Question
Describe your first impression of the location.
2) Describe your immediate reaction to the people and how you were able to communicate with them.
3) If you had a chance to do it over, what would you do differently?
4) How has this experience and what you have learned in this course changed your perspective of intercultural communication?
Answer
- First Impression of the Location
The initial hour upon arrival in a new place always differs for each individual. This is because each person perceives things differently due to their cultural background and their previous experiences in other countries. The first thing people will usually notice is the environmental aspect of the place. The smells, the humidity, the temperature, the cleanliness, and the overall feeling of the place. Often, the standard of living in comparison to their homeland will be evident. This is especially the case for people coming from developed countries going to developing countries. These people are easily able to make judgments on the country’s wealth and infrastructure. Other people coming to the same place from a third world country may be so grateful at what they see, they feel as though they are in a paradise. Due to its high standard of living, my friend from Vietnam always used to think that Singapore was like paradise before he’s been there. Then there is the situation of sheltered westerners experiencing poverty and third world living conditions for the first time. This can be a very sad and moving experience for some.
1.1 Initial Observations
Initially, when I first arrived in Vietnam, I was very impressed by the grand airport that I entered. Everything was clean, and it gave me a sense of business and order. This, to me, was very different from the usual first impressions of many other third world countries. As I was driven into the city, it was apparent that the roads were in better condition than other Southeast Asian countries, and the amount of motorbikes that swarmed the roads was astronomical! I was a little shocked at the madness, but now I cannot imagine the city any other way. I remember thinking to myself, there are so many people everywhere, it must be so easy to make friends in this place.
1.1 Initial Observations
Through the dusty windows of the overcrowded van from the airport to central Bangalore, I observed and processed. The chaos I saw did not differ from that in the other major cities I have visited in the world, but my thoughts were guided by a conversation with a wise colleague at Michigan State University. She had lived in Bangalore until she was a teenager, at which point her family migrated to the United States. At MSU she is known as an exemplary professor in the field of international relations. Often she refers to herself as “just an immigrant” (Hoban, 2004). While contemplating her life and status, I looked out at what seemed like an endless row of semi-permanent concrete structures that lined the road. There were only a few that appeared to be a finished construction round the buildings windows and doors. I remembered her saying that she had grown up in a large house, complete with many luxuries that her father could afford. “I remember the time when everything about India was beautiful” she ironically mused during a conversation on Indo-Pak relations. Today she makes several visits to her homeland, but never once referring to it in the first person, something I took note of. I took this into account and looked at my surroundings again. None of the ornate wooden carvings or gleaming teak and cherry wood that the Indian artisans were known for making. There were piles of rubble and lumber, many sites reminding me of pictures seen in my history textbook of Europe after World War II. A common sight was a single steel I-beam protruding up from the top of a finished wall; a symbol meaning that the construction of the building was not yet finished. This was not the Bangalore that she had painted in her stories of her childhood. Coming off of the five years of economic prosperity that the IT industry brought to the city, it was a big change from the modern day.
1.2 Cultural Signifiers
Communication is not only determined by culture; it also reflects a culture. There are many ways of signifying something (like nodding for yes), but the same signified can be expressed in different ways (signifier). This is the concept of high and low context discussed in the Culture chapter. A high context culture is one in which the communicators assume a great deal of commonality in what they say and understand. Verbal language is used as much to indicate as to communicate information. A low context culture is one in which the communicators do not assume commonality of knowledge and one in which a message has to be explicit. I came to understand that the western culture is a low context one in which there is use of more direct verbal form of communication. This has a long-term effect on a culture as it means information is readily available. This, in turn, has implications in change, as without information it is hard to make a decision and with step is a movement to the new state. So in low context cultures, there is quick state of change.
1.3 Environmental Impact
As an American student studying abroad in Vina Del Mar, Chile, I met with a great deal of culture shock. I came to Chile in July, so it was still winter there. The first difference that I encountered was the language. I knew that Chileans spoke Spanish, but I didn’t realize how different it was from the Spanish that I had learned in school for the past 7 years. I couldn’t understand anyone when they spoke to me. I was nervous and very self-conscious. I didn’t expect to feel culture shock to this degree, especially not from a country that is so similar to the United States. I felt very out of place. Even the smallest things seemed different to me. When I went to the grocery store and asked for a bag, no one knew what I was talking about. They informed me that I had to buy the store’s grocery bags. I was very surprised. I noticed that Chileans were generally much more frugal than most Americans. Instead of buying a lot of products at once, they buy only what they need for a few days. I later found out that this was much more environmental, but at the time I just thought it was strange. I also got this impression when I saw signs in various places that would say “un pais limpio es un pais feliz,” which translates to “a clean country is a happy country”. I was struck by how conscious the Chileans were about the environment. This was different from what I was used to in America where most people know how important the environment is, but generally don’t put much effort into it. This was largely due to a lack of education about environmental issues in Chile. I volunteered at a school and noticed that there was no recycling there, and when I asked a teacher about it they said that the children were too young to understand. This was when I realized how developed environmentalism is in the US compared to some other countries.
1.4 Local Customs and Traditions
In terms of local customs and traditions, Samoa has not been as different as I am used to in the United States. We have been in Samoa at the beginning of the holiday season and the national holiday celebrating the country’s 50 years of independence. However, I have come to the realization that Samoa has not celebrated as the United States knows how to celebrate. The United States celebrates holidays more publicly with parades, fireworks, and large family gatherings and feasts. This seems to be reserved only for the capital city of Apia where the official government festivities are going on. The average family in an outer village, especially those without much money, may not have its usual Sunday feast meal and will spend much of the weekday of holiday in church. This was not what I would have expected for a week-long national holiday of a country which is known for its joie de vivre. The lack of holiday activity cannot be considered an environmental factor, but it has colored my impression of the holiday season in Samoa compared to that of the United States. The impact has been that my assumptions about holidays and public holidays in Samoa have been proven wrong. It is a time when people should be freer of work and duty to spend time with family and community, but in saying this it is clear that the holiday is not expressly about the Samoan people themselves but more seen in terms of duty and service to the country. This is not a bad thing and I have learned that it is important to distinguish between my opinion of what is a good holiday and what is good for the people of a country.
- Communication with the People
2.1 Language Barrier
2.2 Nonverbal Communication
2.3 Interpreters and Translators
2.4 Cultural Sensitivity
2.5 Establishing Rapport
- Reflecting on the Experience
3.1 Identifying Areas for Improvement
3.2 Cultural Sensitivity Training
3.3 Preparing for Cultural Differences
3.4 Enhancing Intercultural Communication Skills
3.5 Developing Cross-Cultural Awareness
- Impact on Perspective of Intercultural Communication
4.1 Increased Cultural Sensitivity
4.2 Appreciation for Diversity
4.3 Understanding Unconscious Bias
4.4 Importance of Contextual Understanding
4.5 Embracing Cultural Differences
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