I’m loving my courses this semester. They are all opening my eyes to a world which I’ve never noticed or really took time to think about. I’ll be the first to admit that I live in my safe, structured Southern Ontario little bubble. I grew up in a white middle class family. My parents worked hard and raised my sisters and I very well. My only experience outside North America was to New Zealand a few years ago. Which culturally isn’t much of a shock to a Canadian. This semester I’m studying Economics and International Marketing, it’s becoming quite clear how little I know about the world outside of my bubble. And also, how I’ve been seeing the world outside my bubble has been skewed.

From my point of view in New Zealand

In my International Marketing class we learned about the term ETHNOCENTRISM. We are always seeing the world from our own point of view and comparing. We grow up in a specific culture absorbing its values and behaviours. It can be difficult, and nearly impossible when interacting with a different culture to see their values and behaviours through their viewpoint. It is important to remember not to think of “yours vs. theirs”. Neither is correct they are just different.

This can be true for any relationship really, different culture or not. When you disagree or have a differing of opinion than someone it may not be that one is necessarily “right or wrong” it’s just different. That is of course unless it’s 1+1, that always = 2 anyone arguing that fact is definitely wrong.

Hoping to continue to share more terms and tid bits of new knowledge throughout the coming semester.