Understanding your host culture is so important. Culture impacts everyone. It influences how we act and respond. The way we communicate is affected by culture. When I am in a meeting with a group of people, I like to just observe how each person creates, sends, processes and interprets information. Different cultures differ in this. Really, even within a culture, individuals differ. It is very dangerous for us when we begin to stereotype nationalities.
I found this anonymous example on the Web and it says it all...
An airplane takes off from the airport. The captain is Jewish and the first officer is Chinese. It’s the first time they’ve flown together and it’s obvious from their silence that they don’t get along. After 30 minutes the Jewish captain mutters, “I don’t like the Chinese.”
The first officer replies, “Ooooh, you don’t like the Chinese? Why’s that?”
“You bombed Pearl Harbor. That’s why I don’t like the Chinese.”
“No! The Chinese didn’t bomb Pearl Harbor. That was the Japanese, not the Chinese.”
“Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese... It doesn’t matter, they’re all alike.”
Another 30 minutes of silence. Finally the first officer says, “I don’t like Jews.”
“Why not? Why don’t you like Jews?”
“Jews sank the Titanic.”
“No, no. The Jews didn’t sink the Titanic. It was an iceberg.”
“Iceberg, Goldberg, Rosenberg, doesn’t matter... They’re all the same.”
Until I lived overseas I did not realize how much I took for granted. For example, who I am, or why I am how I am. I was formed by the attitudes of the place where I am from and the opportunities and privileges I had before living overseas… I was naive to think that most people did things the way I do. It did not take me to long to understand that was a misconception. Also, I had to be brave enough to admit that my way is not the only way or necessarily the right way.
Culture is a set of accepted behavior patterns, values, assumptions and shared common experiences. It defines our social structure and influences our decision making practices and communication styles.
When we live in a different country, we realize that our culture dictates our behavior, etiquette and protocol.
Living in Turkey has opened a whole new way of doing things for me. Just consider cooking as an example. When I make a salad I like to wash all the vegetables, but I do not peel the skin off every thing. I like the skin on the tomato and the cucumber. Turks normally peel them. Bread cutting is another example: when I slice my bread I like to cut it thinner than many Turks do. I love celery stalk in my salad, but Turks cultivate the celery root. I never really thought about why I do these things the way I do until I came overseas and realized it has to do with my culture and upbringing.
I was raised to be direct about things, but in a nice manner. Some cultures are direct but are sharp with it, and some cultures are not direct at all. When we are going about things in the wrong way, we will experience delayed or abandoned projects, frustrated employees, the loss of social networks and contacts, and miscommunication.
As I continued to live in another culture I began to learn more about my own culture. I do not like it when people generalize and stereotype my nationality, so I try to not do it to others. Some common generalities are acceptable and helpful but the bottom line is that we are all individuals.
“Stereotype means to cast a person in a preset mold -- to deny individuality. The word comes from a copying process invented in 1725.” (”The Engines of Our Ingenuity,” John H. Lienhard, University of Houston)
The most common stereotype for male Americans is that they wear plaid slacks and talk loudly. Or maybe you have heard people say, “Well, all ……… look alike to me, I can’t tell one from another. They all have black hair and brown eyes.”
If we think the way we did things back home will be as effective in our host country, we are in for a real surprise. Don’t let it be a costly one.
Cultural awareness begins by understanding yourself, then learning to understand others.
Note: Keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
