I have read Beyond Culture ( Edward T. Hall) and it gave me some insights. A short summary of research.
We think and behave according to the cultural system we have grown up with, but we tend to assume that everyone has the same cultural behavior and the same logic. Logic happens to be an invention of Western society and isn’t used-in the same way- in other parts of the world.
It made me think about the so called lesser developed countries. They have a different culture and a different working -and thinking- method, which probably worked fine until we came along and imposed, with good intentions? our methods on them. Because they didn’t have the same technological development as we had, it doesn’t imply that our system and working methods are better. They are simply different.
Several times while reading this book, memories of certain situations came up and I caught myself on my behavior and on how many times I have tried to impose my logic upon others. There is no right or wrong in cultural patterns, likely there is a right and wrong in situations. We need to start accepting that we are different and open up our eyes to learn form each other. We should be happy to live in multi-cultural societies, for it gives us many opportunities to learn about ourselves as well as to learn about others. Our own culture (as any culture) has flaws, but we take them for right, because that is the logic that has been taught to us.
Obama said in a speech as well that he considered Hip-Hop -and other art forms- to be a useful way to convey messages to the people not only as a mirror of what is, but also as a medium to bring reflection what can be. New ways of thinking are coming up all over the world, a positive thing, to realize that we are opening up to be challenged. People get more inventive when they are challenged and placed in (unknown) different situations. We need to learn to see ourselves as others see us, in order to get more understanding about our own being and the other.
