NCJ Number
53912
Journal
EVALUATION NEWS Issue: 8 Dated: (DECEMBER 1978) Pages: 62-67
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION HAS EMERGED AS A QUASI-PROFESSION OR DISCIPLINE, AND THE ROLE OF PROGRAM EVALUATION IN CROSS-CULTURAL SETTINGS IS CONSIDERED.
Abstract
EVALUATION TENDS TO BE PRIMARILY NATIONALLY BASED AND CONCERNED WITH PROGRAMS IN PROGRESS, WHILE COMPLEX PLANNING ACTIVITIES EXIST MAINLY IN THE INTERNATIONAL FIELD. THE STATE OF ALASKA IS MULTICULTURAL. THERE ARE 20 DISTINCT NATIVE LANGUAGES, BUT CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ARE NOT RESTRICTED TO LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES. MOST OUTSIDERS ARE UNAWARE OF THE LARGE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES UNDERLYING THE WAYS OF LIFE IN RURAL ALASKAN COMMUNITIES. WHEN CONSIDERING EVALUATION IN CROSS-CULTURAL SETTINGS SUCH AS ALASKA, THREE TYPES OF SITUATIONS MUST BE KEPT IN MIND: (1) WHEN THOSE ADMINISTERING OR PROVIDING A PROGRAM AND THOSE PARTICIPATING IN OR RECEIVING PROGRAM SERVICES ARE OF DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS; (2) WHEN PARTICIPANTS ARE FROM MORE THAN ONE CULTURE (MULTICULTURAL GROUP); AND (3) WHEN A PROGRAM ITSELF APPLIES SOMETHING FROM ONE CULTURE TO ANOTHER, IN THE SUBSTANCE OF A PROGRAM, IN THE WAY A PROGRAM IS DELIVERED, OR BOTH. EVALUATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGE AND SHOULD ENCOMPASS BOTH BENEFITS AND DETRIMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGE. MORE EMPHASIS IN EVALUATION ON PRECONDITIONS, INVOLVEMENT, CONGRUITY, AND ACCEPTANCE IS CALLED FOR. THE NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PROGRAM EVALUATION IN CROSS-CULTURAL SETTINGS IS STRESSED. REFERENCES ARE LISTED. (DEP)