Cait is going on a foreign exchange program soon. We’re in the countdown to liftoff, with its attendant flurry of activity. That means that along with going over packing checklists, we’re running through cultural and language checklists as well.
Having lived in other countries, I’m keenly aware of the fact that because all humans essentially look the same–two eyes, two ears, a mouth, etc–we tend to make assumptions that people everywhere else are pretty much like us. And therefore we can mostly accurately interpret all other people’s actions and behavior through our own cultural lens. Sometimes that can cause some funny and not so funny misunderstandings.
I can say from firsthand experience that, while some would argue that the world has gone flat and homogeneity is the new norm, there are still plenty of differences that set each culture apart. Interestingly, one of the experiences that tipped me off to this fact happened before I even had a chance to set foot outside the US.
In having had the opportunity to study three languages from two language families, I found that learning about the differences in sentence structure and grammatical gender, for instance, gave me an interesting glimpse into different thought structures which, I came to believe, reflected certain cultural views and behaviors.
After an afternoon of intense language review and cultural differences of which Cait needed to be mindful, all three dogs came over to let us know it was time for their run out in the big field. Looking at their clear behavior and communication, her response was, “Mom, dogs speak “dog” the same way pretty much everywhere in the world. Dogs act “dog” the same way everywhere in the world. Why do humans have to complicate everything so much? I think the world would be a better place if we were more like them.”
I think she might be on to something there…
If you’ve had the chance to travel or live elsewhere, what have been some of the cultural differences you’ve noticed?
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][I’d like to give a shout out to Meredith for helping with Cait’s cultural tutelage.][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Dogs are not universal. Ever taken a Mexican street dog to a dog park in Vancouver?
A street dog, no matter where they’re from has a whole different world outlook than a dog that’s a pet. As territorial pack animals, anyone who thinks they can throw strange dogs together without proper introduction and enough time to know if they’re capable of getting along is sorely mistaken and setting their dogs up for potential disaster. This is one of the reasons I hate dog parks in general.
Karen….so glad to have reconnected with your site and your blog….and you!
Cindy, nice to see you back!
I know the French get a bad rap for being rude and disliking Americans. And I can say that I met some rude french people and some who didn’t like Americans, but most of the French I met were lovely people. There are rude people everywhere, even in the US. Just spend some time in NYC… ;)
Wow, I wish my mom would have sent me on our school foreign exchange. I just sent you an email about a problem I’m having with my dog, I hope you can help.
What a lucky kid to have this experience at her age. I’m sure Cait will be a great representative of the US wherever she goes.
I’m sure Cait is going to have a great time!