Intercultural sensitivity in the integrating suburb of Westville. Durban, South Africa.

Abstract

To investigate intercultural sensitivity, the Davis Russell-Peters Intercultural Sensitivity Instrument

(1994) was administered to 203 participants situated within residences in the formerly white suburb

of Westville Durban, South Africa. The subjective experience of the participants was evaluated

by comparing demographic variables with a suggested continuum of six stages between

ethnocentrism and ethnorelativism. Respondents appeared to traverse the polarities related to their

perceptions of reality and its subjective meaning. The preference for ethnocentric attitudes appeared

to be a construct employed as a result of categorization and separation caused by former restrictive

legislation of Apartheid. and strong cultural and religious anchors. It appears that groups gravitate

towards their own cultural group because of the security it offers in times of political unrest and

fear. Also, groups appeared to maintain healthy self-concepts and a preference for ethnorelativism,

creating a world that values difference and is open to integration with the larger society.