Culture is an essential element in our daily living. It is believed that it is what makes us human. Indeed, culture includes ideals, beliefs and values that are vital in our societies. Thus, it determines the way people live their daily lives. This is why, when people enter another culture they experience a period of shock. After this period, the adaptation and assimilation process follows. Thus, cultural adaptation is the evolutionary course in which people modifies their personal customs and habits to fit in to the new culture in their new residence. Thus, cultural adaptation involves evolution, accommodation and change. On the other hand, cultural assimilation is the process whereby people fully integrate the new culture into their everyday lives. This include, completely acceptance and integration of language, food, religion, tradition, dress and history. Thus, to adapt your own culture to assimilate into another refers to the complex process where ones fully modifies and integrates the customs and personal habits to fit into the new culture. Thus, by so doing, one significantly improves his/her cultural competence.
Cultural competence is necessary for people to interact effectively. In fact, it is more needed in the 21st century than ever before. This is because, globalization, urbanization and industrialization has improved the way people do business. There are improved roads and means of transportations, media and technology in general. Today, employees work with people from all sorts of culture, thus they must be culturally competent to ensure effective communication. To do these, people must be aware of their own cultures, and be willing to develop positive attitudes towards cultural difference. Thus knowledge on cultural difference and cross cultural skills across the world is a must have. Failure to comply with the above facts will greatly impede communication. In addition, it will lead to lack of trust between employees, unnecessary arguments and ever differing ideologies.
Culture means a lot to different people. According to Koester and Lustig (2006) cultural adaptation is the best way to foster harmony and unity with the neighbors. Thus, by people assimilating and integrating new culture, they foster greater understanding and lasting peace.
The main challenges in adapting new behaviors like new language, foods and dressing style are lack of desire to learn and inability to part with ones traditions. These, challenges can be overcome by first realizing the importance and the need to adapt the new behaviors. Thus, it is necessary to overcome them.
When my visitor from a different culture imposes his/her cultural beliefs I will try to understand and accept him/her with those cultural beliefs. In fact, I will do this by reflecting on the core aspects of cultural competency, particularly, by understanding his/her cultural diversities.
Reference
Koester, J., and Lustig, W. M. (2006). Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal communication across culture. Pearson A and B.
