Culture & Values

Culture & Values

There’s more to getting the most out of your Global

Studies experience than just buying your books, packing

your bags and getting on the plane. We’ve gone over the

all the important steps of preparing for your time abroad,

but it’s just as important to mentally prepare for your

transition into a new cultural landscape. This section is

intended to get you thinking about the challenges and

benefits of cultural immersion, and the ways that St.

John’s University’s Vincentian values can play a role in it.

What is Culture?

Culture:

• A framework of shared meaning that dictates how we view ourselves, our

communities, and the world

• A basis of expectations and assumptions that we bring to every situation

we encounter

• Culture can be shared amongst people of the same ethnicity, nationality,

geographical origin, religion, etc.

What are some of the things that make up a person or group’s culture?

• Values

•Traditions

•Attitudes

•Language spoken

•Dialect/slang

•Gestures

•Food

•Music

•Clothing

Defining Your Culture

Even within close-knit groups, there are differences in culture. You may not have the same

culture as your next-door neighbor due to differing ethnic backgrounds; you and your parents

may share many cultural identifiers, but differ due to generational differences. Because

culture is so ingrained in us, we often take it for granted. Spend some time thinking about

how your culture is defined, and how it differs from those around you.

Here are some common identifiers of “American” culture – you may identify with all, some,

or none of them:

• Patriotism

• BBQs/Cookouts

• American football

• Emphasis on individual rights and achievement

• Personal space (a concept that doesn’t exist in many parts of the world!)

• “Relaxed” style of dress

Cultural Immersion: Expecting Different

So what do we do when we’re confronted with cultures different

than our own? At first, we often find cultural differences to be the

most interesting part of studying abroad and travel – and for good

reason! However, as we discussed earlier in regards to Culture

Shock, cultural differences can also seem inconvenient, difficult to

understand, and sometimes even offensive. This is why it’s so

important to “expect different” when entering new cultural

environments. Feeling like an “outsider” in a foreign cultural context

can be difficult, but if you keep in mind that “different” doesn’t

mean better or worse, and think about the reason for and

potential advantages to these cultural difference, the experience

will be much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Cultural Competency

Cultural Competency is the ability to operate efficiently within another

cultural environment and with people of another culture. Cultural

competency skills are crucial in any type of professional environment that

involves cross-cultural interaction. That means that the skills you learn and

develop while you’re abroad can translate directly to your future career –

and can even help you land a job! That’s why it’s important to think about

these skills and how you’re using them during your abroad experience.

Cultural competency skills include:

- The ability to operate efficiently within another culture (and outside your

comfort zone)

- Awareness of your own worldview (assumptions, biases, values, etc.)

- A better understanding of the worldviews of others

- Ability to communicate effectively across language and culture barriers

- Ability to adapt quickly to new situations

Vincentian Values

So what does being Vincentian

have to do with this?

You already know about the

Vincentian spirit of charity and

service, and you’ll likely have

multiple opportunities to serve

during your program. But there are

other ways you can live the

Vincentian mission through your

study abroad experience.

The 5 Vincentian Virtues

The 5 Vincentian Virtues were handed down directly from St. Vincent de

Paul as “ways of being” that exemplify the Vincentian spirit. They may

sound old-fashioned at first, but it’s easy to translate them into

contemporary life – and think about them as guidelines as you approach

your study abroad experience and think about how to get the most out of it!

1. Simplicity – Translation: Be honest. Keep in mind your goals for your

study abroad program – you’ll get out of this program what you put into

it, so be honest with yourself in determining what you want that to be.

At the same time, don’t worry about planning out every detail – keeping

things simple allows for flexibility in practice.

2. Humility – Translation: Be realistic. Remember that you’re a visitor in

someone else’s country, and in many cases, someone else’s home.

You can’t always expect things to come as easily as they do back

home. Accept that sometimes, you’ll need someone more experienced

to guide you – don’t be afraid to take their advice! A little humility can

go a long way.

The Vincentian Values, cont’d.

3. Meekness – Translation: Be approachable. One of the most

interesting thing about studying abroad and traveling is getting to know

the locals – but you’ll never get that chance if you don’t let your guard

down once in a while! Not everyone is naturally outgoing, but stepping

outside your comfort zone, swallowing your pride and being extra

friendly to the people you meet in the course of your time studying

abroad and travels can be hugely rewarding.

4. Mortification – Translation: Be self-disciplined. This one is pretty

self-explanatory, but it’s also a huge key to making the most of your

time studying abroad. Sure, it’s tempting to take an afternoon siesta

(especially when you’re dealing with jet lag), but every minute you

spend relaxing is a minute not spent having a life-changing experience.

Keep yourself moving, and stay motivated to check off every item on

your “to-do” list!

5. Zeal – Translation: Be hard-working. Finally, remember that you’re

not just there to be a tourist – work hard and stay on top of your

studies; remember, they’re the reason that you’re abroad in the first

place.

Further Research

We could go on forever telling you about the importance of

cultural awareness, but the best way to prepare is to do some

research on your own and focus on the things that interest you.

Here are some resources to get you started:

• The Student Guide – made for SJU students by SJU

students, it has tons of info on becoming a pro traveler.

• LonelyPlanet.com – a website devoted to travel, with

general info on all of our locations and many more

• Wikipedia – for all its faults, Wikipedia can be great for

getting quick facts on things like geography, politics, people and

climate.