Cultural Awareness

Here it is a really interesting topic that it is worth thinking about it and analysing it: cultural awareness. 

Our background, culture, values and experiences shape us, lead us to see and do things in a certain way and this is a unconscious process. However, it is incorrect to assume that everybody is similar. People from different cultures can have different interpretations, reactions, behaviours and beliefs. If we project our own interpretations and views on others, misunderstandings can arise because what is considered appropriate and correct in one culture may be inappropriate and wrong in another culture (Quappe & Cantatore 2005).

Because of that, when we travel overseas and we interact with people from different culture, we need to be open-mind and have self and cross-cultural awareness in order to manage cultural diversity. 

Once living abroad, I could have contact with people with different customs and ideas. I can list some Australian customs/habits/ideas/facts that are surprisingly different for me.

- Single-sex schools;
- Walking barefoot on the streets;
- Throwing the toilet paper in the toilet bowl (in Brazil we throw it in the rubbish bin);
- No locks on bedroom and bathroom doors;
- Driving and walking on the right-hand side;
- Stores close at 5 pm (early for Brazilians);
- Drinking tap water (Brazilians drink filtered water);
- Free water at the restaurants;
- Alcoholic beverages are sold in specialized shops;
- Alcohol is not allowed on the beaches/streets;
- Self-service petrol stations (in Brazil, attendants operate the pumps);
- Automated fare collection systems on buses (in Brazil, we have a person to collect the fare besides the driver);
- Eating avocado in the salads (Brazilians drink it with milk!)

Reference:

Quappe, S & Cantatore, G 2005, What is Cultural Awareness, anyway? How do I build it?, accessed 21 Dec 2014, culturosity.com