Every person has a certain cultural background depending on the place where they live. For people within a specific cultural bubble, the impact of culture on their mindset could mostly be unconscious (Wang 7). Therefore, people tend not to question the origins of their influences on them constantly. However, for that outside of a specific culture, all the little details about people’s behavior within it are noticeable and new. The process of gaining more knowledge within the area of a non-native culture is called cultural adaptation. Although it is quite difficult and requires a lot of effort, these challenges are offset by the development of a better intercultural understanding and communication and flexibility of mind.
In the process of adapting to another culture, one of the most difficult parts could be the reevaluation of one’s cultural identity. Once a person leaves their home country and faces the diversity of other cultures, they begin to understand that the way they think has a cultural origin and that everyone has cultural backgrounds as well (Sussman 4). This way, a person starts to question everything around them and might develop a desire to comprehend and embrace other cultures on a deep level, which would gradually require solid efforts.
Even though the realization and the subsequent journey of learning could be quite overwhelming, there are specific behaviors that would help with embracing it. Firstly, keeping an open mind would be a great decision since that would help a person to get rid of a large amount of possible prejudices about other cultures. Instead, it would provide a fresh start for learning new things about cultures. Secondly, while being active and hardworking throughout the journey, sometimes people should take a step back and focus on specific details of the culture which they find attractive. Constant awareness of one’s sincerity of interest and intentions would work as a fuel to the dedication to adapting to another culture. Lastly, it is important to stay patient with oneself and to recognize the time needed to deeply understand other cultures since it is impossible to learn something as complicated and detailed overnight.
In the end, understanding and adapting to another culture is a complicated and continuous process that requires conscious dedication. While there are challenges along the way, it is necessary to stay open-minded and deeply interested in order to overcome them. This way, a person would be able to embrace the beauty and complications of a different culture.
References
Heine, S. J. (2019). Cultural Psychology. W. W. Norton, Incorporated.
Sussman, N. M. (2002). Sojourners to another country: The psychological roller-coaster of cultural transitions. Online readings in psychology and culture, 8(1), 1-11.
Wang, J. (2011). Communication and cultural competence: The acquisition of cultural knowledge and behavior. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 7(1), 2307-0919.