As I write this blog post, I am just over a week away from starting my study abroad program in London! I feel grateful and excited to have this opportunity, but also a bit nervous because this will be my first time traveling abroad, which feels daunting considering I won’t be coming back home for over three months.
While I am doing what I can to prepare for this new experience, I know that I cannot completely understand the cultural differences between the U.S. and the U.K. until I experience them firsthand. However, I can begin to understand by reflecting on and analyzing U.S. culture, which will allow me to think about how someone within their own culture versus someone outside of a particular culture might interpret certain behaviors, habits, beliefs, attitudes, and values differently.
Americans are known for being direct and assertive with their communication, whether verbally or nonverbally. We tend to be forward and honest when sharing our beliefs, attitudes, and ideas. We can be expressive and reactive through our facial expressions and body language. We want people to know exactly what we think and want right now, which emphasizes how Americans place a large amount of importance on time and make sure to not waste time since “Time is money.”
I believe that it is good to be direct when communicating because people will know exactly how we feel about something. There is much less interpretation needed, which helps prevent misunderstanding. I think that speaking directly also shows engagement and passion for the conversation topic. However, direct communication can easily become a bad thing when the directness becomes offensive or insensitive. I believe it is essential to find a balance where communication is clear and constructive without being harsh, rude, or abrasive.
Someone from outside U.S. culture who has an entirely different culture might find direct communication to be offensive, disrespectful, or obnoxious. Perhaps this person comes from a culture where it is important to keep your opinions or emotions private. Or maybe this person comes from a culture where it would be important to be polite and formal when communicating, so their opinions or criticism might be more understated or unclear.
While I have developed assumptions about what life is like in the UK or what the people may be like, I realize now that the same assumptions and ideas will be made about me and my culture as well. After writing this blog post, I can better understand how my identity, culture, and the connotations associated with these terms can influence the way others perceive me, and subsequently, become more mindful of how I interact with and perceive people who do not share the same culture.
