Assimilation Strategies

 

In the process of conducting an Ethnography for Intercultural Communication, I find myself with the need to censor what I say while I am out in the field. I feel like, at times I have to almost shape my behavior in the way that I interact with church members.

I am studying women’s roles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I tend to mentally prepare myself before I go out in the field. I don’t want to offend the people of this religion or make them feel uncomfortable in any way so I am very careful to not refer to them as Mormon (the name that society has given this religion) and I want to be very careful not to ask them questions about polygamy as I am aware this is a major stereotype of the church.

Today I made my way to the nearby LDS church in Ooltewah, and once again reminded myself of all of these factors because I genuinely am afraid of accidentally offending people. I find it nerve-racking to immerse myself in this completely different culture, because of fear of embarrassment as I am not as familiar with their customs.

The first day I walked into the church everyone was friendly. I met a woman who just so happened to be the bishop’s wife and she invited me to sit with her. I notice myself using Assimilation strategies in the ways that I choose to interact with the church members because I do not want to stand out too much. They are a very community-oriented church so they seem to notice when unfamiliar people walk in any way. However, because of this, they are very friendly and open in their communication.

I have also noticed that when they pray instead of folding their hands, they often cross their arms. As a way for me not to stand out, I do the same. I figure that as I am immersing myself in this other culture, I should do my best to act as they do in some instances.

I recognize that assimilation strategies can cause problems especially with being new to a certain culture.  On the other hand, as an ethnographer going out into the field, in order to not make people feel as though they are caught under a microscope, I have to show them I have respect for their culture and their customs. If you would like to understand more of the customs amongst the LDS church, you can go to this link.

 

Diversity

One of my best friends is from Puerto Rico. While Puerto Rico is United States territory, a differing culture still exists on this island that many in America do not take enough time to learn about.

From what my friend tells me, it seems like a lot of people who live in Puerto Rico grow up bilingual. Her family worked very hard to teach her Spanish as well as English growing up. I think that you can learn a lot by having friends who are from different cultures. They can help you learn more about yourself and also help you broaden cultural understanding.

For example, I have noticed that my friend is a lot more direct in her communication than I am. She says everything like it is and I feel like that has a lot to do with her background. Her family also seems to be very direct and upfront when they have issues or need to talk about something. I have always appreciated this quality about her because I grew up in the south. The south has a general reputation of blessing a lot of hearts (this is code for honey you need to work on this…..) In the south, we, unfortunately, have a tendency to sugar coat a lot of our methods of communicating. This is not always a “fake” way of communicating, but just a way that we convey our feelings. I have found that my family is not always as direct and as brutally honest with their communication as other cultures ( northern states are often more direct with their communication). We are honest but we do not always talk through things or we find a nice way to communicate tension.

I have a lot of friends who do not live in the south and they are very forthright. Many of them often express to me how they think the south is “fake.” I find it interesting to discover these diverse views about culture even though this is a subculture. I feel like this relates back to the individualistic mindset represented in the U.S. We value setting goals and staying motivated, while many other cultures are more relational.

The relationship aspect present in other cultures seems to suggest their willingness to be more forthright and that actually strengthens the relationships they have with others. There can be differing worldviews within the cultures represented in the U.S. I have learned from my bilingual friend in that being more direct with my communication is something that I value. This is an article where you can read more about how culture influences behavior. More specifically the differences of behavior between individualistic mindsets and collectivism.

Crepe du Vour

This past Saturday night was a night of French culture. I went to a quaint little French creperie, went to a musical that originated in France, and listened to French music. However, this is about the amazing food I tried at the French creperie, it was absolutely magnificent. I went with my family to, “Crepe du Vour,” in Greenville, SC. Their specialty is crepes! I had never gone to this restaurant before so it was something new for sure. Each plate of food was presented with love and care. The presentation of the food was beautiful and looked as if careful attention was put into the crafting of each recipe. The flavors were even more incredible as each plate was different with a burst of flavor in every bite. I am unsure if that is a specific characteristic of their culture. However, when I visit American restaurants, we do not pay as much attention to how the food is presented but rather the taste. Here, the flavors were very distinct and the taste was just as good as the presentation of the food.

This made me think back to Chapter 1 when we were talking about diversity. Not only are we diverse in our identity and belief system as human beings, but the cultural food we eat can be considered diverse as well. I think it is so interesting how the presentation of food in one culture can be so different in another culture.  Restaurant practices can vary and recipes can be dramatically different as well.

The owner of the restaurant also maneuvered from table to table introducing himself to the customers and other employees were very relational as well. They were talkative in introducing themselves to us as they served us our food.

This was an authentic French creperie and we know this to be true because our waitress informed us of a French couple who came to eat at the creperie. They had lived in France for 14 years and were raving about how good and authentic the food was at Crepe du Vour.

My sister and I shared a Tomato Basil crepe and a Bananas Foster Crepe. My parents ordered a Humus crepe, strawberry spinach salad, and a Nutella dessert crepe.

This restaurant had dessert crepes, savory crepes, and ice cream crepes. They also sold coffee at this restaurant complete with an espresso machine. If you are ever in the Greenville area make sure to make a pit stop at Crepe du Vour.

This is the sign out front of the creperieThis is the Tomato basil crepe I had for my meal. It was to die for.There were carrots, cranberries, onions, tomatoes, and drizzled in pesto sauce.They had many maps of France lining the walls of the restaurant.This is the humus crepe my mom ordered complete with cucumbers.This is a Bananas Fosters crepe my sister and I ordered to split. It had caramel, chocolate syrup, Nutella, and of course Bananas.My sister ordered this French coffee called Borgia. Ingredients: Hot chocolate + espresso+ whipped cream + Cinnamon + Orange PeelThis is a strawberry spinach salad my mom ordered.This was also really good!The dessert crepe my parents ordered. This is a strawberry, banana, chocolate syrup, Nutella crepe. Complete with powdered sugar.

Misunderstandings and Intercultural Communication

I love traveling and learning about new cultures. My passion for travel plays a huge role in why I want to take Intercultural Communication. The chapter talked about the building blocks of culture. A lot of times we may not think about it very much.

One example that the book highlighted in chapter 2, is the etiquette of crossing the street. The book mentions that when people from China come to visit the U.S, they usually are aghast to find that cars actually motion to pedestrians to walk across the street.  While in other countries pedestrians are expected to wait for the car to pass. While this is a minor example, culture is essentially learned. While we all have different cultures, when we study culture, we are studying a unique way we learn about our different habits. These habits range from how we eat, sleep, and seek shelter. We learn how to be male or female. We do this subconsciously but through the process of socialization. The way that each habit can vary among different cultures can be cause for misunderstandings which is why it is so imperative for us to study culture.

I think studying Intercultural Communication is a great way to expand horizons of various cultures.  The chapter also explains how the process of learning culture also involves varied perceptions.  The more we can broaden our understanding of how other cultures operate, the more this helps eliminate misunderstandings. When we are aware of how cultures are different, we are able to broaden our perceptions of other people’s worldviews. This is an article written by a student at Dartmouth goes and goes into more depth about cultural perceptions.

This picture of Chinese New Year helps display how we each have unique practices particular to our own culture.

 

 

 

Shannon to Chicago | May. 27

So I am back. Back to The States. The land of The Free. The Home of The Brave (okay you get it). As much as I do love this country, part of my heart was left on The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. 

Well here is the run down:

This morning we woke up at 5:00 AM Ireland time to board our bus to the Shannon, Ireland air port. Once we arrived, we said our good byes to our  tour director and were on our way. 

Our flight was about 8 hours to Chicago and once we arrived it was about a two hour lay in O’hare. Our next flight landed in Charlotte where my parents were there ready with dinner for each of us (hey I never complain about food) and we had finally come to the end of our day of traveling. Retuning was for sure ten times easier than our trip getting to Scotland and I was grateful for that. 

As I watched the North  Carolina scenery pass, I could not help but miss Ireland.Although, I was glad to be off the plane. During this trip, I cultivated this new desire for traveling. I always New that I have an interest in different cultures and languages. On this trip, I fell completely in love with the countries we visited and I loved having the opportunity to venture out and see something beyond my normal little life. I will never forget these memories made and the relationships cultivated because of this trip. 

I have already started to search “cheap flights to Europe” and so al mentally planning another trip in my head. I am so thankful for the opportunity that I had to go to England, Scotland, and Ireland. 

The only thing left to do is get over this jet leg. Seriously, why does the world have to be so different (couldn’t we all just be on the same time zone!?:) 

I look forward to my future endeavors because who knows where the world will take me next, but I am hoping it will bring me back to the beautiful Ireland. For now, I will continue looking for an adventure in every day. There is a huge world beyond normal everyday life that deserves to be explored.

Our group picture is below, this is all our travel peeps:) 

And a picture of my Tocket because we flew out of the Shannon, Ireland airport and why not?

Till next time

Wandering but not lost, 

Shannon

Aron Islands | May. 26

This morning we left Galway for the day and boarded our ferry to The Aron Islands. The sites of the island consisted of an old cemetery as well as these ruins from a church. We were able to tour the area including the fort which makes up much of the island. 
We had a ways to walk to get to the entrance of the fort. At the top of the fort there were a few cliffs overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful scenery, however the it was a cold day covered in thick fall so it was hard to see the ocean. 
After we explored the fort, we headed to lunch and got our last bit of shopping done for the day. After we had done our shopping and eaten lunch we returned to our ferry so that we could make it back in time for our farewell dinner.
I regret I did not take many pictures of the food on this trip, but is was very good. The dinner was sad because it was our last moments with people in our group. I enjoyed theater moments of laughter that we were able to spend together. 
Tomorrow morning we will arise at 5:00 AM to make it to our bus that will take us to the airport so that we can board our international flight back to the United States. 
Wandering but not lost, 

Shannon

Stephanie touched the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and she was very proud!:)

The door that led to the other side of the fort.

The cliffs of the fort.

Officially a Galway Girl | May. 25

Today was a day filled with lots of traveling. We left Dublin this morning at around 9:00 am and boarded our private coach for Galway. 

We had give or take a three hour drive to get to Galway with a pit stop at The Cliffs of Moher. I have always wanted to see these cliffs! I was over the moon excited to finally see them in person. 

We wandered above the cliffs looking down into the crashing waves at the bottom. It was so surreal to finally be there in person. I finally was able to see this iconic sight of Ireland and it was BREATH taking. It was a slightly windy day so I was careful not to venture to close to the edge of the cliff but it was good weather which I was thankful for. 

After a couple of hours at the cliffs, we boarded our bus to finish our journey to Galway. Galway was actually very close to the waters edge and the drive there was nothing short of beautiful. We made it to our hostel and were able to explore the sights of Galway as well. 

This day was definitely packed full with lots of traveling so I am thankful to finally be at our destination. Ireland is this beautiful country with an amazing country side. I will be so sad when I have to leave. 

Candid shot of Steph and Sarah on the windy Cliffs of Moher.

On our way to Dublin, we stopped at The Barack Obama Plaza. It was basically a gas station. Hey the Obamas are pretty cool:)

Wandering but not lost, 

Shannon

Exploring Dublin | May 24

Today we had a free day in Dublin. We were able to explore the museums and other city life Dublin has to offer. We even went to visit the Disney store, because what else would you do in Ireland;) (hey it was an Irish Disney store). 

First stop, was Trinity College where we were able to get discounts on admission with our student IDs. The museum was really cool and included a lot of artifacts and information on their writing system. The tour finished with a beautiful library which lead into the gift shop. 

We shopped around for much of the day and eventually made our way to the archeological museum. The best part about this one, was that it was free admission. However, they did except small donations. The museum was huge and there was a lot of information including an exhibit about Celtic art and a mummy exhibit. 

Another highlight of the day was also when we went to a crepe place. I got a savory egg mushroom cheese crepe and split a desert crepe with my sister. We walked around more to try and seek out some more Irish souvenir shops.

To finish out our time in Dublin, we got take out at the mall food court near by and sat in the park eating dinner. The park was very similar to Central Park only a lot smaller. 

Tomorrow we head to Galway for one night. I am excited to see the sight of another city, however I have loved Dublin. We are on the home stretch of our journey now. Read on for more about my adventure (thank you if you are still reading this one:)). The hours seem to go by a lot faster in Europe so I should get some sleep. 

Wandering but not lost, 

Shannon 
 

Gelato and The Beautiful Dublin | May. 23

Today I woke up very tired and exhausted, but Ireland waits for no one! Besides it is worth it because of all the stuff we are getting to do. We first started touring a few places in Dublin including The Popes Cross. 

We went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and took beautiful pictures of the building. The stain glass windows were beautiful and the sculptures on the side of the ceiling were incredible. We toured the cathedral a bit and then headed off to town.

For lunch, we stopped at The this cute little cafe and coffee shop. There was also some real sweet gelato that I was able to try as well. I had a tomato mozzerella sandwich and a cafe latte. I have found that they definitely sweeten things a lot more in the states. 

We decided to walk around a bit and shop. We eventually were able to find this bubble tea shop that I had a lot of random letters on the wall. I thought that was kind of cool. 

This afternoon we used public transportation to return to the hotel and tried to get some rest. 

Once again, wifi is not my friend. As always thanks for wandering with me on this adventure. 

Wandering but not lost, 

Shannon

To Dublin We Go | May. 22

 

This morning we woke up at 5:00 AM to drive to the port in Holly Head, Wales to catch our Ferry. We had about a two hour drive to be there by 8:00 (when the Ferry left port). 
This ferry was the nicest ferry I have ever been on. There were nice tables for everyone to sit at with comfortable chairs. Furthermore, this ferry was almost like a mini cruise ship equipped with an arcade, outlet shop, restaurants, and a coffee shop. 
The ride across the sea took about two to three hours and I liked it more than a plane or a bus. The small ship was more comfortable, spacious, and lots of places to walk around. 

Once we arrived in Ireland, we of course had to present our pass ports and then could be on our way. Some people in our group who are not US citizens had issues with passports and things. However, they were able to get those things resolved rather quickly and we were on our way.

We first drove to our hotel to check into our rooms, but the rooms were not ready for us. We all then decided to take a quick lunch and then everyone boarded the bus once again for Glendalough. Glendalough was this beautiful historical site with walking trails and an exquisite lake. It included some ruins of this building that resembled a church and also included a cemetery. 

After our walk about the area, we returned to the bus and drove around an hour to Dublin. We did not see much of Dublin as we were looking for dinner to eat but will be able to tour more of the city tomorrow. I thought Dublin was a beautiful city thriving with life and people that I am excited to venture into. 
It has been a long day and I am excited to finally be in Ireland. Making the most of my last week abroad and enjoying everything this country has to offer. Continuing following me on this adventure as we have been able to experience so many new things. 
Wandering but not lost, 

Shannon