Going outside of one’s own culture can be very eye-opening to a person. Although it is sometimes difficult to see through the perspective of someone else, it is vital in being able to communicate with people around the world. I have taken two mission trips to Kenya, Africa during the summer with my church group. Because of this trip, I became more aware of the differences there were in culture and just how many cultures I was missing out on. I believe that all cultures should become more aware of at least one other culture to compare and contrast the two because each culture could learn something from another. I have found the most important characteristics of this culture and would like to share the interests that this culture has brought to my attention.
Good Leadership One of the things that the Kenyan culture values is good leadership among their people. Leadership is an important role because the people in charge are the ones who come up with the decisions for all their people. Kenya does not have the type of government that the United States has so they tend to make their own rules when it comes to their culture groups. There are many characteristics that are involved with being a leader such as social class, age, and how they would be able to handle hard times,
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People often view Africa as a place to hunt for big, wild animals in their natural habitats. Although this is a common hobby for people to do in Kenya, it is not seen as such to the natives. They believe that their animals are prized possessions, whether that be a family trading goats and sheep, or leaving the wild animals alone in their homes. Zebras, for example, walk around in Kenya as much as cows walk around in open fields in the United States. So it is a weird concept for the Kenyan people to see foreigners coming to kill those animals for
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities “- Stephen R Covery. Living in two different countries is an experience that is likely to open anyone mind. One raised in a smaller country, then moved to a larger country mixed with multiple culture is an experience not to be taking for granted. Full of hardships. Yet, despite lacking in the modern luxuries that are readily available in the United States, they also live a vibrant life full of flavorful food, music, dance, ritual and celebration. There are many differences in the way Haitians live in Haiti versus in America, including school, work, transportation, and environment and while not all of these differences are negative, it is obvious that the great disparity of wealth between the
The chapter continued to discuss how people experience other cultures when they are removed from their area to a different place. This occurs in the form of culture shock people experience new traditions that are unfamiliar to them when the come to a place that is home to another culture. Human development may also include joining the ideas of various cultures and forming it into a new concept. It puts heavy emphasis on learning other cultures in an unbiased form in order to compare and make observations. This chapter also studies of culture have been able to advance over time and how change is an essential aspect of
In the 1950’s, Senator Joseph McCarthy turned Americans against each other by installing fear in the people regarding toward Communism. During this time, in fact, people were getting blacklisted even if they weren't communist. In an incident at the Republican Women’s Club of Wheeling, McCarthy delivered a speech. The situation involving the Senator escalated when he stated that the State Department is infested with Communist. In this point in time, due to the false allegations, people went on a decade long period of witch hunts. Sam Roberts, the author of “A Decade of Fear” stated that in fact, “...thousands of alleged Communists in the U.S. were arrested and deported during what became known as the Red Scare.”
Some of the values of the culture I visited were the religious values. They were all Christians and most of them were from different parts of Africa. They believe in god and believe that he was the king of the universe, I could tell by the way they sing and the way they participated. They also believe in Jesus, based on how they had the statue of Jesus in the center of the church. They also saw each other as a community, as a church. They all looked really united and even though many of them didn’t knew each other they great each other like they did, because that probably might be a norm for them.
1.To improve my understanding of different cultures I could study them on the Internet or in person through experience such as travel and I can also engage in events and local groups that celebrate different cultures such as multicultural gatherings and festivals.
My life experiences with different cultures began in my hometown, when Prairie Island Tribal Council members educated students about their culture through lectures, dance, and band performances. This allowed me to appreciate my Mdewakanton classmates’ culture. My exposure to different cultures expanded during an internship at a medical examiner’s office, because death is universal. I learned being culturally respectful and sensitive begins by listening to their stories and experiences before answering their questions honestly and reassuring them the deceased would be treated with respect. As I traveled to rural Honduras on a medical brigade and as a student studying abroad in Italy and Germany, I realized by listening and observing without judgement, I began to understand the cultures. In addition, I discovered generalizations of a culture give an incomplete view and I cannot assume I understand a culture. Instead, individuals are unique based on experiences as well as their culture.
I think it would be an understatement to say that there are many differences between the American and Hmong birthing process's. Chapter one describes in explicit detail the common process of how a baby is born into the Hmong culture. Specifically following the life of a woman named Foua. Myself being more familiar with the American way of childbirth, I found this woman's story fascinating. The process's and beliefs that the Hmong have toward childbirth are vastly different than American's. The Hmong seem to be more superstitious about the whole thing, and don't believe in modern medicine. While on the American side, we use every medical precaution, to the point that every minute of the babies development and birth is planned to a tee.
To learn from another that is not like you, that is from another country, gives you the opportunity to acquire knowledge that opens your eyes and lets you better understand the world around you. That can definitely be said after conducting my interview for the Cross-Cultural Interaction Report. I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Blanchefort Djimsa, a Food Science major, who is from the country of Chad which is located in Central Africa. Blanchefort is from the city of Moundou, the third largest city, which is in the South of Chad. Here on scholarship, he is attending Oklahoma State University to further his education. Blanchefort told me about his country and gave me a different perspective about Chad.
As Mahatma Gandhi said, “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive” (Mahatma). Our culture identifies who we are and how we behave in social environments and provides us with a foundation in which to live our lives and raise our families. Each individual culture has certain customs and courtesies that are important. Exposure to the cultures of others can be intimidating and can leave a person feeling confused and unsure about how they fit in (Schaefer 60). Culture shock can leave a person feeling out of place in an unfamiliar culture (Schaefer 60). Our diverse societies demand understanding and acceptance of other cultures. Learning and understanding these cultures before being
In our society today, culture is not what it used to be hundreds of years ago. There is no more “pure” culture. Our culture today is enriched with many different traditions and customs that are being shared and adopted. Due to emigration and immigration, a variety of diverse customs, beliefs, and knowledge moved with every exiting and entering human being. Thus, changing and shaping the culture of many. Throughout the world, the beliefs and religious views of culture are dissimilar around the world. By taking the time to read, listen and learn about certain people’s culture, there will be knowledge and understanding that will be gained.
The Somali Refugee culture was really eye opening. The culture seemed really close and there were really strong ties. Most of the people are friends or relatives with one another. The culture did not show the presence of the distraught from the refugee camps. They see the refugee camp a more of an obstacle they had to get
“Sometimes it is impossible to know where you are headed without reflecting on where you came from. Understanding your heritage, your roots and your ancestry is an important part of carving out your adventure.” When reading from Close Range and A Radiant Curve the reader gets the feeling that both of these women have strong ties to their heritage, their roots. It is evident in Luci Tapahonso’s poem “The warp is even: taut vertical loops”. Tapahonso wants the reader to feel close to her family as she feels. “Suddenly I miss my father to. How he savored such mornings (Tapahonso 3).”
The perception of foreign cultures can at times be quite peculiar. The article “Eating Christmas in Kalahari” by Richard Borshay Lee, foretells a classic example of cross culture misunderstanding when people from different cultures operate in a culturally unfamiliar environment. Richard Lee, a social anthropologist, explains what he learned living with the !Kung Bushmen, a South African tribe, for three years. This Gemeinschaft community of hunters-gatherers worked together to teach the anthropologist something important to their people, even though he was unaware of their intentions in the beginning.
The paper seeks to understand the political, social and cultural variables that have thrown Kenya into the geo-political limelight insofar as the so-called ‘War on Terrorism’ is
The country is a key investor within the East African commmunity, while the largest chunk of intraregional trade is due to Kenya. However, economic