Culture Bumps and Milton Bennett’s Model

The Culture Bump Approach (CBA) provides a structure for guiding individuals through Milton Bennett’s (1986) Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS). Bennett described six developmental stages for developing cultural sensitivity – Denial, Defense, Minimization, Acceptance, Adaptation, and Integration. He further divides the six stages of development into two groups, ethnocentric and ethnorelative stages. For more information on the DMIS, click here. (Coming Soon)

The Culture Bump Approach (CBA) for dealing with differences provides the content and experiences needed for individuals to progress through these six stages. In fact, the DMIS provided the framework for assessing the effectiveness of the Culture Bump Approach with three separate groups. For more information on this research, click here. The Culture Bump Approach works for individuals in the ethnocentric stages by bringing into consciousness the existence of differences and teaching the learner to recognize and accept them. Since this is done in a risk-free environment, the impact of defense and minimization is greatly reduced. Indeed, it provides an excellent bridge from minimization (stage 3 of ethnocentrism) to acceptance (stage 4 of ethnorelativism).

Furthermore, for those individuals in the ethnorelative stages, when individuals comprehend the role of culture in people’s behavior and values, training in the culture bump approach enables them to, not only accept differences, but also to eventually understand them from the perspective of the target culture. In this way, participants move from acceptance (stage 4 of ethnorelativism) to adaptation (stage 5 of ethnorelativism). Adaptation is facilitated by the CBA focus on skill development such as appropriate non-verbal and verbal communication in a given context. Individuals are then able to function in the last stage of cultural sensitivity which Bennett refers to as “shifting frame of reference.” Individuals can now interpret another culture’s behavior correctly by using their frame of reference, including their value system.

Thus it can be seen that the Bennett model provides the framework of the process one goes through when one develops cultural competence. The Culture Bump Approach provides the structured content for progressing to the higher stages of cultural sensitivity and relativity.

Bennett, M. J. (1986) A developmental approach to training for intercultural sensitivity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations , 10 , 17-95

A Quick Quiz of Cultural Sensitivity

(Answers will be tweeted on Friday, September 26)

Place the following individuals in the correct stage of cultural sensitivity according to Bennett’s model. Choose one of the following:

Denial Defense Minimization Acceptance Adaptation Integration

A student from the Middle East is studying in the USA. He arrives 10 minutes late to his class. He raises his hand to knock on the door for permission; then slips quietly in and sits down. He goes to the Professor after class and apologizes. He is probably in the stage of:

Denial
Defense
Minimization
Acceptance
Adaptation
Integration

A family living deep in El Salvador meets a North American tourist for the first time. They are fascinated with her blonde hair and laugh and try to touch it. They are probably in the stage of:

Denial
Defense
Minimization
Acceptance
Adaptation
Integration

A Turkish woman (Muslim) attends Christmas Eve services with her friend and enjoys the music and candles. She is probably in the stage of:

Denial
Defense
Minimization
Acceptance
Adaptation
Integration

A North American woman living in Venezuela complains bitterly about the crowded streets and the lack of discipline of the Venezuelan people. She is probably in the stage of:

Denial
Defense
Minimization
Acceptance
Adaptation
Integration

A Bengalee child switches from English to Bengalee with his American mother and Bengalee grandmother. He automatically stands closer to his grandmother and would never joke with her. He enjoys joking with his mother, however. He is probably in the stage of:

Denial
Defense
Minimization
Acceptance
Adaptation
Integration

An expatriate wife, living in Cameroon, writes to her mother that she really likes the Cameroonian people. She says, “They love their children just like we do. They are really just like us – under the skin.” She is probably in the stage of:

Denial
Defense
Minimization
Acceptance
Adaptation
Integration