A Cultural Primer

I'll admit that I haven't done much to develop my internship program yet.  Finishing up the semester has taken priority as I work on my final paper on culture and conflict (specifically the militarization of culture in Sri Lanka).  I'm probably in a super culture mode due to my current class, as I inevitably find myself thinking more and more about what I'll be doing this summer. 

I've been thinking a lot about the cultural profile of the DR to start me off in my planning a culturally sensitive program.  Dutch cultural researcher Geert Hofstede identified five universally present dimensions of culture: power distance (PDI), collectivism vs. individualism (IDV), masculinity vs. femininity (MAS), uncertainty avoidance (UAI), and short vs. long-term orientation (LTO) (data wasn't available for this dimension in the DR).  (Of course, individuals reflect a melange of different cultures, so a country's scores in these dimensions only reveal dominant cultural trends in society.)  Hofstede's website (geert-hofstede.com/) has a pretty cool tool that enables the visitor to compare countries in terms of his cultural dimensions. 

Here's the Dominican Republic compared to the United States: 

(Yes, I made a graph.)  This data shows that both the DR and the USA are pretty similar in terms of being masculine cultures (assertive, competitive cultures with fairly rigid gender roles) that aren't too bothered by uncertainty (generally more accepting of unorthodox ideas and the unknown).  However, the DR is far more collectivist and has a higher degree of power distance (accepting of hierarchy and the unequal distribution of power).  Very good things to keep in mind.  I'm really looking forward to learning more about the local culture of Bonao in particular to help me craft an appropriate program.  This is going to be such a great learning experience!  Exactly what I want to get out of my summer. 

In other awesome news, I just finished getting caught up on vaccinations (hepatitis A, tetanus, and typhoid), and I'm now well-stocked with malaria pills. 

Inaugural Post

Ahh, the inaugural blog post.  The spring air is full of changes, and tonight is as good as any to begin chronicling it all.

I will soon be embarking on a new and exciting life adventure.  In mid-May, I will be moving to the Dominican Republic to gain experience in the field of peace and conflict mediation; I was offered an internship with el Instituto Dominicano de Desarrollo Integral (the Dominican Institute of Integral Development) (IDDI -- www.iddi.org) to develop a project dealing with peace programming/conflict mediation and then implement it during the three months I will be living there.  I am certain that this experience will challenge me professionally - even with four years of post-BA job experience in Washington, DC - as I am being granted complete freedom and responsibility for what I decide to do.

I'll be living near Bonao, a small city in the middle of the DR half of Hispaniola.  From what I can tell, it's a bit remote and absolutely gorgeous, nestled in green mountains.  How to prepare beyond vaccinations and malaria pills for a summer in a rural Caribbean village, I'm not quite sure, but I have a feeling that it will require shifting toward an attitude that celebrates the unknown.  Of course, this attitude will be balanced with adequate project preparation prior to my departure.

All in all, in the upcoming month, I intend to document my project-planning process and then after that, the cultural and professional adventure that follows.

And now, back to working on finals...