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Culture's Influence on Mentoring The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota in collaboration with the Search Institute developed a tool for mentoring adolescents titled The Influence of Culture on Mentoring which we have reproduced and adapted below: Culture, in its broadest meaning, is the underlying fabric that hold together a person's world. It includes language, values, beliefs, customs, rituals, oral and written history, art, music, dance, food and much more. It is so much a part of who we are and how we live that most of the time we are not even aware of how it shapes what we see, think and feel. We react differently to situations because of our culture and communication, both written and verbal, can be different. For adults involved in mentoring, it helps to be both culturally curious and culturally sensitive. As a mentor, you will likely find many ways that your background differs from your trainee's background. At a minimum, you will discover generational differences. Perhaps you will also be from different ethnic and religious heritages, or from different socioeconomic groups. It might be tempting to want to just look past the differences and focus on what you have in common, but that's not the road to a strong relationship. Rather, the more you can learn about and appreciate your differences and similarities, the better. Generational Differences One of the best things you can do to help bridge the age gap between you and your trainee is to question your assumptions. For example, to help you relate to your trainee you have probably spent some time think about what your life was like as a teen. That's great, but keep in mind that life for young people today is very different in ways both positive and negative. Music, clothing, entertainment, language, movies, books and games are all particulars of a generation. That generational difference can also be complicated by a "taste" or preference difference. People from differing generations often disagree on what is acceptable, tasteful or decent. That means that its easy to slip into an argument over what is vulgar, rude or inappropriate. While certain things are never acceptable, many things are open for debate. It's best to take a nonjudgmental approach to these things and try to understand why they are apart of a youth's life. We must always remember that music, clothing, entertainment and language are shaped heavily by a culture and we must try to understand that first and then work within it we desire change. Family System Differences Families come in all shapes and sizes. Some trainees may come from a single parent household, distant relatives are raising some, and others may not have any formal contact with their family. Grandmother, especially, play an important role in raising many of our trainees. A few youth may not even feel comfortable around a parent. Many have large, extend families and live in neighborhoods where they are related to many people. We've even had a good number of "cousins" together at Hopeworks at the same time. All of these factors create quite a diverse picture. You may encounter some other differences as well. Perhaps, for example:
Socioeconomic Differences Poverty, in particular, is a cultural factor that can stress a mentoring relationship in unique ways. For example, a trainee whose family has lived for generations in poverty might spend $100 on designer clothing in order to enjoy the moment. A mentor might think that it would be better to save that money for "the future." That future however, may seem very uncertain and unpredictable to a young person. They might see risks in holding onto money as it could be stolen and putting into a bank is not an option because they have no reliable way to get there or they don't view institutions like banks as trustworthy. While many of these cultural "understandings" are things that Hopeworks tries to positively change through Formation and planning, it is often a slow process. While you may want to constructively criticize your trainee for "foolish" habits, it is important to first take time to understand the trainee's personal views and cultural attitudes. Taking this important step first, you might be able to sensitively start to create together a new, positive perspective. Communication Differences As we mentioned earlier, trainees may have a difficult time with electronic communication. Their writing skills may not be up to par and when the do write, they may seem overly direct and upfront. Their communications to some might even seem rude at points. However, it is important to again remember that the culture they may come from may be more reliant upon verbal communication. Physical gestures that cannot be articulated in a written medium may be a very important way that trainees communicate with one another that they cannot share with you. They may also come from a background of illiteracy that de-emphasizes the importance of finely developed communications because even this simplest written communication is difficult. Try to carefully gather some information as to why your trainee communicates they way he or she does. Listen attentively to see if any of the above may be factors. Each and every trainee at Hopeworks meets with our literacy director at least twice a week, sometimes everyday to boost their skills. Know that we are helping our trainees in many ways and some of these differences are slow to change. Cultural Awareness To be an effective mentor, you can increase your cultural awareness and sensitivity but starting with a these simple, but not necessarily easy, steps:
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