Learning Journal 8

On Wednesday in class we discussed the circle of culture. Within this circle are 10 areas that contain opposing ideas about a society. There is no wrong or right way for each culture to live by; just varying ideas about what is normal and acceptable to a specific culture. I thought about one of the areas within that circle such as communication, being able to understand the context that people use in their day-to-day lives. I think about how much of what I say needs to be understood in the context of who I am as a person. Much of what I say would be hard to understand because I use short sentences and quick sarcastic comments. When I reflect this idea to a probable social setting in India where I am with a group of teenagers, I wonder if I would be lost in the conversation because I would not understand the cultural context of their communication. What my friends and I find as hilarious may be boring or insignificant to a group of guys in India. It is very important for me to be able to fit into the surroundings of my area so that I do not stick out and seem unapproachable.
Another aspect of the circle that I did not know about until Margaret brought it up was the environment. She said that in India when you go to a restaurant you put your head in your bowl until you are done and then leave. This is very different than the culture in America where we choose restaurants as our social setting. Often times when I am with my family or catching up with a friend, we go out to eat to be able to catch up with each other. On the other hand, when you go to an Indian restaurant to eat, you are strictly there to eat and you can talk outside.
I am sure that I could go through the other 8 areas in the circle of culture and find things that would be unique to the Indian culture. The best part about it all is that everything that they do over there will be normal, while everything that I may find as normal may be seen as different. And they could be put into a similar situation if they came to America. I don’t really know of much preparation that I can do to get ready for my trip over there besides to learn more about their customs. Then once I get there it will just be important for me to be able to adapt and change to the circumstances so I can flow into a normal way of life.