Effective communication does not stop at just being a good listener or a good speaker in a conversation. It extends beyond that. Being sensitive, alert and understanding cultural differences play vital roles as well and inter cultural communication is an important tool to communicate between people of different cultural beliefs, values and way of life.
After my O level holidays, my family and I went to Thailand for short vacation. Thailand was an extremely cultural rich country and the Thai culture was strongly influenced by Buddhism. A large proportion of Bali's population adheres to Buddhism and thus there were numerous magnificent temples in that country. We were brought to visit one of the temples by the tour guide. I was wearing bermudas and a singlet as the weather was extremely hot . When I was about to enter the temple, I was not allowed to enter the temple. The security guard who was in duty on that day refused to let me in. He said that I was not dressed properly and I was exposing too much of my legs and hands. He advised me to wear the pants and long sleeve shirt which was provided by the security guards there. I told him the weather was really hot and wearing so much clothes would be uncomfortable. He reiterated that I could only enter the temple when i cover myself with the clothes given. He explained to me that I was being rude and disrespectful to their religion if i am not dressed properly. I then decided to just wear the clothes given and join my family with the tour.
In NUS, wearing bermudas and a singlet is a common sight. It did not occur to me when I was packing my luggage that this type of dressing can be deemed so differently in another country. I realize that an ignorance of the culture you are visiting can lead to development of stereotypes and occasionally the causing of offense to the native culture. By having inter cultural awareness can help us as tourists to understand the boundaries when visiting a foreign country and promotes good relations with the native culture. As we can see, being sensitive to inter cultural differences is a need for many people. In a world that is constantly shrinking, coming to know and appreciate the cultural differences between us is paramount so as to ensure peace and harmony. A good thing to do before visiting another country is to get to know their cultural norms and their dos and don’ts through internet or other ways so as to ensure a higher chance of having a good experience there.
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6 comments:
I would think that one principle to improve intercultural communication is to educate oneself. It is important to learn about the other culture(s) before the actual visit to a country. Fortunately, there are many sources readily available to us today to learn more about the different cultures. I am glad to hear that you went into the temple for a visit in the end. This showed your flexibility and willingness to revise your opinions, which are important intercultural skills.
In Singapore, I would say that Buddhist temples have the same practice. When I visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum a few months back, I was also stopped at the door and given a cloth to cover up my legs as the particular skirt I was wearing did not cover my knees. It was a good experience nonetheless as I learnt quite a number of new and interesting concepts from the tour. This also made me realized that I should wear “more covered up” attire when visiting places of worship to be on the safe side.
I feel that knowing and being tolerant of other cultures are important aspects of effective communication between people with different cultural backgrounds.
It is important to be sensitive to the needs of different culture especially when it comes to matters regarding religion. Therefore, it's understandable that the security guard refused to let you in unless you're properly attired. It's good to hear that you donned the appropriate attire after some 'persuasion' from the guard and the incident ended well.
I guess that the dress codes to religious places are important... Perhaps we should research on it before visiting such places... :D
For example, to attend masses at catholic church, we also have to dress nicely - as if going for a dinner or something...
I think the research part and self-education part are important. :D I guess it'll be safest to dress conservatively, i.e. pants and shirt or dresses for girls. :D
Yes, the preparation is important. It can equip you with the knowledge of the culture, so that you can appreciate the culture when you are there. It will certainly help people to enjoy their trip in a completely different culture. Otherwise, you will just think they are strange and some unpleasant experiences may occur.
Hi Mushtaq!
I'm confused, was it Indonesia or Thailand you visited? :)
I agree with you that being sensitive to other's cultural differences are extremely important. Even more so when you are a tourist as you are visiting the country to get a glimpse on the its' cultural norms.
I faced a situation similar to yours whilst visiting a mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia; they asked that we cover ourselves and provided us with long robes to wear to cover our 'aurat'. We must always respect the boundaries of others as they may not be similar to our own.
I agree with you that intercultural awareness is important especially when we are visiting a foreign country. Actually, I also did not know that you cannot wear singlet and Bermudas into a Buddhist temple even though I am a Buddhist. In fact I have worn shorts to a temple before without problem. In fact, I think in Singapore, many people do that too. That shows that even for the same religion, people in different countries will have different rules that they have to abide by. Thus in the future, if I want to visit a foreign country, I really must look up on their cultural rules even if the major religion and race of that country is the same as mine.
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