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.
I think i's interesting that you talk about "hidden" parts about culture. Being an International student in a very multi cultural/ diverse campus like MSU Mankato, i get to witness this everyday. Relating to what you said about how, after three years in the US, some things aren't foreign to you anymore. I share the sentiment and i also think that thinking about this makes you more aware of those "hidden" part of culture. How and what Americans think about family, friendship and relationships have taught me a lot about the "hidden" aspects of culture. Actively participating in a different culture helps you recognize these aspects which helps us become more culturally competent individuals.
ReplyDeleteIt is great that you brought up the being here for a while now changes your values. I think I am there as well. I can not really define myself being part of something without the other. I am somewhere in a third place.
ReplyDeleteAli, I liked the idea of “hidden” values within cultures. I never thought of it, but this is absolutely true. Since I came here I found out one of my “hidden’ values. I greet everyone whom I met before either in class or outside, and I was a bit surprised to notice that if you take the same class that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should greet each other. Greeting the person you met before was one of “hidden’ parts of my culture. And I think knowing these kinds of values will be beneficial to everyone while interacting with individuals from different backgrounds.
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