Equity in Action Community Workshop

What I Said and What I Meant: Cross Cultural Communication

Humans communicate on many levels: spoken language, tone, body language, style and personality. The fact that we have complex cultural identities and a host of differing past experiences increases the probability of cross-cultural miscommunications. This workshop presents major cross-cultural communication theories, ways that cultural values, power, privilege and differences affect the way we communicate, tools for questioning assumptions, and ways to improve cross-cultural communications skills.

Part 1: Cross Cultural Communication

Cross Cultural Communication Theories and how they manifest in everyday interactions.
Dimensions of variability in human communication and how they manifest in everyday interactions.
Factors that influence how individuals conform or defy cultural norms or upbringing.
Cultural value differences and how they manifest in conflict.
Breakout Discussions.
Q/A.

Part 2: Identity, Power, Privilege, and Communication

Internalized oppression or dominance and their influence on communication.
Stereotype threat and how they affect behaviors.
Accumulated impacts (microaggressions) and how they escalate conflict.
Code and mode switching and how it psychologically impacts individuals in organizations.
Negotiating privilege: challenging the invisibility of privilege, shifting the norm/normal/good paradigm, outweighing impact over intent.
Breakout Discussions.
Q/A.

Part 3: Next Steps

Questioning Mental Models and Assumptions.
Transparency in Cross Cultural Conflict.
Shifting Institutions from Ethnocentrism to Ethnorelativism.
Breakout Discussions.
Q/A.

Workshop Details

When: Sunday, October 5, 2025, 2-5 pm.

Where: Seattle Girls’ School, 1700 24th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144.

Cost:

Full Price: $50
Low Income: $25

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Refund Policy

Please notify Maggie Kim (mkim@sgs.org) if you need to cancel your registration. Cancellation on or before September 21, 2025 will be fully refunded minus a $5 administrative fee per participant. Cancellation after September 21, 2025 will be non-refundable.

Seattle Girls' School

1700 24 Ave S
Seattle, WA, 98144
(206) 709-2228

Located in the Central District, Seattle Girls' School is an independent school for girls and gender nonconforming students in grades 5-8. Our mission is to inspire and develop courageous leaders who think independently, work collaboratively, learn joyfully, and champion change.