Background of PICO
Creaters of PICO
PICO is a intercultural learning system created by Joseph Shaules, in cooperation with the Japan Intercultural Institute. Other collaborators include: Takeshi Enomoto and Nobuo Nishikawa (PICO profiler Japanese version) Matthieu Kollig (PICO profiler German version) and Estelle Bisch (PICO Profiler French version).The PICO profiler is protected by copyright.
Deep Culture theory
PICO is an application of Deep Culture theory. Deep Culture theory proposes that we are not, for the most part, aware of our own cultural assumptions about the world. Intercultural conflict is not a result of a lack of good will or common ground, it is a product of differing cultural "logics" of implicit beliefs, values and assumptions about reality. PICO is an attempt to create psychometric instruments, educational materials and training methods to help learners become aware of deep culture. Deep Culture theory has its roots in ideas about implicit cultural elaborated by Edward Hall, the systems theory approach to intercultural adaptation by Y. Kim, an understanding of the constructed nature of cultural realities described by M. Bennett, and dilemma theory as applied to cultural difference of Trompenaars and Hampden Turner. It has been described in publications such as Deep Culture - Hidden Challenges to Global Living - Multilingual Matters (upcoming), or The Debate About Cultural Difference: Deep Culture, Cultural Identity, and Culture´s Influence on Behavior, Journal of Intercultural Communication, SIETAR Japan, 2007. The PICO Profiler has been written about in Assessing Intercultural Learning Strategies with Personal Intercultural Change Orientation (PICO) profiles, published in the Intercultural Communication Review, No. 4, 2006. (download available below) For further references, see below.
Who uses PICO?
Many portions of PICO are available to the public on the PICO website. Individuals may also be certified to use the PICO profiler in intercultural trainings. These trainers must attend a PICO workshop and use of PICO is subject to certain conditions. For more information about PICO workshops or certification, contact us.
References
Bennett, M. J. (1993). Towards Ethnorelativism: a developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. In M. R. Paige (Ed.), Education for the Intercultural Experience (pp. 21-71). Yarmouth: Intercultural Press.
Hall, E. T. (1959). The Silent Language. New York: Anchor Books.
Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond Culture. New York: Anchor Books Doubleday.
*Shaules, J.P. (upcoming) Deep Culture - Hidden Challenges of Global Living, Multilingual Matters, Clevedon, England
**Shaules, J.P. The Debate About Cultural Difference: Deep Culture, Cultural Identity, and Culture´s Influence on Behavior, Journal of Intercultural Communication, SIETAR Japan, 2007
*To receive an advanced extract from this book, contact us.
**To receive an electronic version of this article, contact us.
Download the full text article "Assessing Intercultural Learning Strategies with Personal Intercultural Change Orientation (PICO) profiles" published in the Intercultural Communication Review, No. 4, 2006.
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