An experience where I felt I had to adjust to an aspect of my host culture (France), was the transparency that French people hold. In the US, sugar-coating is a much more common practice. In Aix-en-Provence, France, I lived in a homestay with a French family and an American suitemate my age who was also a part of my study abroad program. If there was a country or restaurant we visited that our homestay family did not approve of, they would be blunt about their dislike. There was so much transparency in discussions in French culture, whereas I witness more sugar-coating in American culture.
The perspective I have of the bluntness and transparency more common in French culture, is that it can be appreciated on various occasions, especially if it has to do with something the person from the host culture is familiar with. I appreciated the honesty about safety in different cities and areas of France, as well as what the trends were in fashion, culture and entertainment there. On the other hand, bluntness and transparency can be hard to encounter because sometimes one is not wanting or asking for an opinion about their outfit or a travel destination they were looking forward to. It all depends on the mood and context of the situation, plus the person’s preferences.
To describe how someone from my host culture would view my experience in regards to the transparency and bluntness, I would say they would view it as something I needed and that should be part of American culture. The French highly value open discussions regarding politics, culture, philosophy, fashion, cuisine, the list goes on. They only see open discussions as each person sharing their differing opinions in a very blunt way, they do not appreciate sugar-coating. To sum it up, they would believe bluntness builds character and prepares me for discussions with people with a wide range of beliefs and backgrounds.
These reflections prepare me to respond to future cultural misunderstandings and conflicts by thinking beyond what I am accustomed to. The reflections allow me to gain knowledge about other cultural behaviors and attitudes, to better understand a disagreement. These prompts also encourage students to not think about stereotypes when managing cultural conflicts. People frequently fall back on preconceptions when dealing with cultural differences. Stereotypes can be demeaning and might cause inaccurate assumptions about the behavior of the person from the opposite culture as well as misinterpretations that could increase the conflict. Furthermore, we frequently view other people’s behaviors and beliefs through the prism of our own culture, which is another factor of cultural conflict and tensions. Writing these blogs have enabled us to gain more knowledge about other cultures which in turn prevents cultural conflicts. This entails not just observing the values and mannerisms of other cultures, but also seeking to understand what drives them. So, reflecting on what our preconceived notions are in these prompts and realizing we need to think beyond them the more blogs we write, allows for greater growth in cultural understanding and prevents conflicts.