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slipstreamer
Guest
Do you rely on stereotypes/prejudgements (be honest) or do you actually experience a place without quick judgements based on your own culture/experience?
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How open to experiencing different cultures are you really when you travel?
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anythingwilldo
Guest
Most keen travellers are out there because they want to learn about and experience other cultures.
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ageingcynic
Guest
I always read as much as I possibly can before I go. I especially find that novels by local authors are a very good way of getting an insight into the culture. And I try to get a little bit of the language so that I can make sense of all the signs and writing that I see around me.
The other good thing to do is to wander off the tourist track a bit and try shopping/ eating in the places where the locals go.
Of course you can only make sense of a place in the light of what you already know about your own and other cultures, but the more you try to expose yourself to a new place then the more you can shed your own prejudices.
The other good thing to do is to wander off the tourist track a bit and try shopping/ eating in the places where the locals go.
Of course you can only make sense of a place in the light of what you already know about your own and other cultures, but the more you try to expose yourself to a new place then the more you can shed your own prejudices.
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old know all
Guest
The whole point of travelling is to experience other cultures. It's always worth doing your homework first so you know what to expect, but you need to approach different cultures with an open mind. Most people on this Earth are honest, friendly and curious. You soon learn to avoid the ones who aren't.
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Drea
Guest
To some degree, I think we all see the world through the context of the culture we are a part of. Whether we experience other cultures depends on how open minded we are to experiencing things unlike our own and depends on how aware we are of our own thought patterns. Take the concept of pets for example. In American culture we quickly think of dogs, cats, maybe even a rabbit, or snake as a pet. In other cultures, that is seen as gourmet food, and may consider a chicken as a pet, so if we were offered to eat dog or snake, or ostrich, we'd end up passing. If I was Hindu and couldn't eat cow because it was symbolic in my religion, they would be quick to pass our hamburgers. Also, I've seen people who travel to other countries eating the same food they ate at home, watching tv, or staying in a hotel similar to home. Are those standards of living not like back home? To trully experience another culture is to embrace many of the circumstances unlike what is familiar. Same goes with conversing with the locals. You can't eat chinese food but not talk or affiliate with chinese people. Culture is a way of life, both seen and unseen. Our frame of mind carries old beliefs that we carry into other cultures, and often times we have prejudgements however extreme they may be.