Reflection Photos – Facilitating Intercultural Reflection with Visual Images

Visually strong and appealing images of flowers, animals, household objects all become tools for people to examine their experience and tell their stories.

The photos are large enough (5.5×4.25 inches) to be used with individuals or in groups:

• small groups (for example, support groups of ex­patriate spouses or global teams, or language classes),
• large groups (for example, ice breakers or team-building activi­ties for conferences, or
• individuals (for example, coaching or therapy clients, relocation training participants).

There are no rules for how to use these cards, but here is a sample of the suggestions for use that are included with the tool:

Speak to Me. “Think about your [expatriate experience] so far. Pick 1-3 photos that ‘speak to you’ about your [intercultural experience]. With a partner or in a small group, describe why you picked each photo. If another person’s connection to a photo is very different from your own reaction, discuss these different points of view as interesting examples of how people view the world differently.”

On the Road. “Think about the different phases of transition, based on the model we have just discussed.” [See description of models at the end of the guide included with the tool]. “Pick one photo that captures where you are in your transition right now, one that captures where you’ve been, and one for where you would like to be in the future. Would the people who know you well be surprised at the cards you chose?”

Best and Worst. [For small, on-going work groups] “Pick two cards, as a group, that capture the best and worst moments of your work together and describe why you chose those.”

My Best Seller. “Think of your intercultural story to date as if it were a book you’d written. Pick the photo that would appear on the cover and write a title for the book.” [If you have time, participants could also pick 4-8 photos, each to illustrate a different chapter of the book they would write.]