Cultural Intelligence (merged thread)

[Rob Thornton]

I guess I got hung up on what bothered me. The reason I said it was out of reach is because I don't like statements like "with minor adjustments" which really mean units are supposed to do all the stuff they are currently doing, plus all the "good idea fairy" products put forward by folks with good knowledge, but a frame of ref. that may be a bit distant on what these guys on tactical staffs are being asked to do with limited resources.

The authors had some good points about types of info to collect, but did not offer up ideas on how to collect all this great info from unbiased residents, how to set the criteria for what it meant or how to ensure the analysis on the info would be unbiased.

BN and BDE level staffs are generally tapped out with tasks. Its possible they might be doing the wrong stuff, but if so it may be because that is what the CDR told them to do. If we want taffs to be able to do the many things we'd like them to do, its going to take allot more then "minor changes" I think.

Sorry about the link - I should have tested it first (but it worked in the email I got )

Regards, Rob

[Rob Thornton]

Hey Marc - busy day here today

I'm not saying that it's "bad", I just think it's flawed because the are relying on a US culture centric taxonomy.

Could you elaborate on that one for me. I know its important, but I'm smoked right now and can't think straight - which is why I'm calling it quits for today. A couple of short examples would be cool - I think your explanation will help me with something else I'm working through, but can't quite find away around - hard to explain - but I need to know why I'm not able to think this one through (to know where I'm tripping up) before I can fix it.

Thanks, Rob

[marct]

Could you elaborate on that one for me. I know its important, but I'm smoked right now and can't think straight - which is why I'm calling it quits for today. A couple of short examples would be cool - I think your explanation will help me with something else I'm working through, but can't quite find away around - hard to explain - but I need to know why I'm not able to think this one through (to know where I'm tripping up) before I can fix it.

No worries, Mate. I think the last post covered some of it ut, basically, the taxonomy they are using sucks and isn't the same as the taxonomy of the folks you are working with. Added on to that is he probability that theguys who came up with the model haven't thought about how to "map" from their taxonomy onto the one used by your BTN. Think Djinn for an example.

On another note, for some reason my hardware seems bolixed up. I can't get my microphone to work so Gtalk may be out for a while <sigh>.

Marc

[jcustis]

On another note, for some reason my hardware seems bolixed up. I can't get my microphone to work so Gtalk may be out for a while <sigh>.

Marct...

Blatant thread hi-jack. I just came into the 21st Century at the beginning of this month and procured a web headset/microphone. It was purchased for an online class my wife is taking, but I'm wondering if there is potential to set-up a roundtable on some of the issues we discuss here on the SWC.

Any chance of getting one of the esteemed bloggers in front of a computer to answer questions about their writings?

My wife uses a software product called Centra, but are there other venues online for such an endeavour?

[marct]

Hi JC,

Blatant thread hi-jack. I just came into the 21st Century at the beginning of this month and procured a web headset/microphone. It was purchased for an online class my wife is taking, but I'm wondering if there is potential to set-up a roundtable on some of the issues we discuss here on the SWC.

Any chance of getting one of the esteemed bloggers in front of a computer to answer questions about their writings?

My wife uses a software product called Centra, but are there other venues online for such an endeavour?

Sure, Selil was talking about one of the options here. If I remember, he was saying that we could have up to 9 people on a Skype connection and then podcast it. There are also other options running around as well but, since he's the CompSci guy, I'll let him talk about them

Marc

[marct]

Hi Rob,

I guess I got hung up on what bothered me. The reason I said it was out of reach is because I don't like statements like "with minor adjustments" which really mean units are supposed to do all the stuff they are currently doing, plus all the "good idea fairy" products put forward by folks with good knowledge, but a frame of ref. that may be a bit distant on what these guys on tactical staffs are being asked to do with limited resources.

I've had the same problem with people "tacking on 'minor' questions" during my fieldwork. Half the time they made no sense . That "minor adjustments" is really a key phase saying "get us what we want but we can't tell you what we want 'cause our model sucks except in ppt presentations to the brass".

Ron, I've read a couple of the papers you've written and, on the whole, I would say that you probably have a much better idea of what is going on than the "academic" types who came out with that article. If you want, I can track down the references that they are basing that entire system on (95% sure it's Selznick's stuff on groups from the 50's and 60's). Honestly? I think yu are learning more and getting a better view of "their" reality by sitting around chatting and doing whqat you normally do. Forget acting as a data collection device. If they want to "know" what's happening, tell them to get their fundaments over to Mosul and stick around for a couple of months.

The authors had some good points about types of info to collect, but did not offer up ideas on how to collect all this great info from unbiased residents, how to set the criteria for what it meant or how to ensure the analysis on the info would be unbiased.

Therefore, this is pie in the sky modeling - you get blamed for not getting the right data, and they get more money to build useless models. One of the tricks of doing social science research is to figure out how to communicate it. The model in this article is brilliant at communicating results to funders but, on the whole, I really wonder about how well the taxonomy they use applies to the people they are supposed to be studying.

Years ago I was asked to critique an interview schedule by an MA student who wanted to look at modern Witchcraft (this was just after I finished my MA looking at it). One of the questions on the schedule was "When did you decide to worship Satan?" Since 99.9% of modern witches consider Satan to be a member of the Christian pantheon (long story that I won't get into), the question was, actually, meaningless to the group being studied. However, since her supervisor was a fundamentalist Christian, it had great meaning for him. This is the type of disjuncture I see happening in this article.

[quote=Rob Thornton;8865] BN and BDE level staffs are generally tapped out with tasks. Its possible they might be doing the wrong stuff, but if so it may be because that is what the CDR told them to do. If we want taffs to be able to do the many things we'd like them to do, its going to take allot more then "minor changes" I think.[/QUOTE}

In my totally biased and un-humble opinion, I would suggest that everyone who is embedded in an IA or ISF unit get a quickie lesson in Anthro fieldwork. My grandmother gave me a saying that really synopsizes Anthro fieldwork well - "God gave you two ears and one mouth - that's a hint!" Listen and learn how people see things; ask questions, and don't act like an arrogant know it all (yeah, I have had troubles doing fieldwork ). Pretty soon, you end up with a fairly god idea of what te people you are working with / living with think and how they see the world. Then you can explain it to the REITIs (Rear Echelon Ivory Tower Idiots).

Sorry about the link - I should have tested it first (but it worked in the email I got )

No worries - it was a "current article" link rather than the permanent one.

Marc