Goals for this Class
Reading Reaction:
As someone who has studied abroad before, I definitely understood what the readings out of "Survival Kit for Overseas Living" was talking about. As these chapters generally focused on Americans stepping into other cultures while holding preconceptions of other cultures from an American stand-point, I was able to remember what it felt like to live in Japan for a year.
While I never had a lot of national pride, it is definitely typical to become defensive about one's own country while in someone else's. I tried never to think that America is "superior", but I would sometimes become annoyed at the differences in Japanese culture, especially the mannerisms of Japanese people. I had plenty of problems adjusting to life there but tried my best to keep an open mind about everything.
Reading chapters like "The Ugly American" really spoke to me because I feel that Americans often behave ignorantly in other countries, as if these countries are businesses that are just there to cater to them and offer culture as if it was just a product. When I lived in Japan I would try to do things like the Japanese did, but I would not try to hide my true nature. I cannot help being an American and sometimes I would behave in ways that would embarrass others, but I felt that even causing problems is better than pretending to be something you are not. In the end I think a lot of people found it interesting and maybe even endearing and I created a very memorable impression on them (good or bad).
Perceptions of other cultures by Americans is often times backwards, and we generally create stereotypes through what we see and hear in the media and in addition to encounters with immigrant Americans. Upon arriving in Japan I found a lot of Japanese stereotypes to be unfounded and totally stupid. It is for this reason that studying abroad is so important; the only way to truly understand another culture is to experience it firsthand, because there is variety in everything and simply reading a book or meeting a few people from a certain culture will not give you the whole picture.
Basically...
-Learn about studying abroad through Evergreen
-Try to get a recommendation from course instructor to go to Japan on the one year exchange.
-Learn about alternatives to the one year exchange.
Once I have read the chapter I will write a response in this entry.
As someone who has studied abroad before, I definitely understood what the readings out of "Survival Kit for Overseas Living" was talking about. As these chapters generally focused on Americans stepping into other cultures while holding preconceptions of other cultures from an American stand-point, I was able to remember what it felt like to live in Japan for a year.
While I never had a lot of national pride, it is definitely typical to become defensive about one's own country while in someone else's. I tried never to think that America is "superior", but I would sometimes become annoyed at the differences in Japanese culture, especially the mannerisms of Japanese people. I had plenty of problems adjusting to life there but tried my best to keep an open mind about everything.
Reading chapters like "The Ugly American" really spoke to me because I feel that Americans often behave ignorantly in other countries, as if these countries are businesses that are just there to cater to them and offer culture as if it was just a product. When I lived in Japan I would try to do things like the Japanese did, but I would not try to hide my true nature. I cannot help being an American and sometimes I would behave in ways that would embarrass others, but I felt that even causing problems is better than pretending to be something you are not. In the end I think a lot of people found it interesting and maybe even endearing and I created a very memorable impression on them (good or bad).
Perceptions of other cultures by Americans is often times backwards, and we generally create stereotypes through what we see and hear in the media and in addition to encounters with immigrant Americans. Upon arriving in Japan I found a lot of Japanese stereotypes to be unfounded and totally stupid. It is for this reason that studying abroad is so important; the only way to truly understand another culture is to experience it firsthand, because there is variety in everything and simply reading a book or meeting a few people from a certain culture will not give you the whole picture.
Basically...
-Learn about studying abroad through Evergreen
-Try to get a recommendation from course instructor to go to Japan on the one year exchange.
-Learn about alternatives to the one year exchange.
Once I have read the chapter I will write a response in this entry.