Originally presented on March 7, 2014 for the 2014 Ethics and Boundaries Workshop held by the Field Education Program at the UWMadison School of Social Work.

This interactive workshop explores how culture influences our assumptions about the "other" and how we communicate. Participants will examine their perceptions, values, ethics and cultural awareness in order to increase their capacity to communicate effectively with individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives.

Participants will also examine crosscultural practices and values, with emphasis on the commonalities and differences among individuals in the workplace. This process is intended to assist participants in developing strategies for reducing workplace tensions through the combination of awareness and understanding that "others are not different from them" but that they are "different from others."

Presenter Lois Smith Owens is a coauthor of "Think About Prisons and the Justice System" and contributing author of "Fundamentals of Substance Abuse Practice." She is a diversity trainer and primary consultant for the National Black Police Association.