Webinar | Intercultural Competency with an Ethnographic Lens
Engineering and geoscience projects often involve multicultural teams, global stakeholders, and fieldwork in diverse cultural and geographic contexts. Whether collaborating with international partners, working with Indigenous communities, or managing diverse project teams, engineering and geoscience professionals require awareness and skills to navigate a wide range of cultural perspectives, communication styles, and societal values. This session explores cultural competency and how applying an ethnographic lens takes it further into a more practical realm.
Session Overview:
Participants will gain awareness of intercultural competency traits and communication styles, and learn how to navigate differences and conflicts with intention and sensitivity to improve multicultural team dynamics and projects. Move beyond a surface-level understanding of diversity and generic cultural assumptions to engage more deeply with the communities and team members you work with.
We will also cover how moving beyond intercultural competence and applying an ethnographic lens focused on engagement with others and their cultural norms in their worlds that moves beyond simply using a checklist of intercultural competency traits.
As a result of attending this session, participants will be able to:
- understand different models of intercultural competence
- identify where their own cultural identity fits compared to others
- understand where cultural conflicts can arise
- understand the importance of moving beyond cultural competence and employing an ethnographic lens
About the Presenter
Tymmarah (Tymm) Mackie, MA (she/her) is a dynamic leader and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) strategist. With a master's degree in intercultural and international communication from Royal Roads University, she has designed and delivered EDI training programs for municipalities, businesses, and non-profits across Canada.
She has been recognized for her contributions to equity, diversity and inclusion, and remains deeply committed to strengthening relationships with diverse communities.