Whoever has lived abroad for a while is most likely considering himself as a person that is culturally sensitive and aware of problems that may arise in this respect. In job interviews I do the same thing: claiming that because of my living, studying and working experiences abroad I know how to behave in a different culture and that I have a feeling for cultural sensitivity.
Nowadays, however, I am starting to doubt if we can ever fulfill this standard by means of our skills as well as our mindset. Of course I try to eat every local speciality they put in front of me (while staring in my face in order to check out my reaction), obviously I'm not going to make jokes about people dancing to traditional folk songs and I wouldn't walk half naked into a church in Catholic Spain. That is a minimum standard which every ordinary tourist should easily be able to fulfill.
I rather mean things that go beyond this politeness and respect of other peoples' customs. It is, for instance, much easier to have a conversation in German with a fellow German person but while other people from different nationalities are around it is rather impolite - yet we do it all the time (and I don't mean a specific nationality). The same goes for gossiping about people around in a language they don't understand. We have all been in a situation where we know something was going on, yet, we did not quite comprehend what the people in front of us were really talking about due to the language barrier.
However, even these examples do not really prove my point because they would still be resolvable by some efforts of all parties involved. I believe that there are a couple of cultural characteristics embedded in every person that are, on the one hand, not easily hidden permanently and, on the other hand, very distinct from others - making the culture what it is. Cultures shape people and influence their behavior and will always have an influence on the choices we make and the behavior we adopt.
In group work, for instance, people from other nationalities at times value that I want to work in an efficient manner and that I want to deliver work that is as good as it can be. Yet, at times, probably depending on the others' nationalities, they are just annoyed by the way I want everyone to stick to the rules and do the best they can. When the latter happens I am usually quite frustrated and feel that my cultural habits are not respected or taken into account. But honestly, what can they do? It is most likely unavoidable that some cultural characteristics are going to be standing in the way of what the majority of the group wants to do.
The same goes for the way most Germans communicate. Usually we say straight into each other's faces what we think and how we feel. If I communicate with a fellow German person, telling him or her honestly what I think about a certain thing is usually not a problem and actually considered as a valued behavior. We cherish honesty and authenticity. With other nationalities, however, doing the same thing sometimes results in frustration or even anger. Importantly, considering the fact that that person is from a culture in which you are more polite and closed about your opinions, this person would probably never tell me that I had just offended him with my honest remark. What a dilemma! :-)
Another example would be prejudices we hold towards certain countries or cultures. I think that these preconceived opinions, shaped by the media, stories we've heard or just a general dislike, are extremely difficult to be overcome. The Spanish are lazy, the Germans don't have humor, the Americans are fat. Sounds familiar? :-)
So, where does this leave us? I don't know. I don't know if something needs to be changed or if there is something we can do against this or if we just have to wait for globalization to continue doing what it is doing. I'm not aiming at over-dramatizing this issue - people with different cultural backgrounds will always manage to communicate, work and live with each other somehow. But I believe that every once in a while we need to stop and reflect on how people perceive us and how we perceive them and if there is something that should be considered with a 'real' intercultural sensitivity. Because what counts in the end is that I would never want to miss the input and experience I have gained by interacting with people from other countries and by getting to know their values and habits. There is so much more to explore!
In group work, for instance, people from other nationalities at times value that I want to work in an efficient manner and that I want to deliver work that is as good as it can be. Yet, at times, probably depending on the others' nationalities, they are just annoyed by the way I want everyone to stick to the rules and do the best they can. When the latter happens I am usually quite frustrated and feel that my cultural habits are not respected or taken into account. But honestly, what can they do? It is most likely unavoidable that some cultural characteristics are going to be standing in the way of what the majority of the group wants to do.
The same goes for the way most Germans communicate. Usually we say straight into each other's faces what we think and how we feel. If I communicate with a fellow German person, telling him or her honestly what I think about a certain thing is usually not a problem and actually considered as a valued behavior. We cherish honesty and authenticity. With other nationalities, however, doing the same thing sometimes results in frustration or even anger. Importantly, considering the fact that that person is from a culture in which you are more polite and closed about your opinions, this person would probably never tell me that I had just offended him with my honest remark. What a dilemma! :-)
Another example would be prejudices we hold towards certain countries or cultures. I think that these preconceived opinions, shaped by the media, stories we've heard or just a general dislike, are extremely difficult to be overcome. The Spanish are lazy, the Germans don't have humor, the Americans are fat. Sounds familiar? :-)
So, where does this leave us? I don't know. I don't know if something needs to be changed or if there is something we can do against this or if we just have to wait for globalization to continue doing what it is doing. I'm not aiming at over-dramatizing this issue - people with different cultural backgrounds will always manage to communicate, work and live with each other somehow. But I believe that every once in a while we need to stop and reflect on how people perceive us and how we perceive them and if there is something that should be considered with a 'real' intercultural sensitivity. Because what counts in the end is that I would never want to miss the input and experience I have gained by interacting with people from other countries and by getting to know their values and habits. There is so much more to explore!
You should have studied international communication with me ;)
ReplyDelete