Sunday, February 28, 2010
culture shock
Culture shock is basically feeling you get when you live in another country where they speak a different language and have totally different culture than what you are used to. There are many differences between western and Eastern culture, I would like to talk about difference in the relationship between child and their parents in the Western and Eastern culture. In West, children are raised to be expressive and encouraged to be independent. Children are allowed to make decisions and parents respect those decisions. Parents also emphasize privacy. Parents always give their advice but they do not try to force their children to do something. They often give their children more freedom and space. They do not make decision for their children. Children choose their own life and is responsible for it. They can openly discuss with their parents ;disagree with them; even debate with them. On the other hand, in East, parents are rigid in their rule, they expect obedience from their children. Children are taught to respect and learn from their elders. Parents have authority to make decision for their children. They always push them to be kind of people they want their children to be. They choose major and career for their children. They want their children to follow their wish and give them more pressure. They do not look their children as independent adult even their children is older enough. They always want their children live with them even though their children are married. It is common that two generation live together. Children always should show respect to elders, they are not allow to argue with their parents. The eldest one in the house has the most power.
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I totally agree with what you said. My parents are from the east so I am really struggling to get my own freedom. But sometimes I feel that my parents want me to go in a certain career path because they care about me. May be my parents are doing the right thing since they know the difficulty of life more than I do. I don't know if I would end up acting the same as my parents when I have my own kids.
ReplyDeleteI am an example of two east and west. my parents are mix of eastern and western culture. My parents always helped me to guide me through my life but they never forced me to do anything. my dad always tells me what to do but when it comes to actually doing something he does not help me to do it. When i first came to US i asked my dad to help me find a job. He gladly agreed and took me to manhattan. He told me that this is where i should look for the job. In a matter of two weeks i found a job in a store where i became menages assistant in two years. Parents always guide me but never help me to actually accomplish something.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your observations. In American culture, children have more freedom and space to choose their own way of life. They are taught to be responsible from an early age which means that they experience the life much quicker than other children.
ReplyDeleteI also have to agree that in my country children are treated differently. Even though they are not forced to do anything, children usually have to obey and respect their parents' decisions.