensitivity at an individual level and group level and was administered in semesters 3 and 8 as part of the DPT program course requirements. There was significant improvement in the IDI Perceived and Developmental Orientation (DO; P < .001) scores between semesters 3 and 8. There was a significant change (P = .0001) in the distribution of students along the 5 DOs of the IDC with 10% of students regressing 1 orientation, 51.7% of students remaining the same, 33.3% of students advancing 1 orientation, and 5% of students advancing 2 orientations along the IDC. Nearly 40% of participants had a positive shift along the IDC. The results of this study suggest that intercultural sensitivity or mindset, as measured by the IDI, can be developed in DPT students who participate in a targeted intercultural development curriculum based on the Process Model of Cultural Competence by Deardorff and the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity by Bennett.

A multidisciplinary teaching model was used to develop a pilot course for students in the human service professions of nursing, education, and social work to gain additional knowledge and skills in providing diverse clients with culturally appropriate services during field and clinical experiences. This article focuses on the process of developing a multidisciplinary course in cultural competence that is consistent with a university mission to prepare students for leadership and service in an increasingly diverse society. Using the theoretical framework of Campinha-Bacote's process of cultural competence and the six developmental stages of intercultural competence in Bennett's developmental model of intercultural sensitivity, the course content covered the five components of cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skills, cultural encounters, and cultural desire. Students' written reflections indicated growth in acquisition of cultural knowledge, skills, and desire. Faculty collaboration across disciplines included the benefits of an enriched knowledge base and shared scholarship.

Despite ongoing discussions about cultural diversity, practical progress towards a more inclusive and flexible system in music education remains slow (College Music Society, TFUMM 2014;Rampal 2015;Carson and Westvall 2016).As critical and reflective music practitioners and scholars, we should continue to explore every avenue that might promote higher levels of cultural sensitivity in our field.From the field of intercultural education, Milton Bennett (1993;2004) proposes a framework for understanding and facilitating growth in this area, known as the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS).Through this article, the author provides suggestions for applications of this framework in music education.Specifically, the author argues the DMIS framework can help university music teacher educators better understand the ways in which their students experience cultural and musical diversity, so they will be equipped to design individualized and relevant learning experiences that will move future music teachers towards higher levels of cultural sensitivity within the context of their teacher preparation programs.

The growing cultural diversity of higher education calls for systematic and curriculum-embedded approaches to the development of students’ intercultural competence. This article explores strategies for fostering intercultural sensitivity and effective cross-cultural communication, drawing on Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) and Deardorff’s intercultural competence framework. The study situates these frameworks within an Internationalization at Home perspective, emphasizing the role of intentional pedagogy, assessment, and attention to the hidden curriculum in supporting intercultural learning. Adopting a design-based pedagogical research approach, the study examines how intercultural competence frameworks can be operationalized through developmentally sequenced classroom interventions in higher education. The pedagogical framework and activities, including cultural artifact presentations, critical incidents, simulations, role-plays, and structured reflective practices, were developed and implemented in culturally diverse bachelor’s and master’s level courses in Spanish higher education institutions within the Erasmus+ MULTICLASS project. Classroom-based evidence collected in Spanish higher education contexts, including reflective discussions, written reflections, and observed communicative behaviors, indicates that approximately 70% of students (n = 44; N = 63) demonstrated observable progression in intercultural sensitivity, most commonly from Minimization toward Acceptance. The contribution of this article lies in linking established intercultural competence models with practical guidance for curriculum design and pedagogical sequencing within Internationalization at Home contexts.

As far as the religious leaders are influential in Sri Lankan society, their intercultural competence (IC) level matters for social harmony in the country. The existing literature found a lack of IC among religious leaders and highlighted their damaging role in a long history of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka. Referring to the 2019 easter attack, some social activists questioned the level of IC of Muslim religious leaders and the relevance of madrasa education. This research, therefore, evaluates the level of IC among the graduates of Sri Lankan madrasas. For this purpose, the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) was adopted. This study used a mixed method of data collection. A quantitative research instrument was administered among 26 madrasa alumni, and only 101 Muslim religious leaders responded. Out of the total participants, 72 (71.3%) were males and 29 (28.7%) were females. In the qualitative approach, 06 Madrasa principles accepted the invitation to the interview. They shared information about the curriculum, madrasa environment, institution policy, and their experience in dealing with issues of IC. This research found ‘minimization level or third level of IC in DMIS among all participants.’ A total of 65% of participants obtained acceptance and adaptation levels of IC. Since these madrasas have no other means except Islamic religious courses to develop this level of IC, researchers concluded that the religious education in Sri Lankan madrasas does not oppose multiculturalism. Furthermore, Islamic religious education can potentially develop IC among Muslim religious leaders. Since this research was conducted among Muslim religious leaders who graduated more than ten years ago, research is needed to ensure the current situation.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the intercultural competence (IC) level of college students, explore whether there is a statistically significant difference in the IC level between students with study abroad (SA) experience and those without SA experience, and examine their attitudes, ideas and experiences about SA programs and intercultural communication. Data collected from online questionnaires and Zoom interviews were examined through the lens of Hall’s the Iceberg Analogy of Culture and M. J. Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), which were also used as the conceptual framework in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative results indicated the IC level of college students was high, reaching up to the acceptance stage or/and adaptation stage of Bennett’s DMIS. Quantitative study showed that the IC level of students who participated in SA programs was higher than those who didn’t.

The new era of global flows opens more chances for people to interact with others from a different cultures. Globalization offers a new lens to examine intercultural sensitive (IS) language tasks in designing teaching material. However, this study's design of intercultural sensitivity in the Indonesian-Thai context focuses on teachers' perceptions and is still under-researched. Thus, this study investigates teachers' perception of IS pedagogy in English language teaching (ELT) for promoting primary English teachers' merged into their practice of teaching materials. This study uses autobiographical narrative inquiry. The data analysis uses Bennett's (1993) framework of IS, which involves the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) in five stages to communicate across cultures in the Indonesian-Thai context. The data garnered autobiographical data from narrative inquiry in the form of short stories and lesson plans. The results capture that the teaching materials enhance IS as language pedagogy in ELT. The study suggests discovering teachers' understanding and viewing of IS in teaching English language materials at primary levels.

Indonesia is ranked 22nd in the world as the country with the most sending students abroad. Based on a study by the Indonesian International Education Consultant Association organization, there are more than 35,000 Indonesian students who study abroad each year, Australia is the most popular destination country for Indonesian students. Of the many choices of universities in Australia, according to the Times Higher Education University of Queensland, the university that has the most Indonesian students in Australia has the highest world ranking in Australia. Studying abroad, which sounds like fun, also has various obstacles. Culture shock in intercultural communication is one of the obstacles. This obstacle can also cause anxiety or even depression. This study describes the Cultural Concussion Phenomenon in Intercultural Communication experienced by Indonesian students who are continuing their studies at the University of Queensland. This study refers to the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) model with a phenomenological qualitative method. The research was carried out by conducting observations, in-depth interviews with three Indonesian students who were continuing their studies at the University of Queensland. This study aims to determine the stages of culture shock Intercultural communication faced by Indonesian students who are continuing their studies at the University of Queensland. The results of the study show the stages of culture shock in Intercultural communication faced by students from Indonesia who continue their studies at the University of Queensland.

In this paper, the implications of Milton Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) are considered as a basis for conceptualisation and implementation of study programs and professional development programs which seek to enhance the development of intercultural competences of student teachers and teachers. Sensitivity in dealing with cultural differences, according to this model, evolves from the stages of extreme ethnocentrism (denial, polarization, minimization) to the stages of increasing recognition and acceptance of cultural differences, which Bennett titles ethnorelativism (acceptance, adaptation and integration). We consider that Bennett's model is an important theoretical foundation for educational interventions aimed at developing intercultural competences because this model helps educators to better design, plan and implement intercultural training, to better understand the resistance of trainees which are at different stages of intercultural sensitivity development and to create an educational environment conducive for intercultural learning through balanced selection of educational challenges and support. Although the implications of Bennett's model are considered in working with adults, the majority of the procedure and recommendations are applicable in work with children and youth.

In this article the author examines changes in students’ self-awareness of multicultural topics during a multicultural education course. The course is a three-credit elective course offered in the university's school of education but taken by students across disciplines at a large, public research university in a mid-Atlantic state. Course instructors encourage students to reflect on what multicultural education topics mean to them and how they interact with students different from themselves. This qualitative study followed six students’ experiences using interviews, student topic papers, and student reflection papers. Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS: Bennett, 1986, 1993) was used as a framework for evaluating changes in self-awareness concerning ableism, racism, classism, sexism, and heterosexism. All participants showed an increase in multicultural self-awareness. Students assessed the instructional strategies they felt supported their growth in self-awareness. Small group discussion, interactive activities, and personal interaction each week were seen as supportive strategies of instruction. Assessing the impact of the course may assist in planning more effective learning experiences to improve students’ cultural competency.

Intercultural development in global employees will aid organizations to function successfully in the current global work scene. However, there is a need for a psychometrically valid and reliable measure, which can be used by practitioners and academics to assess the capabilities of individuals. This vignette based intercultural development scale was conceived on the basis of Bennett’s developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. The content was generated using interviews with international employees and subject matter experts. Psychometric properties were established with both qualitative and quantitative analysis. A sample of 461 international employees was used to test the validity of the scale. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis and construct validity was established with cosmopolitanism and openness to experience scales. The study confirms the scale’s dimensionality and established convergent, discriminant and nomological validity. The applications of this scale in building capabilities, talent management and strategic decisions in both practical and theoretical assessment are outlined.

Developing U.S. teachers’ intercultural competence: Does professional development matter?

In our increasingly multicultural society there is an urgent need for a theory that is capable of making sense of the various philosophical difficulties presented by ethical and religious diversity—difficulties that, at first sight, seem to be remarkably similar. Given this similarity, a theory that successfully accounted for the difficulties raised by one form of plurality might also be of help in addressing those raised by the other, especially as ethical belief systems are often inextricably linked with religious belief systems. This article adumbrates a theory that is suitably sensitive to the challenge posed by cultural diversity, and that is respectful of ethical and religious differences. The theory, called “internalist pluralism,” provides a philosophical account of the widely differing claims made by religious believers resulting from the tremendous diversity of belief systems, while simultaneously yielding a novel perspective on ethical plurality. Internalist pluralism is based on Hilary Putnam’s theory of internal realism. This article is not concerned to defend internal realism against its critics, although such defense is clearly required if the theory is to be adopted. Its more modest aim is to show that internal realism has a distinctive voice to add to the current debate about how best to understand religious and ethical diversity.

In this paper, I provide a novel approach to the issue of religious diversity: I reject classical pluralist approaches to the issue, such as John Hick’s, and argue that their attempts to construe commonalities between the religions are contrived. The reason that they attempt to find commonalities at all costs is that they presuppose a bivalent notion of truth according to which that which is different is false. I suggest that, in order to get a robust theory on religious diversity off the ground, we should rely on the notion of justification rather than that of bivalent truth. Justification is pluralizable, dependent upon the (epistemic) circumstances, whereas bivalent truth is not. Armed with a pluralizable notion of justification, we can acknowledge that other religious beliefs are genuinely different without necessarily being false: They can be justified, given the (epistemic) circumstances a believer of a different religion is in. Perceiving religious differences in this way allows to liberate the interreligious dialogue from the pressure to find commonalities between religions at all costs, to respect the religious Other in her Otherness, and to ‘mirror’ one’s own religion in light of other religions.