Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2005

Contact: Angie Joe
713.743.8153 (office)
713.617.7138 (pager)
ajoe@uh.edu

HOUSTON, Aug. 17, 2005 – A program designed to create and develop cultural sensitivity in employees living and working abroad, or those who come into regular contact with ethnic minorities in the U.S., will be offered by the University of Houston.

UH’s Continuing Education (UHCE) will present “A Step beyond Diversity: Workshops for Cultural Competency” this fall.

The workshops will help develop participants’ communication abilities and cultural understanding by focusing on cultural differences in communication patterns and expectations. For instance, it’s bad luck to give a clock to a Chinese person. Some Jews cannot operate automobiles on the Sabbath which begins sundown on Friday. It’s improper to use candles for some Muslims.

The multi-tiered program introduces specific strategies for dealing with cultural differences, cultural communication, cultural adjustment and management.

Carol Archer, who is the author of several books on culture, including “Culture Bound: an Anthology,” is the instructor for the courses. Archer is the creator of the Culture Bump Theory, which states that society must understand its “culture bumps,” or “cultural differences,” in order to form better relationships. She has a doctorate in education with research focus on cultural and urban studies.

The program consists of four, six-hour workshops. Two classes will be held in Oct. 2005, a third will take place in January and a fourth will be held in February 2006. The cost is $245 per module or $930 for all four modules, if registering before Sept. 21.

“Studying cultural patterns is akin to studying the wind,” Archer says in her book “Living with Strangers in the USA.” “We can never capture it; it remains forever invisible and yet its impact is always a part of our life experience.”

A free demonstration will be offered Sept. 14 from 6-8 p.m. at UH. Call Shirley Sheridan at 713-743-1190 or
e-mail her at ssheridan@uh.edu for further information or to reserve a seat for the demonstration.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.