It's a week for surveys

Last night I answered a short phone survey on politics. Today I received a request from Daniel Sciboz on how I relate to people of other cultures. Here are my replies:

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QUESTIONS
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---Please type your answers

1. Cultural background (country of origin, nationality, ethnicity): USA; Anglo/Celtic/Amerindian

2. Native language(s): English

3. Age: 37

4. Gender: Female

5. Education (field or type of study / apprenticeship): Master's level/Library Science, History

6. Profession/ occupation: Librarian

7. Do you already have an experience interacting/working with people with a different cultural/ethnic background from yours? Yes

If yes, what kind? I was raised in the American South, with children of African descent. I grew up in the military and knew children of other races and who had parents from other countries (i.e., Italy, Korea, Germany, and VietNam). I have worked with international students in college, especially those from Malaysia and India. I encounter clients with other languages and cultural backgrounds (especially Spanish speakers and Amish). I have many Jewish acquaintances, and a few Christians and Muslims from Israel and Iran.

8. Do you speak any foreign language(s)? Yes.

If yes, which one(s)? German, Spanish, and Hebrew. I can read French.

---Please take a few moments to read the following statements. You may write the number corresponding to the degree of agreement or disagreement (as displayed in the scale below) at the end of each statement.

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3 = strongly agree
2 = moderately agree
1 = slightly agree
0 = partially agree
and partially disagree
-1 = slightly disagree
-2 = moderately disagree
-3 = strongly disagree
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9. Establishing an interpersonal relationship with individuals with a different cultural background is easy. (2)

10. Dealing with cultural uncertainties is troublesome. (-3)

11. I (would) feel stressed working with people having a different cultural background. (-3)

12. In a workgroup, a greater amount of new ideas can be generated, if individuals with different cultural backgrounds are present. (3)

13. In a workgroup with colleagues having different cultural backgrounds, there are greater chances for an incurable conflict, than in a homogeneous group. (1)

14. Hearing an individual speaking my native language incorrectly confuses me. (-2)

15. When in a different country from my own, I (would) look forward to meeting my fellow citizens. (2)

16. I tend to develop closer relationships with people having a similar cultural background than with people having different cultural backgrounds. (1)

17. Due to cultural similarities, my fellow citizens are more likely to understand me.(-1)

18. I can deal with whatever difficult feelings or frustrations I might experience in a new culture. (3)

19. Information sharing in a team decreases, if individuals with different cultural backgrounds are present. (-2)

20. I do not feel I am a member of any particular culture; I feel I am something else.
(2)

---Please choose one of the three options a, b, or c:

21. In which environment (would) do you prefer to work? (b)

(a) with people having a similar cultural background
(b) with people having a different cultural background
(c) it does not matter whom I work with

---Please type your answers

22. If you would had the choice, from which country/region or countries/regions would you choose colleagues? I don't really have a preference; it would be easier to bond with other English speakers, because I haven not been able to use my German and Spanish enough to maintain fluency. But I am interested in all cultures.

23. If you had the choice, from which country/region or countries/regions would you avoid choosing colleagues? I know people from my same culture who are narrower-minded than I could find in the most fundamentally narrow culture half-way around the world. I think attitude matters more than where a person comes from, and each individual should be judged on his or her own merit than on the basis of cultural background.