 |
Picking a country that you’re going to study, examine, and observe over
the course of a semester can be quite difficult to choose from, especially when
there are over 200 countries in the world with so many different and unique
cultures to learn from. When I started this blog, I wanted to choose a
country that I could connect and grow with. I wanted to have a different
understanding of the world from what I grew up with. So, I ended up choosing the country Belgium not only because of its unique culture, but also because of its rich
and diverse atmosphere.
I first learned about Belgium in high school
where I had to research its economy for a project and even though that day, I
thought of a new country that I had never thought of before, I still felt like
I was lacking something, and I never got a deeper understanding of Belgium’s true
culture. I hope in the future that this blog will help me to not only
interact with individuals from this culture and any other, but to also
understand everything that they have to offer and more. I want to be proud and
confident knowing that I am open-minded to what the world has to offer.
Belgium's culture is known for its tolerance, flexibility, modesty, and open-mindedness. Belgians value privacy and typically like to enjoy a safe and comfortable lifestyle. They are known to be hardworking, self-discipled and actively involved in their communities. The country itself is made up of many cultural distinctions between Flanders, Wallonia, and a small German-speaking community. The majority of the population is ethnically Flemish, those who primarily speak Dutch and live in the northern half of the country. The Walloons, the ones who speak French, make up the other major cultural group and reside in the southern half. In addition, some of these regions are more strongly associated with particular cultural attributes than others. Flanders, for one, is particularly noted for its visual art and various schools of painting. In music, it has been influential in Brussels, Liege, Ghent, and Antwerp, while Hainaut remains the center for classical and popular traditions.
In studying cultures, on a general basis, there seems to be a common challenge when it comes to cross-cultural understanding: ethnocentrism. In other words, when it comes to examining another culture, people often interpret the practices, beliefs, and values through the lens of their own cultural norms and biases, which can overall lead to misunderstandings, as behaviors that are unfamiliar to one's own cultural context could be misinterpreted. To ensure that all information remains accurate and unbiased from the perspective of a given culture, it's important to immerse yourself in the culture by spending time learning about that culture through diverse sources. Also, approaching the culture with respect and a genuine desire to understand without implementing your own opinion about cultural values is important to remember when it comes to engaging yourself in a new culture.
References:
Comments
Post a Comment