| Cultural Resource: Cultural Baggage
Because we are not aware of our own
culture, when we travel overseas we carry cultural baggage. This
type of baggage includes all ways we interpret what happens in our
lives. It has worked for us up to this point, but if you stay
overseas for an extensive time, your perceptions will be
challenged. You will be forced to evaluate your
assumptions. In time, you will discard layers of your cultural
baggage. To help you handle the subtle differences in another
culture, become aware of your reactions to events (both emotionally
and intellectually).
Red Flags
Elijah Lovejoy, from the Department
of Psychology at the University of California in Santa Barbara,
developed a technique called "Red Flags." These Flags
help you to tag your subjective reaction to an event. They act
as warning signals that you are making an assumption based upon your
culture. Often they are negative, but they can also be
positive.
Some Red Flags are:
- They are rude.
- They are dirty.
- They are stupid.
Some Positive Flags are:
- They are generous.
- They are friendly.
When you experience these reactions,
talk with friends from your host country or people who have lived
overseas. Look at your own culture for parallels. For
example, an American traveling in India may be offended by the caste
system. However, in the U.S., minorities are treated
differently — not the same as the caste system, but parallels can be
drawn.
|
