I will be studying abroad at the University of Birmingham, England where there are around 35,000 students enrolled. The University of Birmingham has a very large population of college students, creating a sort of ‘college-town’ setting. With that said, there will be many continuous opportunities to meet new people of all different cultures. The book Maximizing Study Abroad talks about how different interactions with people will have an impact on you cultural experience, for example they talk specifically about dating, politics, history and values. The book emphasizes that dating someone from a different culture may be a truly unique experience and may form a built-in cultural informant which can possibly result in a long-lasting friendship. It may also be difficult to date someone from the host culture because the traveler may only be fond of the United States dating customs whereas the partner from the host culture is bringing their societies dating cultures and values into the picture. The different dating cultural customs can create embarrassing moments, laughter or chaos if social cues are not perceived as they should be. The book Maximizing Study Abroad challenges the reader to think about the social norms of dating in the United States and compare them to another society’s perceptions cultural dating. Aspect of dating may be considering the difference between what’s considered a ‘date’ and ‘just hanging out’. Also to think about who initiate a date and is it should be in a private setting or a more public setting. What I think the biggest difference between dating in different cultures is the amount of physical contact that is seen in public environments. In the United States, there is not as much physical contact in public settings whereas is may be normal for people to kiss on public in another country. The book also asks to consider the different ties in politics, values and history. Being an American, residents abroad may view me differently because our political views may be widely different from one another. Also, the media stereotypes might affect how I am viewed as a potential partner, as mentioned in the book. Being an American living in a different country, there will be stereotypes but only to an extent. England is an English speaking country, although they talk with a British accent and tend to use different slang terms that we do not use here in the United States. I will be going to a large college campus so even though I may be going to another country, college students still act as typical students being they want to enjoy themselves and are always open to meeting new people regardless of their cultural identity.
Category: Journal
Journal Entry 5
The varying nonverbal communication, gestures and patterns is something that is fall overlooked in different cultures languages. Nonverbal communication varies along different cultures and understanding the different patterns and meanings associated with silence and pauses can make for a successful study abroad experience. By successfully understanding and using nonverbal communication, a person may be able to thoroughly express what they really mean, connect better with others and build stronger overall relationships and networks while abroad. Many cultures have a higher regard for silence in communication encounters. For example, in many Asian and Chinese cultures, what is not said is regarded as important and lulls in conversations are considered restful, friendly, reflective and appropriate. In the United States, there is very little respect for lengthy periods of time during which not much is said. With that said, if there is a long pause in a conversation, it could be considered as awkward or uncomfortable and it won’t take much time for another person to continue or pickup the conversation. In the Maximizing Study Abroad book, there is an activity where you are to observe and make sense out of nonverbal communication. I chose to observe 3 different college students (two males, one female) talking at Kaufman Dining Hall about their upcoming exams. While observing, I was able to notice that they were all good friends and were making passive/casual eye contact throughout the conversation. Building off of the fact that they are good friends and comfortable with each other, I noticed that they were close to one another’s personal space. Another form of nonverbal communication I observed was the varying tone of voice to get louder when excited about something particular, or the fact that they would tend to interrupt each other often. Other typical patterns I noticed was the use of hand gesture and body language, which really amplified the emotions of each, and overall the tension of stress for exams in the conversation. Observing the college students here in the United States may be very different than the observations I would notice in another culture, such as the Asian or Chinese cultures. One can learn a lot about the situation from observing the verbal and nonverbal forms of communication together. I found it very interesting to learn about how many cultures communication primarily involve the interpretation of different gestures and lulls. A substantial portion of communication is nonverbal and these nonverbal gestures and patterns have a big impact on the message one is trying to convey.
Journal Entry 4
The Maximizing Study Abroad book defines context cultural dimension as identifying and understanding low- and high-context communication. Learning how to distinguish between low- and high-context messages will help inform on how to better observe and interpret different social situations. Being able to decide whether communication is low- or high-context, this will help one be able to exemplify their own communication style. People of different cultures and countries communicate in different ways and recognizing different communication styles isn’t about the level of one’s language fluency, though it is about understanding different communication styles through interpretation of context. Low-context communication is one that holds low reliance on cues from context. People tend to be straight-forward and use verbal language to express their emotions or meanings. For example, the United States uses low-context communication because people are more direct and sincere. The United States is a very diverse country with many different cultural backgrounds and with that said, Americans have a tendency to rely heavily on verbal communication and to be explicit. The United Kingdom also uses low-context communication, meaning that they tell people what they need to know in order to understand them. In a low-context situation, people do not assume understanding will come automatically from the situation, the context, or the person we are speaking with. Although the non-verbal communication style is important in a low-context situation, the verbal or written message is found to be even more important. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the high-context communication style, where there is a high reliance on cues from the context. A high-context communication style is used by cultures that depend on social cues to get their message across. With that said, there is a higher reliance on nonverbal communication where people pay more attention to the situation, the environment and who they are communicating with. For example, Japan and China are found to use high-context communication where they don’t have to worry so much about explaining every detail about something, people will just understand their meaning from the context of the situation. Non-verbal cues are highly important for conveying meaning in high-context cultures, rather than having to thoroughly explained through verbal or written communication. If a student from the United States were to study abroad in Japan, they would have a more difficult time communication in social situation because they depend on a heavy practice of high-context communication. A student from the United States studying abroad in the United Kingdom would have a much easier transition because people of the United Kingdom are known to socialize in low-context communication style situations. Being able to understand the aspects of both low- and high-context communication can help one when attempting to communicate in cross cultural dimensions.
Journal 3
To make a distinction between cultural rules and norms, The Peace Corps Cross-Cultural Workbook has defined three terms that differentiate culture from personal and universal. Cultural norms refers to what a group of people have in common with each other & what differentiates them from other groups. Personal norms refer to differences that individuals hold within a group. Universal norms refer to the similarities that all groups have in common. It is important that one understands these concepts to make educated distinctions between a cultural, personal or more universal norm in different social situations while studying abroad. Many cultures have different preferences and recognizable patterns or behaviors. I thought it was very intriguing how different cultures normalities have mainly become something that they’ve adapted from historical roots. Awareness of cultural patterns helps figure out ones of perceptions of events and adaptation strategies in different social situations. The most successful way to carry out this idea is based on observation; one is to try and observe behaviors in different situations and watch for reactions to look how they are perceived by others. This is a very smart strategy plan for one to adapt to their host culture, but I think that it would be harder than perceived. I am convinced this would take a great time to get used to ones host culture and the norms that they practice. It would be very difficult to observe a host culture just by how a couple people in a group react, I think this is a long-lasting strategy that a person has to develop to successfully carry out the unconscious norms that a host culture practices. With that said, the Maximizing study abroad book has some very good points on how to gain more information about the host culture. They suggest to check out novels, short stories, poetry to learn about the major literary figures and their work. Also, they suggest to read nonfiction books on history, geography & politics to discover intercultural specific books. In addition to reading both fiction and nonfiction books, they suggest to read your host cultures newspapers and magazines to observe cultural trends and hot topics, such as societal issues, sports team headlines, and artist or musicians that are currently popular. I believe this is very valuable as one should be soaking up as much information as possible about their host cultures current societal issues and events
Journal Entry 2
Studying at the University of Birmingham, England, I will be able to consider the following information discussing stress factors and learning styles & utilize this to prepare for the the successful possible study abroad experience. In preparation for an upcoming study abroad experience, it is recommended to thoroughly understand and be aware of what Paige (1993) considers to be the 10 most important cross-cultural stress factors of intercultural experiences. A variety of different types of stress factors are mentioned, describing the different challenges and opportunities for one to make abroad. If these stress factors are understood and considered while in different social situations, it can be beneficial to grasp these concept and learn from them to be able to make cultural adjustments. The first stress factor is Cultural Differences, this targets the amount of difference between the home cultural, and the different elements of the host culture. The greater the differences the more challenging the experience will be, a person has to evaluate the host cultures values and behaviors in different social situations. The second stress factor is Ethnocentrism, which measures the degree to which we view the host culture and how accepting the host cultural community is accepting of outsiders. This idea considers the fact of one measuring the reality of the host culture and relating it back their own, leading one to negatively evaluate the various aspects of other cultures. The third stress factor is Cultural Immersion, looking at the amount of contact one will have with the host culture persons. This factor stresses on the fact that if one were to be too immersed in another culture, the more stress may occur causing “culture fatigue”. Cultural Isolation is when a person doesn’t invest in the host culture enough, not experiencing the host culture to its entirety. Lastly, Language, is a major stress factor when traveling to another country. The language barrier in soe study abroad trips can bring about previously mentioned cultural isolation, overall making for a stressful experience. By understanding these possible cultural stress factors, a initial assessment and coping strategy can be thought of ahead of time, & allow one to strategically handle these challenges. Overall, these concepts are presented for a person to gain new intercultural skills and become more effective in the host setting. After completing the Learning Style Survey, I was able to identify different types of learning styles to my preference. Since I am considered an analytic learner, the book states that I can pull ideas apart and do well on logical analysis and contract tasks; being able to guess means and predict outcomes while noticing similarities quickly. Also suggested is that I am more particular in preference and tend to focus more on details and remember specific information about a topic well. I would agree with the results from this survey, because I consider myself a visual and hands-on learner. The characteristics mentioned in the results provided me with a good understanding of more specific information on how I use my physical senses to learn. I will use this information provided to help me completely understand and utilize my strong suits while at the University of Birmingham, England.
Journal Entry 1
I will be studying at the University of Birmingham, in England. I completed the “Who I Am” diagram where I chose 8 words that described my specific cultural identity. The most important parts of my cultural identity are distinctive compared to my soon-to-be host culture. I chose words such as active, social and observant which I think accurately describes how I identify myself because I enjoy being engaged in what is happening around the community. I like to think that I am an observant individual and I feel this will benefit me abroad as I will be interested in learning more about other individuals and the atmosphere in different social settings. By examining and communicating with other individuals of the host-culture I will be able to gain information and increase my own cultural knowledge. It will become a day-to-day habit to observe the way people act and way in which they talk. Immersing myself in England’s way of life and potentially venturing to other parts of Europe will allow me to increase my understanding of other cultures beyond Birmingham. From what I have heard about Birmingham, England the education system and teaching styles are completely different than the education system in the U.S. At the University of Birmingham it’s not unusual to have one big exam or one research paper for the entire grade of a class whereas North Central College has 3-5 exams per class in a term, plus all the other graded aspects such as quizzes, attendance and participation etc. With that being said, another trait of mine that I mentioned was curiosity and I will be very interested to experience not only the difference in class styles, but the transition abroad that I will have to adapt to as well. I I have high expectation for my study abroad experience and I feel that I will not be disappointed. A country’s culture and values are what individualizes each one from the next and studying abroad will give me the opportunity to grasp an entirely different perspective on my area of study. By directly examining and observing the different teaching styles at the University of Birmingham and then comparing such aspects to the universal principles of the liberal arts education at North Central College, I will develop an entire well-rounded perspective as a college student. I am also eager to learn more about the National Health Service (NHS) that is free for all citizens in the United Kingdom. The National Health Service was created in 1948 which provides free health care to 64.6 million people in the UK, and to 54.3 million people just in England. Residents of the United Kingdom are very pleased with the services that the National Health Service provides. They utilize an interprofessional patient-centered approach that gives the best possible health care service tailored specifically for each patient. By identifying my cultural identity I will be able to use these skills of mine to learn about the social and cultural aspects of Birmingham while expanding my network internationally.
