Importance of Knowing Other Cultures :: Cross-cultural Experiences

Question Answered Present the ways in which cross-cultural experiences strengthen a continuous learning of the world environment.   Cross-cultural experiences can be numerous things. It could be as simple as having a potluck, joining a book club, or alive(p) in a forum. Cross-cultural experiences can also be moving to or visiting a different neighborhood, city, state, or country. All of these activities involve an transmute of ideas about peoples identities.   Let us suppose an American boy, who I will refer to as person A for the purposes of this paper, visits his Japanese friend, person B., In their general interactions, they talk about their families, ancestors, history, favorite food, hobbies, etc. Person A, consciously or non, gives knowledge of the reality of his culture. As in any other initial image to something foreign, person B enters into this experience with some preconceived notions. As he listens to and observes person A, he comes to understand an identi ty - particularly, that of person A. Consequently, person B gains knowledge, and uses it to sever his stereotypes and rightfully adjust his opinions. A more significant consequence of this particular cross-cultural experience is what results in person B. In such an exchange 2 things come to effect. One, person B becomes compelled to teach person A about his own culture. His appreciation for his new knowledge, as well as his own rely to rid others of misconceptions about his culture drives him to share his identity with those around him, starting with his friend. Eventually, the knowledge spreads and so does the drive to educate. Two, this exchange allows person B to exercise the essential virtue of having an open mind. He becomes open to experience different cultures because of a resulting desire to understand the diverse world. In turn, the world environment continues to develop because, not only are there more people who are willing to educate, more people are willing to learn with an open mind.   The evolution of the globalized societal landscape is directly connected to the occurrence of cross-cultural experiences. This is because, with more understanding about the world cultures, we can continue to evolve as a coordinated group of individuals. The world environment is defined by how we interact with each other. It involves relationships as inclusive as a countrys interaction with another country or as intimate as someones friendship with his roommate.