Cultural "Other" Awareness (Concept)

    According to an article found on Oxford-review.com, the definition of Cultural other awareness refers to "the ability to recognise and understand one’s own cultural identity, biases, beliefs, and values, and how they influence interactions with others." This week's topic made me conceptualise the fact that people's behaviour toward others can be very different depending on the country they are coming from. 

Since I arrived in Japan, I had the chance to talk to many people from all around the world. They shared a lot about their culture and the way they are acting with others, and I realised that it is sometimes very different from the things I am used to doing when I am in society. Social interactions are therefore not universal and are strongly influenced by daily life. 

The videos about high and low trust societies particularly caught my attention because it shows how much we are different in our behaviours depending on where we are from. In France, I do believe that people are generally more direct and comfortable expressing their opinions openly. For example, in an elevator or public transport, it is common to avoid interaction with strangers; I am very used to doing it as well. From what I saw since I arrived in Japan, people also value personal space, but politeness and social harmony seem much more important in everyday interactions. It is pejorative for my own country to say this, but I say a lot that Japanese people are more civilised compare to French people. Small gestures such as bowing, avoiding loud conversations, or respecting social rules reflect this cultural perspective. 

Overall, this class topic helped me understand that developing cultural awareness helps improve communication, relationships, and decision-making, and can lead to cultural competence and cultural safety, where everyone feels respected and included.

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