Culture Matters

One of the things I had neglected to think about until recently was the phenomenon of 'culture shock'; how I would actually interact with individuals in all of these unique locations and how different perspectives might help or hinder my personal experiences. Having lived overseas for several years, and experienced 'culture shock' in the past, this wasn't something that I was especially concerned about at this point. To help me give this issue a little more thought, my father took the liberty of recommending a few books on the subject. So far I've only managed to get through: Survival Kit for Overseas Living. The book does a great job of concisely explaining 'culture shock': what it is, how to recognize it, and how to deal with it. One of the things I liked best about this book was the section pointing out American cultural characteristics, and how to qualify those as positive or negative within the context of a broader cultural arena; essentially, it helps make one aware of the unconcious cultural habits that most Americans embody, how those characteristics are perceived by other cultures and what can be done to help minimize negative perceptions.

Another book, which I have yet to read, but is on my list is: GenXpat. Perhaps my buddy Josh will grace us with a review in the not too distant future.

Finally, I just acquired an autographed copy (thanks to old Sambo) ofAmerican Cultural Baggage: How to Recognize and Deal with It. A review is forth-coming...