Whenever you go into a new culture, you’re going to be stretched. You’re going to have to change. So being ready to experience the culture and interact with the people, building those relationships. That’s how you’re really going to have an impact, because when you’re building that trust between your team and the people. And then, you know, working with them. Not working for them, but working together to solve whatever needs they have. – Guatemala Trip Participant
Developing an awareness of cultural differences is an apparent and major element of international EWB experiences. Through this study intercultural awareness was defined to include any discussion of the project or personal development through a cultural lens. While on-site for an EWB project, students are immersed within the local culture and have the opportunity to more accurately pursue a project by realizing the social, economic, and political climate of the community.
Students also demonstrated that while working in these foreign environments they also acquire an enhanced awareness of cultural differences. Many also expressed how this enhanced awareness consequently allowed them to work on their projects with respect to these cultural differences. Finally, students learned the importance of acquiring a community’s trust, which creates an atmosphere of project sustainability. Overall, students on-site had the opportunity to increase their intercultural awareness through observation of the local community and reflection with project members.
Within this category the following subcategories emerged from student reports: ability to work within cultural differences, enhanced awareness of cultural differences, realization of social, economic, and political climate, and acquisition of community trust.
Ability to work within cultural differences
1. Personally one of the biggest things was allowing other people to do things for me that I didn’t feel was necessary, and realizing that in the context of the situation we were in it was appropriate. And it was a way for them to show their appreciation to us, which is something that is easy to lose sight of if you’re not looking at it from a point where you’re experiencing life in the community. -Cameroon Trip Participant
2. To say that you’re going to meet somewhere at 2 p.m. or at 9 a.m. isn’t – you just don’t say that. It’s like you’re meeting after prayer call or you’re meeting just in the morning. And so, the definition of time is a lot different. -Cameroon Trip Participant
3. It’s like when you go to somebody’s house and talk to them, give them a 20-minute
presentation about biosand filters, of course, at the end they’re going to say that they want it, that they love it, that it’s the best thing they ever had…They’re not going to tell that they don’t understand. They’re going to tell you that they understood, that you gave a great presentation, and that they can’t wait to get their biosand filter. So that’s why we really wanted to develop these local sources. I think we can just be sort of intimidating. And so, if you have these local people there to talk, then you can have a better sense. -Guatemala Trip Participant
There is a large difference between interacting with team members and working with community members as cultural differences are inevitable. Students quickly recognize when partaking in international engineering experiences these differences and the importance of respecting and working in the boundaries of them, as was recognized by the student in quote 1. Embracing life through the perspective of the community allowed students to more effectively approach their projects. Understanding the community’s sense of time is one example of a frequently encountered cultural difference, as was experienced in quote 2. However, students also recognize that these cultural differences also have the potential to have a negative consequence on the project, as the student in quote 3 did as he was unsure if community members were fully understanding the usage guidelines of a biosand filter. Understanding that this may occur can give students the opportunity to determine best practices to avoid this potential consequence and can contribute to effective and sustainable projects.
Enhanced awareness of cultural differences
4. The issue is traditional rights to the land. That’s the big thing, is traditionally, not technically, the [local people group] still owns all the land. -Cameroon Trip Participant
5. And then there were both Christian and Islamic prayers, since the population is split. After that point, we were allowed to start going around the community. And it was really important that we have that established because we even asked for certain – for certain permission to ask the women questions about health and about – about their children and things. Both ends of the trip were definitely capped by introductions and conclusions that were sort of brought about in a very formal way. Again, from my experience, you don’t always do that in the U.S. You know, if you have guests, you don’t necessarily have some big welcoming ceremony for them. -Cameroon Trip Participant
6. Getting the illness helped, I think, in terms of motivating me, because now I’ve experienced the same thing as what they have, although to a much lesser scale. So I carry that away. -Guatemala Trip Participant
An enhanced awareness of cultural differences is a direct result of on-site EWB experiences. Being aware and understanding differences in land ownership, the leadership structure in a community, and locally practiced religions, as demonstrated in quotes 4 and 5, change the overall project strategy. Students also experienced differences such as large welcome ceremonies, like the student in quote 5, which help students better realize the differences in the communities of today’s world, which can ultimately aid in preparing them for their professional life. Distinguishing cultural differences can also make an impact on the project in the immediate sense. Getting a local, common illness as the student in quote 6 did enabled this participant to more deeply comprehend the missions and goals of the specific water-related project.
Realization of social, economic, and political climate
7. With EWB, there’s so much more about understanding the people you’re trying to help and the culture and the social factors and environmental factors. There’s so much more to it than just the water treatment system you’re trying to put. -Guatemala Trip Participant
8. Ann explained how politics in the community could be one reason this project could fail, and how the NGO had decided to focus on the children to help keep this from being politicized as well. -Guatemala Trip Participant
9. I think I would have had a hard time just starting out, understanding that the weight of the project, if it were just a class. So, I think it’s good to keep them as both, because you could probably learn more of the technical stuff in a classroom. -Cameroon Trip Participant
Through immediate exposure to a unique culture, students were better able to realize the social, economic, and political climate of a particular community. As made evident by a trip participant in quote 7, there is much more to an EWB project than the technical aspects, which are the primary focus of most projects while working at the home university. The international experience gave way to a deeper understanding of various factors that influence the project. Students also recognized the political climate of their work, as explained in quote 8. Immersing students in the community allows for the broader picture of a project to be immediately realized; these other factors besides technical skills are more easily learned in the setting of an on-site EWB experience, as recognized by quote 9.
Acquisition of community trust
10. I think it was because we had been working with them side by side the entire time, sifting the sand, making the concrete, and preparing the molds, that they came to respect us and they knew we were trying to help the entire time. And they were happy and pleased that we were there. -Guatemala Trip Participant
11. Yeah, I was the liaison making friends and stuff. And I think that was a big component too. -Guatemala Trip Participant
Once the project team leaves the community, the project’s usage, maintenance, and growth is put entirely in the hands of community members. Thus, students recognized the importance of acquiring the trust of the community. This was done by working alongside the community for the student in quote 10. Positioning the project team on an equal level with the construction workers, instead of in a position of management or supervision, helped garner trust and respect from the community. The student in quote 11 also recognized the need for a humanitarian aspect of a project in which the community members become friends and project members as well.