Cultural And Cultural Shocks

Cultural differences in my definition refer to differences among people because of their racial or ethnic background, gender, language, nationality, sexual orientation, dress and traditions. These differences can bring strength to the group if valued and integrated into the group dynamics, at the same time it can also weaken a group as differences in interpretation of events can lead to miscommunication, awkwardness and hostilities if not addressed. Prejudices about people of different backgrounds can also lead people to jump to conclusions and misinterpret actions and behaviors. In the article, “Dyes and Dolls: Multicultural Barbie and the Merchandising of Difference,” by Ann Ducille helps us to understand how the making

The harmony of the existing cultures is crucial for the survival and success of any communication and ignoring these aspects may challenge the communication. For example, speaking to employees in Middle East is quite different from Switzerland; talking about personal things is acceptable by Swiss. Individuals who move to other countries unprepared for cultural differences may face unpleasant frustration when communicating. However, those who try to learn other cultures are likely to avoid individual tragedies. For example, Americans doing business in Mexico need to learn the local language to enhance interactions with the locals.

Different cultures tend to clash when they come in contact because they encompass many different beliefs and expectations. Everyone has a cultural identity and they act accordingly to it. Therefore, when two people with different cultures interact they

When you learn how to communicate with others, you gain perspective. “Learning to see another human being…as a full person in not an automatic event but an achievement that requires overcoming many obstacles” (Nussbaum).This perspective helps you see the world in a new light. When we are younger, all we have to live on is our parent’s proclivity, “we see things not as they are but as we are,” (Loewen) but as we grow older and mature, we gain our own perspective. With each new person you meet, you have the opportunity to perceive the world through their eyes and see how life is for them. Perspective is what America needs to become more acquiescent of other cultures. In the book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, the main character struggles with trying to get the reader to understand what he is going through. He can tell you a story about the Vietnam War, but you will never fully experience what he did, nonetheless you will gain a number of insights on his perspective. That is why perspective

Accepting the differences of others by expanding your own level of understanding begins with the awareness that your own culture

Today, as Americans, we are surrounded by an increasing number of very different cultures, and along with that we are surrounded by numerous

Even though there are set values that are universally known to the public, people do not always follow those values within their groups. However, these people have to act in conformity and abide by the values in public. Although everyone assumes that “imagined communities” contain a common culture, in reality, they really do not due to the fact that there are many body of ideas and practices that are not shared. Many languages are spoken and countless number of religions are practiced in various countries, so these make the “common culture” idea a misconception among citizens of different countries. For example, people tend to think that America consists of culture that is common, but they do not know if the beliefs, values, and practices are universally shared by all Americans. Nonetheless, there was a time when a dominant culture in the United States actually existed. It was during when the religion of Christianity was prominent and when many countries in Europe spoke the English language. It should be known that black Americans, Chinese-Americans, and white Americans have a common culture because of everything they do and do not share. From the common culture would arise the social identity, which can cause problems in diversity. Diversity can be an issue because of the ignorance of all the contrasting values. These issues arise because racial and ethnic identities are compared to one another and both can also relate to genders and sexualities. Nevermore, distinct genders and sexualities often live together now with the same knowledge and values and can still grow into opposite racial identities. Ethnic identities are so different since they are created in family and community life and people want the solidarity from being unique to one

Culture is all about an individual knowledge based on belief ,art,morals customs.Therefore culture shock occurs when people have different values and beliefs and are not tolerant of each others differences(Eckermann,Dowd,Chong,Nixon,Gray and Johnson,2006.).The separation of important people in

Peter L. Berger once said, “The sociologist routinely experiences culture shock in his own home.” The definition of cultural shock is when someone finds himself or herself in an environment that’s unfamiliar and someone doesn’t really know how to act or do. It is out of the person’s comfort zone and to try to fit and feel included in society, once must first face the uncertainty of how the unknown culture acts like. When the sociologist looks closely at these things, he finds unexpected motives, outcomes, things that might have not been realized. Therefore, culture shock can occur frequently every day due to the fact that everywhere in the world, including America has distinguishable outcomes that belong to other cultures.

In today 's society, “people are closed minded,” and do not take the opportunity getting to know the other person because of stereotyping and racism. Even though we all have different opinions toward other cultures, norms, beliefs and values we should all respect each other differences. We should consider learning from one another and not judge a person based on their race, ethnicity, gender and religion. As a society, it is very important; we educated ourselves in other cultures, even though we all have different values and beliefs.

The United States of America is a country in which many people from all over the world come to live together. Unlike Canada, which is a multicultural country, it is a melting pot since each person brings his/her own peculiarity to enrich the culture of this country. But this melting pot process is not always without problems. When people from other countries come to America, they may experience some form of culture shock. Culture shock is a state of bewilderment, anxiety, disorientation, and distress as an individual is suddenly exposed to a social or cultural environment much different from his/her own. (Spradley, James) Culture shock happens frequently for international

In 2010, as my sisters-in-law and their families prepared to immigrate to the United States (U.S.), my husband and I did all we can to advise and assist them in getting ready for their long journey from Nigeria to the U.S. To our surprise, contrary to every advice we gave them, in preparation for life in the US, they started out with trying American fast foods of different kinds. Culture shock is expected for anyone who immigrates to the US, regardless of where they come from. The type(s) of help the person(s) gets on how to overcome it and their adherence, most often, determines the future outcome of life in their new country of residence.

Culture Shock has played a tremendous role in the growth of cultural ecology because it is an issue that is constantly growing all over the world. In the United States, it may not seem like things are changing involving culture shock, but it is not any different then the changes in places like Africa and China for example. It is developing equally across the world because there are now more ways to travel. So, what exactly is culture shock anyways? Well, it is known as going to a foreign or unfamiliar territory that one is not used to, so they may feel symptoms of anxiety such as nervousness or shock because the customs, actions, beliefs, etc of those people may not seem familiar to them, so one may feel ill-prepared for the changing environment. Also, for example, if one was to go to school in the U.S. but came from China, they would feel culture shock because the rules in China are not the same as rules in the U.S. and so it may make one feel uneasy about the situation because they are not use to change and maybe the move was to quick for them to adjust properly. The United States is very different from foreign areas because the culture is very different. Where have people of Africa seen movie productions, music, sports, universities, iPhones, computers, etc? The answer is not where they live but in the United States if they traveled there before. This is exactly the issue with culture shock in ecology. Culture is what people behave like, feel, and do. Shock is a symptom

"Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are nuisance at best and often a disaster." - Dr. Geert Hofstede

Cultural differences effect many aspects of our daily lives. With the many different cultures embedded in the United States, it is important that everyone has an understanding and respect for the melting pot that is encountered daily in our communities, workplaces and schools.