ulture is a complex idea.
We often use the term to refer to things like food, holidays, clothing,
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music, and religion, but it also goes much deeper than that. Behaviors, customs, beliefs, and
values are also part of your culture. When we meet people from different backgrounds, we can
sometimes find that there are significant differences in how we see the world, even if we dress
in a similar way or speak the same language.
Know your own culture
ne of the best ways to understand other people’s cultures is to first examine your own. Most of
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us take our background for granted and don’t even realize that our customs and beliefs might
seem strange to someone else. If you think of your own way of life as the default and everyone
else’s as a strange variation, it’s hard to approach those differences with respect.
hat are your beliefs about the world, and about how people should treat each other? Are any
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of them informed by your own culture and the way you were brought up? What behaviors define
you, and would any of them seem odd or unusual to someone with a different culture?
or example: do you take your shoes off when you go inside? It’s a simple thing, but it’s a huge
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marker of culture! In Japan, you would never go inside without swapping your outdoor shoes for
slippers, whereas, in the United States, many people don’t bother taking their shoes off when
they come in.
hese aren’t always easy questions to answer, but stopping to think about them is so important
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to understanding your place in the world, which will help you understand other people better too.
Learn
aybe you’ve recently met someone from a different culture, or you’re curious about how
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different people live. Here are some ways to learn more.
ake friends.Get to know your friends’ families andsee how their customs and traditions differ
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from yours. You might be surprised to find how culturally different two people living even in the
same town can be!
alk to people.When you meet people from a differentculture, ask them about their lives. But
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be polite about it and remember that they don’t owe you an answer, and might not want to give it
– not everyone wants to explain everything about their culture, and if they’re a minority in the
area, they might get asked the same questions a lot. Only ask if you have a genuine interest in
them as a person, not just as an example of their culture.
ead.Seek out books by and about people who are differentfrom you. Memoirs, biographies,
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and other non-fiction books are an obvious way to learn about the facts of a country or
someone’s life but also try to read novels translated from other languages or written by people
who might have a very different perspective on life in your own country.
atch movies.Like with books, you can watch documentariesand non-fiction series; check out
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other kinds of films, too. You get a more varied and nuanced perspective on culture by seeing
the sorts of fictional stories they tell.
xplore.Immersing yourself in a completely differentculture through travel is a fantastic way to
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understand how different other forms of life can be. But even if you don’t have the time or
money to visit different countries, you can find pockets of other cultures in your hometown.
Wherever you live, there are probably immigrant communities or neighborhoods with their own
cultural heritage.
he more you learn, the more accustomed you get to greeting cultural differences with curiosity
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rather than suspicion.
Don’t stereotype
ometimes, learning a lot about a different culture through books, movies, or even travel and
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friends can lead you into a different trap: stereotyping.
ou may think you know a lot about a culture or place, and sometimes that can make it tempting
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to show off your knowledge when you meet someone from that background… but it’s a problem
to assume that everyone from one particular culture has the same perspectives and
experiences. These assumptions can be pretty small and harmless — for example, not every
Jewish person was raised observing kosher dietary restrictions, and not every English person
loves football — but they can also be harmful if your assumptions about someone’s traditions or
beliefs lead you to pre-judge or discriminate against them.
hese assumptions make people feel like you don’t see them as a human or an individual, just
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as a representative of an exotic culture. You’d be annoyed if someone thought they knew
everything about you based on where you’re from or who your parents are, so don’t do it to
other people, even if you think you understand their culture really well.
Appreciate the differences
ifferences between us are what make life so interesting. So embrace the differences between
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yourself and your friends from different cultures, but remember that what might be a fascinating
difference to you is just their normal life!
he best way to respect people from other cultures is to strike a balance between curiosity and
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appreciation: ask questions if your friends are open to it, but also learn how to just silently
observe and appreciate the differences that make us unique.
