Several years back a group of eager teens from Canada met other groups from the US to spend several weeks working at a Christian camp in Belize. The young people slept in hammocks, ran for their water, fought bugs and vermin, influenced young lives, and generally had a profitable time. Upon returning to Florida, the group hosting the trip planned an entire day at Disneyworld. This was not done as a reward for their work, but as a means to help them readjust to their home culture. The shock of being in the unreal world of Disneyworld was designed to acclimate them to the next day as they returned to what used to be the familiar. In spite of this, the adjustment for some was traumatic. One girl spent three days alone in her room, unable to cope with the striking contrast between life in Belize and that in the north. Part of the difficulty in this cultural adjustment was due to the fact that she had so little experience doing it.
American Heritage Dictionary defines culture as “The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.” (That is of course only one of a dozen meanings of the word.) Thus, culture entails all that makes a country or group of people unique.
The United States has historically been isolationist when it comes to learning other cultures. This is understandable. After all, it is surrounded on two sides by oceans, and on a third by neighbors whose culture is virtually the same. In contrast, countries in Europe might border others with diverse cultures and languages. There it is closer and faster to get to a vastly different culture than it is to travel a few hours through the US. The young people mentioned above were introduced to a very different culture. But this cultural inoculation would probably have only a limited impact on their lives when they had once again acclimated to home. As global communication shrinks the world, it might be well to consider full immersion in another culture as a desirable part of personal growth. But how?
Few people can afford to spend extended time as travelers, visiting places off the tourist guide. Of course, one can learn superficial information about a country from books or the Internet. Some adventuresome students have taken a year off of college to visit other countries. To pay their way, they knock on a door and promise an evening of information about their home in return for a bed and breakfast.
Consider two more realistic methods of seeing other cultures firsthand. For those who have not yet gotten a college degree, how about cross-cultural learning through investing a semester or two in a university abroad? Many such opportunities are available and, in fact, many colleges and universities have student exchange programs. For those who have already earned a teaching certification, consider cross-cultural teaching. Again, opportunities abound and schools all over the world are eager to hire qualified teachers from the west. Such an opportunity is not only perfect to truly learn another culture, but, in addition, the teacher is paid for this education!
Why be content limited to the way of life your culture has given you? Consider extending your horizons through a cross-cultural adventure like international teaching. What steps could you take to make this happen? International jobs are available now. Visit http://www.nics.org/openings.php for more information.
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