Chapter 9 - Intercultural Communication

Chapter 9 focuses on intercultural communication and I think the notion of culture shock is a significant one to address. In addition I think it can be easy to jump to the idea that different cultures are from different parts of the world, but recognizing the fact that cultures exist in much smaller and closer to home contexts is important. While keeping this in mind, thinking about culture shock can be more relevant than one may initially think. It is natural to experience culture shock on different levels depending on the degree to which another culture is different from your own. The way we hold ourselves and act during a state of culture shock can say a lot about who we are as people and how we handle difference. Even though goods of different cultures may not always align, one good that I would argue is common is respect for others. The authors raise this point in stating that "culture shock, a natural reaction to the unexpected and unfamiliar, needs a thoughtful response; simply giving free rein to our distress is no longer a helpful response to changes in the expected" (162). This demonstrates the need to stay respectful in the ways we react to differences. 

An example of culture shock would be when my cousin, who is 11 years younger than me, was in an ice cream shop with me. We were waiting for our turn when she saw someone who looked different from her and was speaking another language. It is natural to be curious and wonder about difference, but for a child who may not have had the opportunity to learn about this certain kind of respect, she pointed and asked fairly loudly why they looked a certain way and weren't speaking English. She was in a state of culture shock as she was experiencing the unexpected on an average ice cream run. I used this as a learning experience for her and tried to explain that not everyone has the same background. She seemed to understand what I was saying and when I mentioned that it isn't very polite to point and say whatever is on your mind she really took time to think about that. We can experience culture shock in our own neighborhoods and learning how to navigate that can be a new or maybe uncomfortable experience but maintaining respect for others should be held at the core of learning about difference.