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TRAMP – Transnational Mobility of Older People in Europe
2. Culture
82 Part II
Problems and obstacles
• Uncertainty about appropriate behaviour, intercultural misunderstandings
and conflicts, particularly in transnational projects
Information
• Older participants, even if they are generally open and tolerant, have little
experience in intercultural contacts. This often leads to misunderstandings
and conflicts with serious consequences.
• Even between residents of countries within the EU you will find cultural
differences. Striking similarities in the material sphere often disguise differences
in norms and values, in the art of conversation, with table manners,
etc.
Recommendations
• Participants should get detailed information about the destination and its
cultural characteristics. In this context it may be useful to point directly
at the differences between the involved cultures and the specific problems
that may arise from ignoring other values, different ways of communicating
or different eating habits, etc.
• Participants in international projects should obtain detailed information
about the other participants, so that sensitivities concerning certain
subjects can be considered (such as divergent experiences and attitudes
between East and West concerning historical conditions and views for example).
Especially in translations it should be taken into account that the
meaning of individual words and slogans can considerably differ and depend
on the speaker’s particular background.
• Before, during or after the project intercultural training is helpful which
increases the awareness of cultural differences and aims at reducing prejudice.
Getting in contact without reflecting intercultural differences and
without any help concerning communication rather encourages preconceptions
instead of overcoming them. Hence it is strongly advisable to integrate
intercultural training seminars as separate units into the programme.
• Former participants who have first-hand experience and who allow learning
from their mistakes can prepare the new members.
• In this context it might be useful to have joint activities which take up the
cultural differences in a positive and constructive way as an enrichment
and challenge and which draw attention to intercultural dialogue.
• The professional guide should have detailed knowledge of the destination.