Preparing for International Assignment: Cultural Awareness & Growth

This essay discusses the importance of cultural understanding and intercultural communication in preparing for international employment. It reflects on personal experiences with individuals from different cultures, particularly American culture, and highlights the differences in values, communication styles, and perceptions. The author acknowledges initial negative judgments based on limited interactions and emphasizes the need for improved intercultural relations. The essay underscores the significance of recognizing that cultural norms vary widely and that what may be considered rude in one culture could be acceptable in another. Ultimately, the essay advocates for continuous learning and adaptation to navigate diverse cultural landscapes effectively in international job assignments. Desklib provides a platform to access this essay and other solved assignments for students.

Running Head: PREPARING FOR INTERNATIONAL 1
Preparing for international
Name of the Student:
Institution Affiliation:

PREPARING FOR INTERNATIONAL 2
The American Culture
Culture is defined as ideas, skills, and art belonging to a particular group of people at
a particular period. Many are identified based on the culture associated with the country of
their origin. That is why culture is considered an essential aspect for every person (Kammen,
2009). The United States is regarded as the third largest country in the world with a
population of about 315 million people (Fischer, 2010). Further, the country is made up of
multicultural societies (Kammen,2009). Because of the many foreigners present in this
country, people in the US have learned to understand and accept other people's culture (Scott,
2010). The rich diversity and hard work has made the US become a superpower in the last
few years
There are significant differences between my culture and that of the US. One of the
significant differences is racism. There are high levels of racism in America which is not the
case here in New Zealand (Johnson,2010). People in the United States are thought to have a
lot of freedom which is explicitly demonstrated by the passing of some law(Scott, 2010). In
our country, we respect and value everyone which is not the case in the United States. (Scott,
2010). On the other hand, American culture is considered popular. Different cultures in the
world are always trying to copy the American culture regarding music, fashion designs and
laws.
I decided to study this culture based on an experience I had with one of my clients
who wanted to become my business partner. I noted various issues when holding a
conversation with him. He could use some words which are considered sensitive in our
cultures, he could not maintain eye contact, and his sentence was very short. I felt
disrespected because I had never come across such an attitude before. I also became
judgmental on the sensitive words that this person used.

PREPARING FOR INTERNATIONAL 3
The experience made me develop a negative attitude towards American culture. I
thought the American culture as one that does not uphold dignity and respect. I was
judgmental on the sensitive words the client used which are common in the American
culture. This tells me that I must improve my intercultural relations to understand people of
different cultures. Interpretation of an international job assignment has also made me
understand that different cultures mean different traits. What people consider rude might be
considered polite in some other culture. Thus one must learn to understand people based on
their culture.

PREPARING FOR INTERNATIONAL 4
References
Fischer, C. S. (2010). Made in America: A social history of American culture and character.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Johnson, L. (2012). What foreigners need to know about America from A to Z: Book 2 of 4.
Los Angeles, Calif: A to Z Publishing
Kammen, M. G. (2009). Visual shock: A history of art controversies in American culture.
New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
Scott, S. M. (2010). Toys and American culture: An encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif:
Greenwood.
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