Conference

Emotional Intelligence: Key Abilities for Multicultural Work?

---

Abstract

Differences in race and ethnicity often cause strong emotional responses in people. Our abilities to be aware of and to manage our emotions and to interact with others' emotions may profoundly influence our abilities to communicate and work across cultures. The four dimensions of emotional intelligence (EI) : emotional self-awareness, emotional self-management, empathy, relationship abilities will be explored with an emphasis on the role of EI in multicultural competence. A brief introduction and rationale will be presented, along with a written self-assessment for attendees. Participants will share insights gained from the self-assessment and will engage in an empathy exercise. A participant dialogue about significant empathic experiences related to race and ethnicity and approaches to enhancing empathy will serve as a summary activity.