Evaluating Intercultural Behavior

source: http://rw-3.com/tag/intercultural-communication/

Having travelled far and wide, I am most fortunate to have interacted with people from diverse backgrounds. One of my most memorable experiences of intercultural communication would be my semester long Student Exchange Programme (SEP) in United Kingdom, Sheffield.

I was accommodated in a block of six rooms and there were a well mix of nationalities, two from Holland, and one from Hong Kong, another American and a fellow Singaporean. Being housed in a block for four months, we had plenty of communication with one another and learnt of each other cultural habits.

Moving and easing into the house of roommates from different continents was fun and exciting initially. However, as the days passed, I learnt of my housemates habits and grew to become irritated with them. One example that contributes to my irate feeling were the habit of the Hollands and American, where they were nonchalant towards washing of their plates after meals, and leaving them in the sink when they were all supposed to be share among the housemates. Another instance was the disruption and after party mess created from the frequent invitation of friends to our house for parties, a common event that they would hold back in their home country.

After the continued growing frustration, I confided with the Asians in my block and realized they too share my feelings. It had dawned upon me that we were experiencing cultural shock. Cultural shock was an experience that I thought was not important and could be handled easily given my high adaptability. It has always been an event that I would dismissed when warned of it prior to my departure for SEP in UK. I was wrong. The unsettling situation was born from the cultural differences between the Chinese and Western cultures, where Asians are brought up in a clean, hygienic, conservative and quiet housing environment.

However, I realized the need for tolerance and to understand their rationale behind their behavior and actions.  An ugly situation would only ensue if I were to tackle these problems by being overtly hostile. Hence I arranged for a house meeting where we could settle matters amicably. We discussed the differing social values, our personal space in the cultural context and the importance of respecting each other and our cultures with sensitivity. Eventually, things worked pretty well and we had the best times of our lives together in the block. The six of us went on short trips in UK, had many leisure activities and exchanged interesting facts about each other culture and tradition.

In retrospect, it is the knowledge of the other cultures and its subculture that will enhance one’s ability to effectively communicate interculturally, and to bridge any differences. Ubiquitously, there is a growing importance to be able to foster intercultural communications due to the increasing borderless business structure and functions. Thus, I would encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and engage with the natives when on an overseas trip! If you were to find it difficult, be flexible and adopt this saying, ‘When in Rome, do what the Romans do’. It is an exciting and fruitful experience!