Blog Post One: My Expectations

There is a potential that a lot of my beliefs and attitudes have ethnocentric tendencies due to the differences in our cultures. Regarding appearance, food, and social practices, because we have such different cultures I must make an effort to say that the traditions and social norms of Ecuador are “different” or “unique” rather than “strange” or weird”. Just because my culture dresses differently or has different cuisine or practices does not make Ecuador’s strange as that is what is normal to them. Using words like strange and weird are prime examples of ethnocentrism and me not removing my “cultural lens” and seeing their culture from their perspective is unfair to both of us.

Some stereotypes of Latin-Americans are that they don’t give personal space and that they all have large families. Another example would be that they all play soccer.

Latin-Americans might be influenced by stereotypes about me that say I am arrogant, ethnocentric, and individualistic. They might also believe that we are all supporters of our current president, which isn’t the case for many.

The obvious challenge I will face in Ecuador is that of the language barrier and culture shock. The culture shock could include the cuisine, social norms, and the dress as well.


I hope to come out of this experience with a far greater understanding of another culture as I have never truly experience cultural immersion. I would also like to continue to improve my Spanish speaking abilities.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meng - Blog 16

1. In Paige's Blog(#14), she mentioned that she used some nonverbal communication to communicate with teachers when they were cooking. It is an effective way of intercultural communication. I totally agree that sometimes, if you don't know how to express yourself, body language helps a lot, and it even works better than language. 2. In Blog12, Tyessa said that she feel not close with her host family, and usually, they don't communicate with each other too much, which makes she felt upset because she wants to get closer to them. In my points of view, it can be seen as an ineffective communication. I think in the process of communicating with people, sometimes you should learn to be proactive. Break the silence first, and take the initiative to communicate with others. If you are especially enthusiastic about other people, they will feel it. 3. An example of effective communication came from  Linsey. She talked about how the communication way changed ...
Read more
      I will admit that the thing I am looking forward to the most when I get back home is some good, processed, junk food. It seems strange, because I like the food in Ecuador, and am almost always willing to be adventurous and try new foods. But that sense of adventure is exactly the problem. I rarely feel as though I can just gulp down anything placed in front of me, secure in the knowledge of exactly what it is and what it will taste like. The classic foods from home will allow me to eat with that security intact, and that security is what I really miss.      I think the thing I will miss the most about Ecuador is the sense of adventure that I could feel every time I left the house, whether it was just to class at the academia or to some other attraction. I loved the feeling that I was going to see new sights, experience new things, and accomplish something impressive every day. The quote that struck me today, as we were le...
Read more

Blog post #15

1) what are you most excited about returning to in the US? What I am most looking forward to about heading home is the opportunity to share my experiences with others. I want to share the funny stories of my host family with my friends and family here in the U.S. so that they too can be exposed to some Ecuadorian culture. I am very much looking forward to returning home because I will use my experience of Ecuador to further think about what it is I want to do with my life. Not having a clear path for my profession is a challenge for me, but through using my travel experience to discover what my passions and interest are, I am always one step closer to knowing what it is I want to do with my life.   2) what will you miss the most about Ecuador? What I think I am going to miss most is the walk to school Carolina and I shared in the mornings and afternoons. In the two mile hike to school I saw mothers sending their kids off to the bus, adults off to work and busses ...
Read more