The Intercultural Praxis approach to the intercultural model is pretty logical from my perspective. I think in a real-world cultural practice, the theories proposed in the “intercultural Praxis” could not be completely practiced together, such as the six interrelated points the author mentioned. The six interrelated points include 1) inquiry, (2) framing, (3) positioning, (4) dialogue, (5) reflection, and (6) action. They were primarily used as a thinking process or farmwork we can use when we are setting goals or plans for intercultural practices. However, I think there are more things needed when I comes to actions. My question is: How can we demonstrate our understanding of these theories in our actions?
I think that would be a response to the second question regarding how I think this model may work better. I think one way that can make this model work better is to actually practice it in a group of people with different backgrounds. The trading beans activity we did in class is a really good practice of intercultural praxis, because it provides a safe space for people to express how they feel. The debriefing after the activity is the key because it allows us to express what we appreciate and what we don’t. After multiple times of debriding and reflecting, we can learn more about what we did well and what we would need to improve. On top of that, it helps us understand our position in the culture or in the world better.
Regarding positioning, I am always aware of the fluidity of the position and try not to limit myself or others to any fixed position. Realizing the fluidity of the position, however, requires a lot of imagination. Lack of imagination sometimes puts me in a place where I don’t want to be, where I am limited. As I reflect more about this, I also wish to deal with the emotions, followed by failing to position myself or making other people feel uncomfortable.
