Cultural differences
UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Each society has its own beliefs, attitudes, customs, behaviors, and social habits. These give people a sense of who they are, how they are supposed to behave, and what they should or should not do.
People become conscious of such rules when they meet people from different cultures. For example, the rules about when to eat vary from culture to culture. Many North Americans and Europeans organize their timetables around three mealtimes a day. In other countries, on the other hand, it's not the custom to have strict rules like this - people eat when they want to, and every family has its own timetable.
When people visit or live in a country for the first time, they are often surprised at the differences that exist between their own culture and the culture in the other country. For some people, traveling abroad is the thing they enjoy most in life; for others, though, cultural differences make them feel uncomfortable, frightened, or even insecure. This is known as "culture shock".*'
When you're visiting a foreign country, it is important to understand and appreciate cultural differences. This can help people avoid misunderstandings, develop friendships more easily, and feel more comfortable when traveling or living abroad.
Here are several things to do in order to avoid culture shock
· Avoid quick judgments; try to understand people in another culture from their own point of view.
· Become aware of what is going on around you and why.
· Don't think of your cultural habits as "right" and other people's as "wrong".
· Be willing to try new things and to have new experiences.
· Try to appreciate and understand other people's values.
· Think about your own culture and how it influences your attitudes and actions.
· Avoid having negative stereotypes about foreigners and cultures.
· Show interest in as well as respect, sincerity, acceptance, and concern for things that are important to other people.