BaFa BaFa; Coping in an unusual culture

When travelling abroad, the thought of the many unusual traditions and customs can be a daunting one. Most travellers are aware of the more common customs such as tipping taxi drivers or waiters but are often unaware of the reasons behind such customs (Ferguson, 2017). Shamir (1984) suggests that people travel abroad to leave their normal life and social status behind which causes travellers to enter new cultures as if they are from a higher social status. This means the risk of not correctly adhering to cultural traditions and being seen as rude, or worse, is heightened. But how can travellers avoid these negative outcomes of travel and successfully blend into a new culture?

After partaking in Shirts (1974, as cited in Landis & Brislin, 2013) BaFa BaFa cross-cultural simulation where I was immersed in a new culture, themes emerged that I believe are important to note. I found that it is within human nature to want to help others. Entering the new culture with an open mind and trying to understand it through the perspective of others will lead to insightful and positive responses from the in-group that is being intruded upon. Often in the real world, people can feel embarrassed to ask questions about other people’s culture, but this experience demonstrated that if you ask questions in a positive way, people want to share the knowledge of their own culture and feel good doing so. It is important to remember that traditions and customs have meaning behind them in real life and people want you to understand them. Whilst this experience shows just how to cope in a new culture, there is a stronger message behind this experience. The kindness in human nature is stronger than the desire to cause people distress. With the right attitude, people will go out of their way to help others. This knowledge could mean cultural differences that cause political feuds so rife in the news recently have the potential to be resolved merely by being more willing to understand or ask about the differences between cultures.

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References

Ferguson, G., Megehee, C. M., & Woodside, A. G. (2017). Culture, religiosity, and economic configural models explaining tipping-behavior prevalence across nations. Tourism Management, 62, 218–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.05.001

Landis, D., & Brislin, R. (2013). Handbook of Intercultural Training. Burlington: Elsevier Science.

Shamir, B. (1984). Between gratitude and gratuity an analysis of tipping. Annals Of Tourism Research, 11(1), 59-78. doi: 10.1016/0160-7383(84)90096-3