An Exercise in Cultural Differences

My apologies for missing last week. Life has been crazy; My mom's in the hospital and all that. And this week I have a copy/paste exercise from my Peace Corps prep training that I'm going to share with all of you. I'm also interested in knowing all of your responses to these scenarios: 

The Volunteer Experience: Can I Still Be Me?

Please read the incidents below, which could happen in any culture you might be introduced to. After you read the selections, you will have a chance to reflect upon what you've read and write your thoughts in a private online journal.

HOLDING BACK?

You work as an environmental educator in a government ministry under an older host country national—who is much less technically competent than you. At staff meetings, you routinely outshine him, which causes him acute discomfort. Today, he asked you not to speak at meetings and especially not to disagree with him, even, and especially, if what he says is incorrect. What should you do?

-My response: Well, he said not to speak at meetings, right? So I talk to him after the meetings, and in with the intention of not trying to outshine him, but as a way to try and help. If he is less technically competent, would he be willing to learn from me and improve his skills? 

DRAWINGS

As a Volunteer urban planner you review and sign off on staff draftsmen's drawings before sending them to higher management. There is a new draftsman who is incompetent but is a cousin of the division head. Tomorrow you will be reviewing his first drawings. This afternoon your supervisor said you can expect these drawings to be unacceptable, but asked you to approve them anyway to avoid trouble with the boss or to unnecessarily embarrass the cousin. How should you respond?

-My response: In an ideal universe, I would still approve them, but with a list of constructive criticism. I would also be discussing with the other draftsmen to help improve not only his drawings, but possibly even mentor him to help improve his skills. I would of course have to run all of this by the boss, with the understanding I do this only out of a deep respect for my boss. 

FRIENDLY ADVICE

You teach in a rural area and eat often at a local tea shop run by a low-caste family with whom you are very friendly. Today, your headmaster advised you to stop eating there. He says it hurts your social standing and indirectly hurts the reputation of his school for you to be seen so often in the company of untouchables. What do you do?

-My response: The use of the phrase "untouchables" here makes me think I'm in India, even though I know India is not open to Peace Corps volunteers. In the context of India, charity is highly regarded, even to untouchables. As such, I might sadly have to end my lunches there, but might ask for recipes and give donations to the family in return. 

Based upon the scenarios you just read and your initial impressions of Peace Corps service, reflect on the following questions.

• What do you think will be especially difficult for you to adjust to in your host country?
• What would you want to know about the culture in which you will be living in order to help guide your response?
• What might be some positive aspects of being in your host country, and how might these help compensate or ease some of the difficulties?
• In order to ease the transition and adapt to life overseas, you may need to make some temporary, yet fundamental concessions. What adjustments or changes are you willing to make?
• What personal qualities do you think are important for adjusting to life as a Volunteer? Do you have these qualities?

-My biggest adjustment is going to be realizing how far away I am from all my loved ones, but I will supplement that feeling of distance with the knowledge that I am doing something much bigger with my life than I had ever dreamed. I learned from my study abroad and from moving back home with my mom how important it is to keep busy. I will just have to have several side projects- oh darn! 

-As far as what I would want to know about the culture: I would be better equipped to answer these questions if I knew the views on women, elders, work dynamics between sexes, charity to the poor, possibly any holidays where castes were flipped on their heads (still thinking of India here) where it would be appropriate to be seen with untouchables, etc etc. These are just off the top of my head.

-These scenarios in and of themselves would be positive aspects. Stressful though they may be, dealing with them and overcoming these obstacles would teach me very marketable skills and help me grow as an individual who is more capable of handling herself in varied environments. But that aside, I think the positive aspects of my host country would be the people. I have so much to learn from them: History, language, an entire world of knowledge never before opened to me. It's like walking into a library the size of an entire country- so many books, and only a limited amount of time!

-I am willing to go back into the closet, for one. I would be willing to dress to societal norms for my sex. I'd be willing to hide my face if need be, even remove my piercings and grow out my hair. I'm willing to live in conditions that are not as comfortable as my situation at home. The list goes on and on. 

-Independence. But not independence as we necessarily see it. Independence more in the sense that  you can do something yourself, and that sometimes you really need others, and the ability to tell the difference between these situations. I'm definitely independent, and I recognize that I can't always go it alone. I'm working on telling the difference, though. 

How would you respond to these scenarios? And how would you answer these questions? I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!