Three Cultural Events

What Now/So What

I believe that a good way to learn about culture is immersing oneself into a different culture. By doing this, we can learn about the deeper aspects of that different culture while learning about one's own culture. Throughout the semester, I have partook in several cultural activities to learn about culture. Three of these activities which I will go on too discuss are the Pan-African conference, Ethiopian night and French club. The Pan-African conference was a conference that addressed the several issues concerning the African American community in the United States. Ethiopian Night was an event put up by the Ethiopian Students Association to show case Ethiopian culture using music, games and dance. Lastly, the French club hosted a weekly French conversation table so French language learners (like myself) could practice speaking French with natives while learning about culture in France and other francophone countries.

French Club 
During the course of one of the discussions at French club, someone brought up the issue of the French governments approach to dealing with racism. He mentioned that the French use the "color blind" approach to dealing with diversity. This means that they do necessarily see color or differences and instead focus on the shared commonality (everyone is French). We discussed about the Pros and Cons of this method. Personally, I felt it wasn't an effective way of dealing with diversity as it sees diversity as something that doesn't exist even though it clearly does. However, we concluded that it was unfair to judge the culture/system until we have actually lived or experienced the culture (French culture) first hand.

Ethiopian Night: I was a performer at this years Ethiopian night and it was a great experience. I was not able to learn about the visible parts of Ethiopian culture (Dance, Music & Food) but was also able to immerse myself into the deeper parts of the culture (self-perception and conflict resolution). During the preparation of most cultural nights on campus, there is usually so much going between the organizers that remains unseen by the audience. This includes disagreements, conflicts and disputes. Something I found interesting was the way the Ethiopian students dealt with disputes that arose. Instead of publicly or privately confronting someone they had a disagreement with, they either chose not to address the issue (silent treatment?) or used an intermediary (another person) to settle the issue. I found this interesting because it was the exact opposite method of conflict resolution I had observed during the Nigerian dance practice sessions.

Pan African Conference: I was also able to attend a session of the Pan African Conference that addressed the issue of male dominance in African American societies. The speaker talked about the role of feminism in African American culture and gave several examples of why the culture needed some sort of reformation.  I could relate with what she talked about since it was quite similar to the culture and practices in Nigeria.

The knowledge gathered from participating in these events have definitely shaped my view about culture. It continually shows me how diverse the world is and the importance of understanding these cultural diversity. I am currently seeking to attain a level 4 in the "Communication" section of global citizenship rubric. Although I believe that these experiences above and some past experiences might have advanced me to the cusp of attaining this level of culture understanding, I have still not attained it.

Now What: I will continue to participate in experiences that will develop my understanding of culture. I hope to use this advancement in cultural understanding to understand the various conflicts going around me.

Experiencing Culture

What:

What does it feel like to be placed in a culture that is different from yours? Last week , my course mates and I got to experience practicing a culture and also living in a different culture. We were able to do this through a culture simulating activity called BaFa BaFa. In the activity, we were divided into two teams and each team was giving a booklet containing a description of their proposed culture. My team's culture was one that relied heavily on trading. To us, trading was the most important part of our lives. We practiced a unique language that enabled us to trade effectively. We were given some time to practice and become familiar with our new culture after which two of our team members were sent to the experience the culture of the other team. I was one of the two who were sent. Upon visiting the other culture, I realized it was extremely difficult to fit in. They were very different. Their culture was a very happy culture that enjoyed chatting about life. They were more communal and the students were always groups. I was also quick to observe that this culture was sort of a "masculine" dominated culture were males were always the topic of discussion. In general, it was very challenging to live in the culture and after 3 minutes of my visit, I just wanted someone to tell me what was going on.  

So What:

My experience with the culture simulating activity was very similar with my first few weeks of living int the United States. When my team needed someone to visit the other culture, I willingly volunteered with very little hesitation. However, when I finally arrived at the new culture, I realized it was quite frustrating to decode this culture (even with the fact I knew it was just a game). I realized that if I live in that culture for a long time, I would have gone into culture shock. When my classmates reassembled to discuss the activity, I found out that the other team had a lot of problems deciphering my teams culture as my team did not communicate in English. Something I found interesting was I considered it somewhat "wrong" that the other team's culture was "masculine dominated". The questions I later began asking myself was "why did I see this as wrong?" and "Should I judge that culture as a foreigner?". The whole activity showed the importance of pluralism as a the two cultures would require mutual understanding if they were to live together because they were quite different. As I interacted with the other culture, I became more aware of  my team's culture. This aligns with level 3 and level 4 in the Self-Awareness category of the global citizenship rubric. 

Now What:  
I believe I could move further from my recent level in the Self Awareness category of the global citizenship rubric is by participating in real life activities that are similar to the cultural simulating activity. I will also reflect on my experiences in these activities on my e-folio. 

Culture and Leadership Styles

What

It is Sunday and it feels sad to admit that Spring Break is finally over. I spent most of my break at home preparing for African Night, an upcoming cultural event at MSU. Since I will be participating in this event, I spent my week attending dance practice sessions with the Nigerian and Ethiopian dance groups. The two dance sessions were usually held at different times of the day in one of the dance studios on campus. The dance sessions consisted of groups of students learning a dance routine and a leader who most likely choreographed most of the dance routine. During the dance sessions, I was able to observe some differences in the leadership styles of the dance leaders. In the Nigerian dance session, the leader was quite stern and "professional". The dancers were very focused and the general environment was somewhat serious. The Ethiopian dance session was quite different. First, it was initially difficult to identify the leader of group. The dance environment was also less tensed and calm. The difference between the two dance groups got me wandering if there was a relationship between the cultures of the two countries and the dance leadership styles/environment.

So What
Being a Nigerian myself the dance leadership style and the dance session environment exhibited during the Nigerian dance session wasn't new to me. In fact, it was what I had expected it to be. I had been involved in several dance activities in high school and the dance environment was exactly the same. To us, a strict and "professional" environment was necessary for learning. How about that of the Ethiopian dance session? To be honest, when I attended the first session of the session, I was quite angry with the entire group. I felt the dancers weren't ready to dance.  However, after attending three dance sessions, I was surprised that we had made great progress. I later realized that the dance environment and the leadership style exhibited by the Ethiopian dance group wasn't unusual to them. When I compared both dance leadership styles, I realized there were advantages and disadvantages to both styles. I hence tried to relate this experience to pluralism.  Now that I am aware of the different dance leadership styles and environment, I can work better with other dance teams. On the global citizenship rubric, this experience can be linked with level 4 of Self Awareness as I beginning to see some of my inner personal styles in contrast to other cultural styles around me. 

Now What
I plan to better understand culture by participating in more interactions/activities with other cultural groups on campus. I hope to use this knowledge currently to strengthen relationships between members of the African Students Association. In the future, I also hope to utilize my understanding on culture to work with increasing diverse communities in the United States and in Nigeria. 

A Global World.

What:
       Last week, I had the opportunity of participating in an Ethnographic interview with some of my classmates. In this activity, we (students) were divided into groups of three. Each group was giving a set of questions relating to our beliefs on human relationships, friendships, female/male relationships, family, social values, social etiquette and time. During this activity, I realized I shared a lot of my beliefs with other classmates. This got me wandering "Have we always been this similar or is the world indeed becoming a global village?" For example, I found it surprising that the culture regarding marriages in my country was very similar to those of two of my classmates. Although, there was so much similarity, there was also some differences, For example, I found it very interesting that my one of my classmates said that marriages are becoming quite rare in his country. 
So What: 
     The ethnographic interview showed an example of how diverse the world is. In just a small classroom like ours, there are so many different beliefs and ideas. I believe this again shows the importance of pluralism in our society. If we do want to live together peacefully, we need to learn about the different cultures and ideas around us. The Ethnographic interview provided an opportunity through which my classmates and I could understand our cultural differences through actively engagement. This greatly aligns with level 2 and level 3 of the global citizenship rubric.   
Now What:
     In order to keep developing my global citizenship skills and knowledge, I will need to participate in more activities that will allow me to ask deeper questions about culture. I currently participate in a weekly French Conversation Table where I am able to ask questions about the French culture and the culture of other Francophone countries. Hopefully, I will be able to have a deep understanding of the French culture by the end of the semester. 

A Place to Call Home

Intro:
When I was very young, I remember gathering in my parents room with my siblings at night. We would sit on the ground with so much curiosity paying attention to every detailed story my parents had of the Nigerian civil war. There was one evening when my aunt happened to visit. As you would expect, we swarmed her like bees eagerly waiting to hear a different version of the same stories. The stories of war, famine, death, refugees and immigration.

What:
Last week, I got opportunity of listening to three individuals share their own stories about their journey (or parent's journey) to the United States. They represented the largest migrant communities in Minnesota (Hmong, Somali and Latino). The three guest speakers shared stories of their lives in the United States and also the cultures of their individual communities. The guest speakers were also able to shed some light on the process of gaining refugee status in the America. One of the stories that I found very interesting was a story on Hmong marriages. The speaker representing the Hmong community explained how the Hmong societies are arranged into clans with each clan having a distinct last name. He said that it appears puzzling that he can't get married a Hmong girl he never met or has no known family relationships with him. However, he could be allowed to marry his first cousin who has a different last name from him. I found this quite interesting because in my culture (Ibo, Nigeria), it is the exact opposite. When asked about stereotypes about his community, the speaker representing the Hmong community mentioned that some Asians did not appreciate the stereotype that "Asians are generally smart". I found this very interesting because in my culture, we take pride in all "positive" stereotypes and would try to reinforce them even if these "positive" stereotypes are untrue or didn't apply to everyone in the group.

So What:
I observed a lot similarities between the Somali culture and my culture. In general, I was again reminded that there isn't a single immigrant story and that I should be careful not to make certain assumptions about immigrants. Some of stories shared by the guest speakers reminded me of the stories that my parents told me. What I have come to understand is sometimes I might be so engrossed with the "immigrant story" that I forget to pay attention to the  individual telling the story. The presence of different cultures in Minnesota and the entire United States shows the importance of pluralism. The presence of diversity around us calls for a proper understanding culture. Not a passive form of cultural understanding but one that entails active engagement. This definition of cultural understanding perfectly aligns with the concept of pluralism. As an international college student studying in the united states, I came with already established beliefs, likes , dislikes and biases. I constitute a part of the diversity in the United States. A thorough understanding of myself in comparison to the different cultures around me is a great step in achieving pluralism. I can then utilize this understanding to serve other different cultures equally and just. This thorough understanding is described in level 4 of  "Self Awareness" in the global citizenship rubric.

Now What:
To progress to this level of culture understanding, I will participate in deeper conversations with my classmates. I also attend a weekly french conversation table and will use this opportunity to understand my beliefs in comparison to the general beliefs of the French people. I plan to utilize this understanding to create an environment in Nigeria where cultures can peacefully interact. I will start by sharing my understanding of pluralism with my family and close friends. 

End Note:
People migrate for different reasons. 

His Story, Her Story 

What

A good way to learn about someone's culture is by "actively" listening to that person speak. By doing so, you do not only get to experience the visible part of that culture but also experience the deeper beliefs that make up that culture. In my first semester in college, I was fortunate to read Strength In What Remains, a book about the life experiences of an African immigrant in the United States. I am currently reading I am Malala, another book on the life of a Pakistani girl (Malala) who stood against the Taliban in Pakistan. The stories in the two books have given me an opportunity to learn about the individual and collective cultures of the main characters in the book. Malala is a young girl raised by parents who value education and religion. However, she grows up in a region where some groups are strongly against education, especially education dealing with Muslim girls. She tells stories of her young days in school, her friends, her successes, her failures and her fears. The fact I could relate to most of her stories brought a smile to my face. I was again reminded that not only was she (Malala) a Nobel prize recipient and an advocate but  also an individual like myself and everyone else. I was also astonished that she acknowledged the beauty and significance of some Buddha statues in her region and her disapproval with the Taliban for destroying them. The book also got me thinking about my purpose of education with quotes such as "Teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat" and "Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes". 

So What

In my previous blog post, I explained why I was found it important to understand "deeper" aspects of culture. Well, the culture discussed in I am Malala has further given me a reason to do so. Malala explained that it is very rare for a Pashtun to say "Thank you" as they strongly believe every good deed deserves another instead of just a mere expression like "Thank you". This is important to note as I have observed that in the Minnesotan culture and my Nigerian culture, it is very important to say "Thank you" after a good deed has been done to you. It is therefore likely that a Nigerian could get mad at a  Pashtun because of a two word expression (Thank you). Even though a Nigerian might understand the dressing , language and religious beliefs of a Pashtun, there are chances that conflicts may still arise between both parties. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the deepers aspects of both cultures, is required for the two cultures to peacefully co-exist (Pluralism). Malala also shows an example of pluralism as she was totally opposed to the destruction of the Buddha statues in Afghanistan and Pakistan even though she was Muslim. Finally, both "I am Malala" and "Strength in What Remains" dew my attention to the individual stories of immigrants. Sometimes, I find it easy to just mentally classify immigrants into a category and treat them similarly . However, I again was reminded that there is more to just "the immigrant story". Behind the general immigrant story that might include war, death and a corrupt government, there is story of an individual. It is this story that I have to understand to better interact with culturally diverse people. This fits with levels 4 of both the "Knowledge and Understanding" and "Communication" sections of the global citizenship rubric. 

Now What

In order to achieve this level of competency, I will take opportunity of the Immigrants panel that will be coming to class and also my service learning at the Minnesota Literacy Council for adult education. I hope to use this level of competency to serve my patients as a medical doctor. I will also use it to better understand and seek for solutions to the various conflicts in African nations. 

Extra Note: I was quite impressed by the attitudes that Malala and her father have towards education. It reminded of how much (sometimes) I am interested in getting an "A" in a class than actually understanding the content of that class. 

Observing Culture with "Foreign" Eyes

What 
          "That is definitely weird", "Why are they doing that" and "I can't believe they just did that". These are some statements I ,perhaps, made while watching some TV series about culture  on Discovery channel. I was only a young boy who found it interesting to learn about cultures around the world. Well, I mean the "interesting" aspects of culture. As a young  boy, I was mainly interested in the exotic languages, elaborate dances, bizarre cuisines and striking traditions of other cultures around the world. I was so engrossed in the visible aspects of culture that I missed the hidden and important parts. I will clearly discuss these "hidden parts" later in this blog post.
          Last week I attended an Ice-Breaker/Game events hosted by the Kearny International Center. In this events, I was able to share my stories as Nigerian and also listen to others share their about their lives in their individual countries. One of the interesting stories I heard was a story of an international student from Pakistan who worked extremely hard in school just to make his mother happy. According to him, one of his top reasons of living was to put a smile on his mothers face. This story of this student is an example of a "hidden" part of culture I am now learning to focus on. This is related to the concept of pluralism as it is necessary to understand the deep values and communication styles of other cultures in order to peacefully co-exist.

So What
          It has become quite difficult to see my own "hidden" cultural values. This might be because I have lived in the United States for 3 years and have slowly absorbed the American (Minnesotan) culture that it no longer seems foreign to me. However, I could still see some differences and similarities in my cultural values and those of other students at the event.  For example, the culture I grew up in valued family to some extent (especially parents) so I could somewhat relate to the Pakistani student. However, some other international students said that their individual cultures did not place so much value on family. The story of the Pakistani student was also similar to the stories described by Malala in her book, I Am Malala. Attending this event has made me very interested in the "hidden" cultural differences between the various ethnic groups in Nigeria. Are there certain "hidden" values in the ethnic groups? Do these "hidden" value contribute to conflict between the groups? I believe understanding the deeper parts of culture contributes to that "energetic engagement" needed for pluralism (Pluralism.org). This deep understanding of culture aligns with level 4 of "Knowledge and Understanding. I currently see myself in level 3 and would work hard to achieve level 4.

Now What
One way I could achieve level 4 is to have deeper conversations with students of different cultures. I could arrange to talk to a fellow student in the class in order to ask these questions. Understanding culture at a deeper level will be very important in any future roles as a leader. Since I plan to be a medical doctor, understanding culture will enable me serve diverse colleagues and patients better.