296 Book Reviews

DESIGN FOR CROSS-CULTURAL LEARNING Mildred Sikkema and Agnes Niyekawa

Yarmouth, Maine: Intercultural Press, 1987, 106 pp., $17.95 (cloth)

Niyekawa and Sikkema examine two fundamental questions facing cross-cultural educators. First, what is the nature of cross-cultural learn- ing? Second, what educational design is most effective for cross-cultural learning? The authors propose a design for cross-cultural learning based on their experience in conducting programs for American and Hong Kong social work students, including field placements in Guam, the Phil- ippines, Hong Kong, and Hawaii.

The concepts of active understanding and experiential learning are the central components of the design. The intellectual and rational under- standing acquired through traditional classroom methods is contrasted with the affective or active understanding of experiential learning. The active understanding gained in one culture is easily transferable to other cultures. The student learns “how to learn” another culture. In the pro- cess of becoming bicultural, the student develops the tools needed to be multicultural. The authors claim that their model can be applied any- where in the educational process from high school through graduate and professional training, or, indeed, in cross-cultural training for adults out- side formal educational contexts.

This book is divided into two sections. The first six chapters provide a concise theoretical framework and outline the educational design. The model (p. 21) has three interdependent curriculum blocks extending over 12 to 14 months: (a) the pre-field seminar meeting on campus for weekly sessions for a term; (b) the field experience of at least two months in another culture which includes a weekly seminar and a keeping of a daily journal by the students; and (c) the post-field program on campus which includes two “learning summaries” and weekly meetings during the term

following the field experience. The second half of the book is an extended appendix. It includes

learning objectives, an outline of the seminar and a short annotated list of audiovisual resources. As well, it gives concrete examples-from stu- dent journals-of how students respond to the experience at each stage of the process. The appendix also addresses the question of adapting the design to existing study abroad programs.

Design for Cross-Cultural Learning is a valuable addition to a growing collection of curriculum resources currently available for cross-cultural learning. The significant feature of this book lies in its clear presentation of learning objectives along with a detailed description and evaluation of the actual learning process itself. The concise conceptual framework for

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the learning model and the bibliography should serve as useful resources for examining the issue of intercultural learning in general.

The overall impression obtained by the reading of this book is one of regret at its brevity (103 pages). The book is very ambitious in its theoreti- cal scope and range of applicability. However, not all the issues raised receive the same careful consideration. The reader is left with unanswered questions regarding the broader applicability and subsequent implemen- tation of the design. Niyekawa and Sikkema argue that their design has broad applicability anywhere in the educational system as well as for adults outside formal educational contexts. They also state that the de- sign can be implemented with a modicum of faculty support and flexibili- ty and commitment to the ultimate goal. These critical issues are treated too briefly in an appendix, which narrowly focuses on adapting the de- sign to existing study abroad programs.

Educators will find this clearly written book a helpful tool in curricu- lum development planning for an overseas study program. It can also serve as a useful teaching aid for educators who are currently being ,trained for cross-cultural education. This book has appeal beyond these two restricted audiences to a broader public-those individuals interested in understanding the process involved in coming to understand cross- #cultural differences.

Anne Miller Department of Anthropology

McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario

COMMUNICATING SOCIAL SUPPORT Terrance L. Albrecht, Mara B. Adelman, and Associates

Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1987, 317 pp., $28.00 (cloth)

Communicating Social Support makes a valuable contribution to the growing body of literature describing how human beings provide support for each other, particularly in times of stress (physical and psychological) and life transitions.

In the first section, (“Theoretical and Methodological Foundations”), Albrecht and Adelman present a communication perspective of social support, after reviewing and integrating previous work in various fields (psychology, social work, sociology). While previous research has cen-