CROSS CULTURE ENCOUNTERS, INITIAL ATTITUDES, INEVITABLE REACTIONS, CHOICES, AND RESULTS

Cross Culture Ilustration

CROSS CULTURE ENCOUNTERS

Cross Culture Understanding. Culture is something that is inherent in every country, even the smallest one for example on a human. Each country has a unique culture to one another. However, each culture changes from time to time because of its dynamic nature adjusting to the needs of life and the demands of the times. For people who are acquainted with the new culture, there will be a number of things that he will experience or face. And, how he dealt with it will also affect himself. Will it get better, or will it be detrimental to itself because of the total cultural differences.

Initial Attitudes

First is the initial phase, this phase is also called intial attitudes. This phase is formed from the flow of information we have received so far towards a particular culture. If the information we receive is positive, our initial attitudes will also be positive. For example, we know that country A has a friendly culture of smiles, likes to help, has an honest attitude and other positive information, so we will also have an initial attitude that is openness to the culture in country A, acceptance, and trust that country A is the best. However, if the information flow we receive from Country A is negative, it will have a negative effect on our initial attitudes. For example, if we hear that in country A it is very easy to conflict, very dirty, like cheating, not friendly to migrants, then our initial attitudes will turn into suspicion, have fear of what and how will it happen if he lives in the country, and the Prejudice regarding that country appears in our initial attitudes.

 

Frustration -One of  Inevitable Reactions

If we travel to a distant country for example, it has a very total difference in terms of culture. So, because we come from different cultures, there will be things that we experience or face. And we will react to these things. Each person's reaction will be different in terms of level. That is because the initial attitudes of each person are different. The reaction that we experience is called the Inevitable reactions to cross cultural encounters. These reactions are for example: Frustration, Confusion, Tension, Embarrassment. Levels of frustration, for example, people who at the beginning have positive initial attitudes, then he has a lower level than those who have initial attitudes, because he is sure that the country or culture he is living in is good.

Because it has a different level, then the choice to overcome or deal with the reaction is also different. There are Coping Strategies (for those who have positive initial attitudes) there are also reactive responses (for those who have initial attitudes negates). For those who have positive initial attitudes, to face obstacles due to cultural differences, they will make observations about that culture. Finding out everything about the culture that he now often faces. Starting from waking up to going to sleep again in each country having a different culture, Makai a will listen from people who have different cultures. Ask the people around him or people who are from the country. In fact, before visiting even he had to find out via the internet. The key word is to find out. What is and is not allowed to be done, what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. That is what we call coping strategies.

As for people who have initial attitudes, they will be resistant to that culture. He will always ask why, instead of participating in the culture. He will always criticize the culture because it does not suit him. In addition, he will always rationalize to justify his position or his criticisms. Finally, he will withdraw from the socio-cultural environment in the country. Responses like that we call Reactive Responses

If you choose a different method, the results will be different. If we choose coping strategies, the result we get is rapport, having a good relationship with those around us. And also understanding and more respect for these cultural differences. But it is different from those who choose Reactive Responses. He will experience alienation from the environment or culture. As well as experiencing isolation that makes it no longer freely associated with different cultures mentioned.

Finally, cross-cultural encounters can provide an excellent opportunity for personal growth by placing us in situations where our understanding of self and world, and of how we believe things “are” or “should be,” is severely challenged.

Share this post