Move and culture

It is common for many people to move from one house to another. We move from our house, neighborhood, city, state and even country. And every move brings with it a certain fear of the unknown.

“Will the neighbors be nice like the ones I had? Do you have little children? What do they like? What do they do? ”These are questions that occur in times of change, because “culture is the way you do things around here” and you, who just arrived in the area, still don't know what it is like. If people in this new place speak the same language as you, adaptation tends to be less difficult. But when we move farther, where another language is spoken, cultural differences are more visible, and adaptation is a much bigger challenge.

Think about this scenario: you move to another country for whatever reasons (work, love, etc.). Getting there, you feel everything is weird: the way people talk, eat, walk, act... it's all very weird and you tend to think that local people are somehow wrong, because your own way to be and act seems to be better, makes more sense. At this point you are recognizing the differences.

But you can’t come to the house of a distant friend or just acquaintance and start criticizing the decoration, and change the place of the furniture, right? Respecting others' ways of being is the first and most important step when arriving in an unknown place.

Next, you have to try to understand why things are the way they are, why people act the way they do. You don't have to agree, you just have to respect and try to understand. When you understand these whys, the context may start making some sense and you no longer feel so bothered by these differences.

One thing must be said: Understanding differences can take time, as it requires some knowledge about culture and cultural patterns. There is no “right” way: there is your perspective and the other's perspective of understanding the world.

Let's talk here clearly and simply about these concepts. Stay tuned!

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#culture #cultureandglobalization

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#interculturalcompetence #culturaldimensions #hofstede #movingabroad #respectthedifference #culturecomprehension