Global Identities: Assignment 3

Assignment #3 - Looking Beneath the Surface (At least 750 words):

The paper should be well-edited and demonstrate your ability to make ethnorelative cross-country and/or cross-cultural comparisons on significant issues that are of importance to you. (At least 750 words)

Option A: Choose one topic to compare between something in your host culture and your home culture (you can identify home culture as ethnic culture, geographical culture, gendered culture, etc.). This “something” could be politics, child-rearing, dating, environmental concerns, education, business, religion, poverty, and/or countless other things.  You must talk with one person from the host culture about your topic (friend, instructor, colleague, host-parent, “expert”, stranger), and incorporate their thoughts into your analysis.  What insights can your host expert give you that will help you “see it from the local perspective?”  In making this comparison, incorporate this unit's readings and choose a topic that allows you to look beneath the surface of what is visible. Consider your own cultural lens and how this affects your perception of the topic. 

While interning at El Colegio E.P. in Toledo, I have become enlightened to the various differences between the Spanish education system and the American education system. A typical school day in Spain can be seen as different in comparison to a day in the United States for reasons revolving entities such as: dress code, lunch, schedules, school security, language, and more.

On my first day interning abroad, the initial thing that caught my eye was the dress code. In the “infantile,” also known as the pre-school/kindergarten section of the school, I immediately noticed what the children were wearing. These tiny humans were dressed in long, checkered, “lab coat-like” jackets that hid their clothing underneath. And each classroom that I entered throughout the day had a different colored “lab coat”. In addition to the students, I also noticed the teachers’ dress code was almost identical to that of the children’s, except their lab coats actually did look like lab coats: hospital white. At first, I was caught off guard by their attire, but on the other hand I could see its purpose. By having everyone wear almost the same exact outfit, no one could judge others, ultimately minimizing bullying within the school.

Another difference between the Spanish education system and the American education system is the lunchtime. In the United States, schools have cafeterias that provide food for the students and teachers. In Spain, students usually go home for lunch at the end of their school day. A typical school day typical runs from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. And after the school day, Spaniards participate in “La Siesta”. Between the hours of 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm, Spain shuts down to allow the locals to rest after a long and hectic morning and prepare for the busy afternoon. La siesta literally translates

as a short nap of 15-30 minutes. However, this definition is far from the 3-hour break taken in the 
middle of the working day. This is something that never occurs in the United States, and comes off as a shock to almost all tourists.

            Furthermore, I noticed the difference in school security in Spain compared to in the United States. In the United States, visitors typically must sign into the office in order to enter the school during school hours. The playground is usually open to the parking lot, etc. In addition, dropping off and picking up students is right outside the front office. In Spain, it is a little different. The first thing I saw when I approached the school were gates. School buildings in Spain are typically behind tall walls or gates, and are locked during school hours. Visitors must buzz in at the gates in order to visit during school hours. Parents are not allowed to go beyond the gate when dropping off their children in the morning, but may enter 5 minutes prior to the end of the school day for pick up.

            In addition to the differences that were addressed in the preceding paragraphs, I also paid attention to the way subjects were taught, specifically secondary languages. Being an English instructor for youngsters is undoubtedly extremely difficult at times and a great deal of patience is required, but after only my first few days I realized how much the students wanted to learn English. They became very enthusiastic every time I taught them a new word! It was exciting for the Spanish students and myself!

            After receiving this assignment, I decided to speak with one of my colleagues at El Colegio E.P. about the differences between the Spanish education system and the American education system. Once we discussed the fine details of education in Spain, I realized that America revolves a lot more around achieving goals. When talking about siesta, my colleague mentioned, “Life shouldn’t be so rushed by work and stress. Life is too short anyways. We have certain goals that we would like to achieve, but they are not our main motive. Here, we take education and life seriously, but we also remind ourselves that everyone deserves a break at times”. Hearing this made me think about Merzali’s article, “Westerners and Easterners see the world differently”. When describing the differences between the East Asian culture and Western culture, Nisbett states, “In the West, life is about achieving goals” (Merzali, 2005).

            In conclusion, I would like to express my newfound acceptance to things different from my own. When reading Bennett’s article, “Intercultural communication: A current perspective,” I became a tad irritated when reading more about how much humans strive to avoid differences. “The thinking seemed to be, ‘If only people were more like us, then they would be all right to have around’” (Bennett, pg. 2, 1998). I asked myself, “is this really how humans should behave?” Personally—especially after experiencing many differences while studying abroad in Toledo, Spain—I have come to enjoy new things more. Cultural differences are what make the world unique. From these differences we are better able to learn about our own culture and grow from these judgments.

Work Cited

·      Bennett, M. J. (1998). Intercultural communication: A current perspective. In M. J. Bennett (Ed.), Basic concepts of intercultural communication: Selected readings (pp. 1–34). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

·      Merali, Z. (2005). Westerners and Easterners see the world differently. New Scientist. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7882-westerners-and-easterners-see-the-world-differently.html#.UwfaULRFoSl