Cross cultural exchange to support reasoning about socio-scientific sustainability issues

In this article, we describe a project on reasoning about socio-scientific issues (SSIs), involving French and Australian pre-service science teachers engaged in on-line discussion and development of a wiki. In the research, we developed frameworks for looking at the quality of reasoning about 'socially acute' sustainability questions. We found the level of reasoning was enhanced by the cross-cultural exchange, and identified the importance of context in framing reasoning quality. We argue that science teachers could effectively adapt this approach to develop students' scientific literacy and embed the 'science as a human endeavour' strand of the Australian Curriculum in their practice.

Place branding and cross-cultural visual communication : how do the theories and practices of place branding inform our understanding of cross-cultural visual communication design?

In a globalised environment, visual communication designers are now required to understand their audience’s needs, values and unique methods of communication, creating a new focus on the recipient. In a cross-cultural design context, the visual communication also needs to appeal to a broad range of stakeholders and multiple recipients who hold a strong emotional investment in the message being sent. Our understanding of the complexities of designing in this environment can be informed by recent developments in the research of place branding where the focus is on the increased possibility for failure, the strong potential for criticism and the issues associated with a broad range of stakeholders.

The outcomes of this connection are explored further in a case study involving eight countries as diverse as Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, Qatar, United States of America and Zimbabwe. More than 140 student and lecturer participants reviewed a student driven cross-cultural visual communication project that produced over 560 designs. The increased potential for failure and strong, emotional criticism raised questions about the role of images and symbols in cross-cultural visual communication. The impact these have on the reception of the design, challenge our views on the use of stereotypical imagery. This paper will discuss the movement towards designing visual images that are generic and lacking in cultural representation presenting the view that stereotypical imagery is important to the recipient who relies on these cultural references to effectively read the message.

A cross-cultural study investigating body features associated with male adolescents' body dissatisfaction in Australia, China, and Malaysia

This study investigated how dissatisfaction with particular aspects of the body was associated with overall body dissatisfaction among male adolescents in Western and Asian cultures. One hundred and six Malaysian Malays, 55 Malaysian Chinese, 195 Chinese from China, and 45 non-Asian Australians aged 12 to 19 years completed a questionnaire assessing dissatisfaction with their overall body and dissatisfaction with varying aspects of their body. Dissatisfaction with the face, height, and hair was positively correlated with overall body dissatisfaction among Malaysian Malays after body mass index, age and dissatisfaction with body areas typically included in measures (weight/shape, upper, middle, and lower body, and muscles) had been controlled for. Dissatisfaction with the face was positively correlated with overall body dissatisfaction among Malaysian Chinese. These findings demonstrate the differences in body focus for males from different cultures and the importance of using assessment measures that address all possible areas of body focus.

Social inclusion through cultural engagement among ethnic communities

This study analyzes arts attendance of six ethnic communities in Australia using social inclusion as a theoretical lens. Qualitative data from 20 interviews and 6 focus groups (N = 37) were examined. Respondents were from established (Italian, Greek), moderately established (Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian), and newly settled (African) communities. Four themes were identified that are linked to social inclusion: (a) social connectedness; (b) link with home culture; (c) link with host and other cultures; and (d) inclusive initiatives. All ethnic participants shared views on social connectedness; Vietnamese, Chinese, and Indian participants expressed a strong need to maintain links with their home culture and develop links with the host culture. Italian and Greek respondents focused on developing links with host and other cultures. African respondents wished to maintain home country links. The study advances arts marketing literature and cross-cultural marketing initiatives using a social inclusion lens to explain arts attendance by ethnic communities.

A Cross-Cultural Evaluation of the Personal Wellbeing Index – School Children in Samples of Australian and Portuguese Adolescents

The practice of comparing nations on subjective wellbeing (SWB) is becoming commonplace, with many countries ranked by economists and social scientists alike according to average levels of SWB based on survey responses. Such large, multi-national population surveys have the potential to generate insights into the causes and correlates of SWB within different cultural groups, as well as inform policy regarding how to improve the wellbeing of citizens. At the heart of these large-scale research endeavors are SWB measures that function equivalently between the various participating cultural groups. For this reason, it is concerning that their remains a paucity of research that supports measurement equivalence for many SWB instruments commonly employed. Thus, it remains unclear whether variations in SWB across cultures reflect true differences, or whether these differences reflect measurement biases (e.g., response bias inherent within a particular cultural group). The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric equivalence of the Personal Wellbeing Index–School Children (PWI-SC) in convenience samples of Australian and Portuguese adolescents using multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis. Participants comprising the Australian sample were 1104 Victorian high-school students aged between 12 and 19 years (M = 14.42, SD = 1.63). Participants comprising the Portuguese sample were 573 high-school students living in Portugal aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.32, SD = 1.72). The results demonstrated strict factorial invariance between both versions of the PWI-SC, suggesting that this scale measures the same underlying construct in both samples. Moreover, these findings provide preliminary support for quantitative comparisons between Australian and Portuguese adolescents on the SWB variable as valid.

The feasibility of implementing cross-curricular studies of Asia

The prioritising and mandating of cross-curricular studies of Asia in the Australian curriculum reflects public policy promoting the benefits of a citizenry able to engage in intercultural relationships with people living in and with links to Asian countries. However, widespread school-based implementation of this substantial mandate requires the addressing of several impediments. Firstly, teachers perceive themselves to be unprepared to respond to the mandate to incorporate teaching of Asia-related studies; and secondly, cross-curricular pedagogies are under-theorised, with a proliferation of forms, nomenclature and interpretations evident. Far from being singular, easily understood and widely accepted, cross-curricula approaches can be mapped as a continuum of possible pedagogies; from teachers remaining within their disciplinary areas to fully integrated, whole school, inquiry based approaches that cut across subject silos. Clarity about these pedagogies and their contextual affordances and teacher confidence in engaging students in studies of Asia are required for the profession to respond positively. This chapter explores theoretical literature on cross-curricular teaching approaches; analyses teacher perceptions of their preparedness and capacities for teaching studies of Asia; and investigates an exemplary teacher’s implementation of studies of Asia in light of theorisations of cross curricularity.