PowerPoint Presentation

The Impact of Tolerance for Ambiguity in Bridging Arab and Western Worlds

A SLIDE PRESENTATION

EDAD 820 HRA

The University of South Dakota

February 4, 2012

Ed.D., Candidate, Adult & Higher Education ProgramM.A., English Language and Linguistics

Instructor Ghada

The University of South Dakota, Vermillion

&

The University of Baghdad, Iraq Ghada S. Mahdi

I Completed My BA and MA Degrees in Baghdad Where I Became a

Faculty Member in Baghdad

Teaching English as a Foreign Languageat the University of Baghdad for Ten Years

I Describe Myself as an Educated Moderate with a Humanistic and Inclusive View of the World

But, Most Importantly, I am a Person Like You,

a Global Citizen, a Wife, a Mother, a Daughter Yes, I amA Middle Eastern Arab

A Woman from a War-Torn Place

A Muslim,

An Educated Iraqi Professor

Family Continues to Be the Foundation for My Meaning in Life My Husband and My Two Sons Who Have Lived with Me in Vermillion for Four Years

Iraq in the Center of the Middle East and about the Size of TexasGhadas Place

The West/Middle East Cultures Are Fraught with Stress, Conflicts, and Ambiguities

My Doctoral Dissertation for May 2012 USD Undergrad Levels of

Tolerance for Ambiguity Knowledge of Global Issues & Associated Levels of Ambiguities

A Survey of Your Tolerance for AmbiguitySince 1962, Budner and Many Others Have Researched This TopicBudners Survey Is Brief for You to CompleteYour Private Scores Can Be Comparedto Other Groups Completing the Survey

Score Your Surveys andCompare Your Totals to Other GroupsNew York Psychology Students 50.9Engineering Students48.9Nursing Students51.9High School Honor Students48.2Eastern Medical Students44.6Midwestern Medical Students45.2

Lower Scores Mean Higher Tolerance for Ambiguity

Intolerance for Ambiguity Is Associated with Rigidity, Authoritarianism, Dogmatism and Ethnocentrism

Intolerant People Favor Stereotyping over Probability Thinking

Geller, Tambor, Chase, and Holtzman (1993)

As Children We May Learn to Be Fearless or Afraid

As Children We Learn to Play with Danger

It is Unlikely that People Today Will Not Have Fears of Anyone Who Is Ambiguous to Us in Appearance

Childhood ExperiencesImpact How People AreOpen or Not to the New

As Children We Learn to Fear the Unknown or Strange

or to Overcome Fear and Become Friends

We Learn that Some Strangers Could Harm Usor Become Our Friends

Within and Across Cultures, Understanding Requires Acceptance of Ambiguity

We Struggle When Forced to Learn to Stereotype

We Need Patience & Perseverance to Understand People Unlike Us

The UN Declaration on Human RightsHuman beings must respect one another, in all their diversity of belief, culture and language. Differences within and between societies should be neither feared nor repressed, but cherished as a precious asset of humanity.

A culture of peace and dialogue among all civilizations should be actively promoted.

People Need to Find Constructive Action to Promote Understanding of Cultural, Religious, Political Conflicts, Differences, and Similarities

Trust & Respect Builds Relationships among People across the World

But How Tolerant of Ambiguity Have Learned to Be?

We Recognize that Some People Learn to Fear or Hate

Examining the Concept of Tolerance More tolerance can be good but not absolutely Too much tolerance can be harmful Not all aspects of culture need to be tolerated to the same degreeChristina BiavaVulnerability and Tolerance in Adult Second Language Acquisition

Without Tolerance and Dialogue

Baghdad TwinBlasts of October, 2009

But, How Much Tolerance for Ambiguity Do We Have or Should We Have?

Some People Have Never Met a StrangerOthers Are Afraid of Most StrangersOthers May Be Afraid of Their Own Shadows

The Value of Forgiveness Is Shared across East and WestA Basic Belief in Islam from the Quran

Hold to forgiveness, command what is right; but turn away from the ignorant.

A Similar Basic Christian Belief from the Bible

How many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

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Critical Thinking, Open-Mindedness; Flexibility, Independent and Integrative Thinking Are the Characteristics of Highly Tolerant People

DeRoma, Martin & Kessler (2003)

We Struggle to Learn To Avoid Stereotyping

Moderate Thinkers Have Higher Tolerance for Ambiguity in the West & Middle East

A Few World Figures May Allow Us to Suspend Disbelief that Strangers Could Be Terrorists

Islamic Moderate Cultural PreceptsA. Be open to discussionstress discourse over violence, and civility over zeal to find the middle way.

B. Pursue the moral high-ground with ethicsEmotion and outrage are no basis for a solution to complex problems.

Seek to be a peacemaker and a diplomatgenerous and compassionate with mercy to all in the world.

D. Resist simplistic literalismavoid grouping ideas and people into competing simple factions.

E. Take pride in culturefind the importance of music, art and literature, together collectively to solve its problems through building alliances and to act strategically to end racism.

E. Separate state and religion be concerned with mercy, justice, and the development of good character, more than with utopias and the mirage of a city or nation.

F. Find the courage to follow the middle wayterrorism must be beaten, but it cannot be defeated with its own weapons bombs, bullets, and the denial of human rights. From Fareena Alam 2005Qantara.deDialogue with the Moslem World

There Have Been Many Arguments Regarding The Role of Muslim Women and Different Opinions With Respect to Wearing Hijab

Muslim Women Considered Wearing Hijab Liberation and Freedom; However, Non-Muslims Viewed It as Oppression and Restraining of Oneself The Role of Women in Muslim Societies

Tolerance for Ambiguity May Allow Us to Unlearn Some Fears and Stereotypes

Finding Courage to Risk Building Cultural Bridges

Building relationships across cultures,study abroad, and RISKING learning about unfamiliar traditions and behaviors can provide experiences invaluable to experiencing membership in a global society.

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