Transition to a New Cultural Environment

Information on Culture Introduction of Information At some point in life people experience a culture as an outsider by moving from one culture to another. In the world today there are so many different cultures and not one of them is found to be the same. Instead they all have something that makes them unique, whether its language or even the clothes they wear and their behavior as well. The differences they have is what separates them from one another and who ever joins that culture must get accustomed to their way of life. For example, today there are many people immigrating to the United States to start a new and better life. What they soon begin to realize is that it’s a whole new world out there and in order to survive they have to get accustomed to the new way of life which is much different from their lives before. Background and Significance of the Problem According to Dewiel (2005), the idea of culture has changed over the years. He states that the history of culture is as followed, Although today we think of the peoples of the world throughout history in terms of their cultures, the idea of culture is a relatively recent idea. Before modernity began in about the 17th and 18th centuries, people in Europe saw themselves not as participants in various cultures but as members of competing religions. With the secularizing trends of early modernity, social scientific ideas began to replace religious terms in the self-understanding of Europeans. (para. 4) Statement of the Problem Adjusting to a different culture can be difficult for just about anyone. What is necessary for one to feel at home in a new culture? Many cultural barriers must be addressed before a person can feel at home with a new culture. Many steps can be taken to help with the differences a person my experience in a different culture. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader of different step in which can be taken to help one feel at home in a new culture. Many actions can be taken to help ease the transition to a cultural environment. Definition of Terms â€Å"Culture comprises the values, beliefs, and norms that are shared by a group of people, such as a racial or ethnic minority. Culture influences how people think about, act on, and see the world. † (Ramirez & Soto, 2006, para. 2) Preview Around the world people poses all different kinds of culture. How do we as outsiders become a part of the people and become a welcome member of different cultures? The writer will explain different methods of adapting to a new culture. These steps could be taken to make one feel at home with a different culture. How to Accustom to New Culture Understanding History Behind every culture lies a history. A person must ask themselves why the people of this culture follow their beliefs, customs, and poses certain values. For a person to truly find out the real history behind a culture, a person must ask the people of the culture. It’s the only way to find the true history. Once a person understands the history of a culture, they can begin to practice the same customs the culture already practices. Benefits Discovering the history can be very beneficial. Knowing the history of a culture means knowing where the culture came from. This could result in the people of the culture to accepting a person as one of their own. This will definitely better chances of making the culture feel like home. Summary If a person wants to feel at home in a new culture, they must first do some research first. Researching the history behind a culture with help a person better adapt to a culture. This will also help people within the culture accept you as one of them because you know the roots of the culture. Learning the Language Another method to adapting to a new culture is learning their language. This will help a person connect better with the people of the culture. Although people may be able to speak the same language they could understand or interpret words differently, because the same words may mean different things to various persons. That is why it’s essential for a person to learn the cultures’ language and how they interpret words. A person must have patience when learning a new language. It is very important for one not to get down on their selves for the simple fact that this could discourage the learning process. It takes everyone some time to adjust and become comfortable with a new language. A person should begin to learn a few common words or phrases. Results Leaning the language will connect a person to the people of a different culture. This gives a person the ability to socialize with the people of a culture. The people will also be able to get to know and understand this new outsider and it would be greatly appreciated by them. Summary Adjusting to a new culture can be difficult as well as frustrating. It’s important to have patience thought the process of adapting to a new culture. Leaning the language of a culture could ultimately bring you closer to the people of the culture. Therefore, it is essential to the process of making the new culture feel like home. Find similarities Lastly, the writer believes if a person tries to find things that are similar to their own culture, then the transition would not be so difficult. For example, similar foods that the new culture eats that is similar to the culture a person came from could definitely make someone feel at home. Food is comfort, and as a result, it’s a good idea to stick with what is familiar and stay open to adapting new foods. Music could also be a get similarity between two different cultures. Hearing music that reminds a person of where they came from makes it easier to accepting a new culture. Result Finding similarities helps a person accept a different culture. It makes someone feel at home with a new culture. A person could discover that their two cultures could possibly have a lot in common. Summary Adapting to a new culture can be very difficult and at times, frustrating. Finding similarities between a persons’ current culture and a new one could help make the new culture feel like home. It is necessary for a person to figure out what the enjoyed best from their culture and compare this to the new culture. Conclusions and Recommendations Furthermore, many steps should be taken in order for a person to feel at home in a new culture. Understanding and becoming a part of a new culture can be very difficult and frustrating at times. First of all, the writer feels it is essential for the person to do some research and find out the history behind the new culture. This will give the person a better understanding of why the people of the new culture practice certain customs and traditions. Another necessity includes learning the language of the culture. Even if this culture speaks the same language, words might be interpreted differently. This could help a person better connect with the people of a different culture. Last step the writer feels is necessary when adapting to a new culture is finding similarities between cultures. Doing this could definitely make a person feel at home in a new culture. All steps should be carefully considered when entering a new culture. References Dewiel, B. (2005). Cultural Diversity. In R. P. Carlisle (Ed. )Encyclopedia of Politics, 1(pp. 115-117) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference Retrieved March 12, 2009, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go. galegroup. com. prx-01. lirn. et/ps/start. do? p=GVRL&u=lirn_main Ramirez, S. Z. & Soto, J. (2006). Cultural Barriers. In Y. Jackson (Ed. )Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology, (pp. 127-129) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference Retrieved March 12, 2009, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go. galegroup. com. prx-01. lirn. net/ps/start. do? p=GVRL&u=lirn_mainBerens, L. V. , Cooper, S. A. , Ernst, L. K. , Marti n, C. R. , Myers, S. , Nardi, D. , et al. (2001). Quick guide to the 16 personality types in organizations: Understanding personality differences in the workplace. Huntington Beach, CA: Telos.