010: Understanding & Adapting to Cultural Differences
Understanding & Adapting to Cultural Differences
Cultures aren't something that you can choose to not be apart of, culture happens all around. The more understanding we try to be with cultures that are 'different' than our own, the better we can all adapt and work together
Growing up I was apart of speech, esol, regular, & honors classes
The overlap within cultures that I associated with only grew in diversity as I got into high school and began to work
Through understanding the different cultures I have been able to gain sympathy, grow my own understanding, and excel within my own career by adapting to the different situations
Understanding Cultures
Elementary school consisted of learning English with the kids in esol, over coming a studdering problem with other speech impaired kids, then finally just being a 'normal' kid in a regular class. Through a flawed verification system I was put in ESOL again in middle school.
I was literally in ESOL as well Honors English at the same exact time
However, this was all good. It taught me about the struggles of learning the language and trying to do well in school. In the honors classes, I saw how these people saw no barriers. They had high aspirations, and they were going to reach them. Where an ESOL kid would just want to make it, an honors student felt like they’d flourish.
Both taught me what hard work was.
Adapting to differences
Adaptation was huge for me growing up. Where in honors classes it was looked highly upon to excel with grades and sort of flaunt your success, it was actually rude to do so in the ESOL classes, because the playing field is not level.
When report cards came around, I just stuffed mine in my book bag and didn’t speak at all, almost feeling ashamed in a way.
Embracing the opportunity that I had been given, I helped others in my class bridge the speaking through metaphors in our own language.
Moving forward
First we must understand, and second adapt
It is okay to be different, it is not okay to allow those difference to divide you from people
Through my own experiences, I’ve had deeper connections with people who had a different faith, or none at all, then others of my same faith. If we were closed minded this connection would not be possible.
At the end of the day, we need to understand each other and work together.
In my field it is not uncommon to have have a studio filled with different cultures. None of this matters though. We all come together to design, write cod