In Culture matters: The Peace Corps Cross-Cultural Workbook, Craig Storti puts forth a perspective for the study of intercultural communications that every individual is different. Storti states that, the ways in which we act or think differently are what produce the most challenge and tension for us?(Storti, p. 2). The point the author is making includes the idea that people have much in common, while clearly pointing out the tension caused by differences. This book is designed as a workbook with practical advice and lessons for future and present Peace Corps volunteers. The author expresses a view on human relations in the world that different communication behaviors and interactions need to be understood and accepted.
Part of a teaching approach taken by this text is the foregrounding of actual experiences of people in cross-cultural circumstances. Storti makes the point that details about groups will be generalized, by saying, "its impossible to talk about groups of people without generalizing, but without talking about groups, we can't talk about culture" (Storti, p. 2). It is reassuring that again and again he repeats that individuals are likely to be different, and the group descriptions will often not work with an individual. In the complete 256 pages of the book the term "stereotype" is avoided. This highlights the reminder to treat each new person as an individual while withholding preconceptions. Another clear concept introduced in the book is the equivalency of different attitudes. When Storti says, "most country nationals may have a number of preconceptions about Americans"(p. 62), he is expressing the belief that prejudicial opinions flow both ways.
A key concept well supported in the book is the idea that people from other cultures have deep differences in beliefs. An example from one volunteer is the revelation that differences are not only matters of style and appearance, but are deep core beliefs that mark out concrete differences between people. Another key concept introduced in the book is the difficulty of walking the walk among people with real differences. There are many examples offered of choices the volunteer needs to make which involve difficult choices. One example is offered of what would the volunteer do when a presentation must be made by a man because the same presentation would not be respected if given by a woman. Would the volunteer go along with that cultural rule or seek to resist or change it.
The book clearly presents the standard lessons of intercultural studies including, the concept of the self, personal vs. societal obligations, the concept of time, and the locus of control. These concepts are elaborated in separated chapters which define and explain each concept through examples and exercises. A core approach taken in the book is to use stories from an individual who experienced cross-cultural interaction. The stories are reported in short one paragraph or shorter snippets written in first person form about experiences she had and how she interpreted them. Most snippets are from Jan in the form of letters back to a friend in the United States. Jan is from the United States and experiences training to live with a host family and experience the host town where she lives.
In most significant aspects of the book, an objectivist approach is taken. An example is when a hypothetical example is given of being in a car with your host friend when a car accident occurs, “The speed limit in this part of town is 20 miles an hour, but you happen to notice that your friend was driving 35 miles and hour” (p. 67). Most examples in the book were of this nature, where specific tasks need to be accomplished. Most of the book takes very objectivist approaches to problems and learning tasks. However there is one important aspect of the book which reflects a strongly interpretivist approach. In regards to value judgments of people's opinions, attitudes and beliefs, the book never offers ranks or levels. US beliefs are ranked equally with all other cultures. In this way Storti is demonstrating a non-objectivist perspective on people's beliefs.
This book was very thorough in covering issues of cross-cultural learning. Where it could not give as much detail relates to the narrowness of its focus. There is no coverage of intercultural relations within one umbrella culture like the United States. So while multicultural lessons could be derived from the information contained in the book, it does not directly address multicultural relations in one nation. Another key focus of the book would leave some readers with incomplete information. The book has a direct focus on training individuals to perform host county visits, and the lessons are directed to that. While a non-Peace Corps reader can build on the lessons through applying them to foreign travel or meeting cross-cultural individuals in the United States, there is no direct support for that use of this book.
Scholars with an interest in cross-cultural relations will find Storti’s discussion very helpful in its treatment of the participants’ differences and interactions. The snippets from actual volunteers give useful insight into participants’ social, and cultural differences. Storti spends most of the book comparing and contrasting some U.S. beliefs and attitudes with individuals from host countries. A strength in this book lies in the close analysis of reports of actual interaction.
Storti's book is likely to be useful for scholars who seek to construct better lesson plans and approaches to teach multicultural competence to US students. ( )