Growing up in a country with a Multicultural policy* has shaped me and my interest in the cultural differences of others. In elementary school we had a multicultural festival, where everyone brought foods from whatever country they claimed heritage from, and dressed in traditional clothes (if they had any). It was an interesting experience for me to have had at such a young age, and as I grew older I continued to appreciate different cultures. I developed an interest in world music, and ethnic foods, that I continue to enjoy. For a long time, my only experience with different cultures was at various pavilions during the annual cultural festival, Folklorama. A couple of years ago I decided to leave Winnipeg to find out who I was. I ended up in England, living in a house with almost 100 people from all over the world. I was taking a course with a Christian Missionary organization, and interacted daily with people from England, the United States, Egypt, Holland, South Africa, the Faore Islands, Korea, Argentina, and Canada. This confrontation of cultures opened my heart and I fell in love with the differences that made each of us unique... this wasn't automatic of course, there was an initial shock to my ethnocentric way of seeing the world (comparing other cultures and customs against my own, and perceiving them as weird or wrong), especially with British culture and customs. They drove on the "wrong" side of the road, ate the "wrong" kind of chips, had weird "off limit" words (who knew that a "fanny pack" could be such a problem in polite society, and I'm not referring to a fashion crime...). As time went on I grew to absolutely LOVE trading stories with the Americans about how we'd bungled up with how we spoke English.
In short, differences in culture became a way for me to learn more about who I was, and how to learn from people who came from a different point of view (worldview). Culture (learned behaviour and beliefs shared by a group of people) and customs are how people identify themselves with a particular group, whether that's ethnically or socially. That kind of self expression becomes precious to one who is searching for self definition and identity. Cultural holism is something that I'd love to look into further (seeing culture as an intimate interconnection of its parts), to better understand the cultures that have influenced me, and to see how I subscribe to my own cultural expectations.
key terms used: ethnocentrism, culture, holism
*For more information on Canada's Multicultural policy visit http://www.mta.ca/about_canada/multi/
