The Purpose of the Practice

As we near the end of our cross-cultural semester, I figure I’d take a step back and reflect on why we’re all here, and how we can use the lessons of this course. After all, there must be some way we can utilize all that we’ve talked about, right?

For me, the ultimate lesson to be learned regarding cross-cultural communication is how to actually place oneself into the mind of a person whose viewpoint is totally different from their own. Intensive study of alternative means of thought, as well as an honest attempt to look at a situation from another point of view, teaches us that no opinion, practice, or perspective is “weird” or “illogical”; rather, they result from a complex set of social norms and priorities. While in our younger years, we may have marveled at that which we regarded as “exotic”, we now attempt to mold some sort of logical inference about that subject upon observation. The end result is recognition of the humanity of all people and cultures, a vital step towards effectively dealing with others.

These lessons help not just on an interpersonal level, but also at the top of the ladders of power. Consider this article published yesterday in Foreign Policy magazine. Using the most basic elements of cross-cultural understanding, that being the placement of oneself in the mind of another, effective conclusions are reached regarding the behavior of a people under military occupation. The person who makes no effort to do this only sees the situation as a map towards his or her goals. Yet, the person who adapts this technique is better able to predict the response of the other parties involved, and can, accordingly, either adjust their methods to overcome these barriers, or re-evaluate their original stance in light of the sentiments of others. In either case, the person who takes alternative opinions into account will always be better prepared to face down a challenge.

Recently, I was treated to a fascinating lecture on the possibility of an “American Civil Religion”. This encompasses the notion that American history, culture, and values take up in the minds of Americans the same place that religion once took up in earlier civilizations. Most importantly, Americans, like numerous other historical religious groups, mistake their ideals of a functioning society for universal ideals, and as such make a point to push such ideals wherever they go about the world. Like missionaries, they advocate what they see to be the most pressing issues for all of mankind, yet they are unexpectedly rebuked by the rest of the world upon arrival. Americans, perhaps more so than any other people, will have a difficult time adjusting to the myriad of social priorities when encountering other cultures, simply because they have been taught that their values of freedom of speech, liberal democracy, and the like are universal values. These are powerful ideals, and to electively shed them when acting upon other cultures will be a difficult trick to learn. Hopefully, the mastery of cross-cultural communication will become an attainable objective for all.

Perry Landesberg