MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
As I shared in “What is a ‘Cultural Learner’ and a ‘Cultural Critic’?”, I wasn’t born a “Cultural Learner.” It was something that I developed through the years.
My first days, weeks, and months living abroad in France were filled with thoughts and attitudes of a “Cultural Critic.” I often compared my own culture with that of the French culture, assuming that my American culture was superior. I often heard myself saying, “That’s weird” or “That’s not right.”
So, how did I become a “Cultural Learner”? How did I grow and cultivate cultural learning?
It certainly didn’t happen by reading tourist guides and language textbooks!
First of all, my professor’s words during my graduate studies impacted me deeply.
“It’s not better. It’s not worse. It’s just different.”
Paradigm Shift
Those words started to change my perspective and my paradigm of cultures and people different from me. My mindset began to shift.
My next venture abroad was completely different. I seemed to be wearing new “Cultural Lenses.” My eyes were open to the world around me, leading me to increased curiosity. I saw that things were different in Morocco, but I began to appreciate and love that difference.
Who would want to travel to a foreign country, anyway, and discover that everything was the same there as in your home country? That would be boring!
Awareness, Understanding, Appreciation
I gradually became AWARE of the cultural differences around me, and I did everything I could to UNDERSTAND my host culture by rubbing shoulders with locals, asking insightful questions, watching, and observing. Little by little, I learned to APPRECIATE the beauty of the difference and diversity around me.
My “Cultural Learner” attitude began to break down cultural barriers between me and the local people. My “Cultural Learner” attitude began to build cultural bridges between me and the local people.
The paradigm shift inside of me was powerful!
Marco Blankenburgh, Founder of Knowledge Workx, in his book, “Inter-Cultural Intelligence: From Surviving to Thriving in the Global Space,” gives some ideas of how to “Awaken the Cultural Learner in You.”
Blankenburgh says, “To become a Cultural Learner requires a shift in attitude, moving through a process of discovery. The first step is your commitment to change. You need to accept that there are differences that exist, and in accepting those differences you can then start to explore them. As a Cultural Learner you simply recognize that your culture is just one way of looking at life. Your passion for what you currently believe in does not stop you from exploring other ways of believing.
How to Become a “Cultural Learner”?
Here are some suggestions from Blankenburgh:
1. Become Self-Aware: Try to pay attention to how you think and what you say. Do you hear yourself thinking and saying, “That’s strange” or “That’s not right”? Instead, try following the advice of my professor and tell yourself regularly, “It’s not better. It’s not worse. It’s just different.”
2. Kill the stereotype! We hear and repeat stereotypes all the time. “The Japanese do this. Germans are like this. Americans always . . . ” We have to stop thinking, saying, and making these negative, preconceived judgments.
3. Control your emotions: If you recognize fear in your reactions, ask yourself why you are afraid of people and cultures who are different from you.
4. Ask positive “why?” questions:
“Making the phrase “I wonder why…” an integral part of your vocabulary will go a long way towards opening your mind to other cultures and how they operate. Be curious, do some research and ask questions. Most people will appreciate you wanting to learn about their culture, as long as you do it with respect.” (Blankenburgh)
5. Don’t jump to conclusions: Try to hold back on your own opinions and judgments about a people or culture until you have more clarity.
6. Accept differences
“The longer you try to fit a square peg into a round hole, the more frustrating it will get. And the sooner you open your mind to the possibility that a new way of operating may be as effective, if not even more so, the better for you.” (Blankenburgh)
That sounds like our family’s cultural awareness “motto”:
“It’s not better. It’s not worse. It’s not right. It’s not wrong. It’s just DIFFERENT.”
Put on your cultural glasses today and enjoy seeing the DIFFERENCE!
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
Let’s Weave Cultures!
What have you done to develop and cultivate the “Cultural Learner” in you?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
