America has many different cultural identities that have been fused together by generations of immigrants. One aspect of American culture that I will delve into is the independent drive of America that is based upon the very Independency that our Founding Fathers dreamed of when they wrote the Declaration of Independence. In America, it is…
Category: France: IAU College
French Culture After-Thoughts
My experience in France was a unique opportunity and I am very lucky that adjusting to life abroad was not too difficult, I credit a large part of that to the fact that I grew up visiting family in Mexico a lot; however, that does not mean there were not experiences that proved to be…
Final Reflection
One moment where I experienced confusion by my host culture in France was during dinners with my host family. Before arriving to Aix-en-Provence, we were told that the French were very opinionated. It is one thing to be told and then another to actually experience such opinionated thoughts. During a lot dinners, controversial topics would…
BLOG PROMPT #2
Since I arrived here in Aix, I have been amazed by the beauty of the town and the people around here. My experience of cultural confrontation so far is very mild. The reason is quite simple. This is not my first time being exposed to another culture. Culture in the State is already different from…
Blog Post #2
I will have been in Aix-en-Provence for three months and that still feels unreal to even believe I am in France. When thinking back to pre-departure and orientation I listed to all the many things we would be going and growing through during our time. Of course, it goes in one ear and out the…
Blog Post #2: Cultural Confrontation
In three days, I will have officially been in France for two full months. I feel like the first month felt much longer than the second month. I am very glad to have been told about “The U-Curve of Cultural Adjustment” because it is very real and knowing that I am not alone in this…
Blog #1 France: IAU
American culture, it seems to me, is an amalgam of many competing influences and ideas. There is an openness here that allows the ambitious to integrate and thrive, but that openness seems to come at the price of a well-defined cultural identity. I feel very much of two minds about the multicultural environment in the…
Pre-Study Abroad
An aspect of U.S. culture is a generally a go getter attitude. People in the United States are more open to risk taking and exploring all aspects of what the world has to offer. In general, we are seekers. My own judgments on these aspects are that in of itself. I do believe that our…
Final Reflection
After spending 4 months in France, I still think that the single thing that surprised and shocked me the most is the way in which people work and the differences they have compared with the American work ethic. In France, people seem to have a less strict and less demanding work life, where they are…
Pre-Departure Blog
One important aspect of U.S. culture is the importance placed upon work, productivity, and accomplishments. These three elements are a large part of one aspect of U.S. culture, which we will call work ethic. Culture involves behaviors, attitudes, and values. American culture, like others, is vast, and the work ethic aspect of American culture is reflected through the behaviors and…