CULTURAL AWARENESS AND EMPATHY AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
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Intercultural competence has become an essential attribute for students in culturally diverse academic environments. The present study examined the level of cultural awareness and cultural empathy among undergraduate students and explored the relationship between these two variables. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 100 undergraduate students from four colleges in Balasore, Odisha, selected through stratified random sampling. Two self-developed instruments, the Cultural Awareness Scale (23 items; α = 0.72) and the Cultural Empathy Scale (27 items; α = 0.744), were administered. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The findings revealed moderate to high levels of cultural awareness (M = 86.6) and cultural empathy (M = 100). No significant gender differences were observed in either cultural awareness or empathy. However, significant differences were found across academic streams, with Science and Arts students scoring higher than Vocational students. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.778, p < 0.01) was identified between cultural awareness and cultural empathy, indicating that higher cultural awareness contributes to stronger empathic engagement. The study highlights the importance of integrating intercultural education and inclusive learning practices in higher education to strengthen students’ intercultural competencies.
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Patri, M. K., Bisoi, R., Pradhan, P. & Swain, A. R. (2026). Cultural Awareness and Empathy Among Undergraduate Students. International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology, 02(05). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i5.587
Patri, Manas, et al.. "Cultural Awareness and Empathy Among Undergraduate Students." International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology, vol. 02, no. 05, 2026, pp. . doi:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i5.587.
Patri, Manas,Ranjit Bisoi,Pratima Pradhan, and Amiya Swain. "Cultural Awareness and Empathy Among Undergraduate Students." International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology 02, no. 05 (2026). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsmt.v2i5.587.
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