As we all know, the world is becoming a global village due to technological achievements of the modern time that have brought people closer together. Today, people from different cultural backgrounds are either communicating, working, or learning together. It is, therefore, a necessity for modern people to know how to deal with people from different cultures by learning their cultural diversities which include their inherited values, concepts, and ways of living that are unique to people of a particular social group ( Van-Dyne, Ang & Ryan, 2012) . In life, people act by the dominant norms and values in their society, especially, where someone spent most of his or her childhood and puberty period. Every community has its cultural values, beliefs, and practices which help people to perform their activities smoothly within a specific society. In this paper, am going to give a written reflection on what I experienced while interacting with a woman from American culture.
The setting of the Interaction
I am a female Coptic Orthodox Christian from Egypt, and the lady I interacted with was from the United States. I conducted my cross-cultural study on 11 th March 2018 while having lunch at the school canteen. The lady is my classmate, and the conversation took more than three hours, and I discovered new insights that were fascinating about American culture. Despite the few similarities between her culture and mine, numerous differences came out from the conversation. The interaction helped me to clear some misconceptions about American culture that I had grown up thinking they were right.
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Thoughts, Feelings, and Things Learnt
I learned that the United States is made up of a diversity of ethnic groups and cultures that shaped the moral values of the nation. Even though some groups of people follow different values and norms, the majority support the mainstream of American culture. In the U.S., children are taught at an early age to be independent by developing their goals which give them a purpose in life. Then, parents, friends, and guardians reward them if they show signs of achieving their goals or if they reach their goals. As opposed to the discrimination that existed in ancient America, I learned that modern Americans uphold the value of equality and believe that all women and men from all ethnic groups living in America have the same rights ( Van-Dyne, Ang & Ryan, 2012) . The American lifestyle is very casual ranging from dressing, greetings, and even friendships. For example, students greet each other with “what’s up?” or “hi” while farewell greetings are also brief such as “see you” or “come by sometime.” I remembered my first experience in America was the culture shock I had to deal with to fit into a new way of living. For instance, students going to class with t-shirts and shorts and male instructors coming to lecture halls with casual wear. Something that never happened in my entire life while in Egypt.
American citizens like their privacy and most of them enjoy spending their free time alone. The American lady told me that there were Americans who would consider it to be intrusive if someone asked them, “What is on your mind?” ( Kratzke & Bertolo, 2013) . Also, they were very punctual for any event because to them “time is money” and someone is supposed to apologize when late. My thoughts that Americans talk loud and fast were confirmed in the interaction. However, the idea of associating confidence with talking loudly was not accurate because it turned out that some Americans are shy. However, what surprised me is the fact that most Americans never minded entering their houses with shoes and later sit or walk barefoot on the same floor. On the contrary, Egyptians consider such an act to be disrespectful and unhygienic.
Similarities and Differences between Egyptian and American Culture
The modern American and Egyptian society are two entirely different subjects with little in common. However, some aspects are comparable. For instance, in the U.S., both male and female citizens have a right to decide on their rulers through voting ( Kratzke & Bertolo, 2013) . Also, both genders are allowed to contest for any leadership seat. Similarly, in modern Egypt, women are occupying leadership positions that were primarily meant for men in ancient Egypt. In both cultures, citizens interact, work, buy, and socialize in major cities. However, most Egyptian towns are located close to water bodies and are less technologically advanced compared to American cities that are situated far from water bodies.
The cultural differences between the two countries are high in numbers. In Egypt, people prefer things to be done in an orderly manner according to the schedule. For instance, business people plan their activities and meetings and consider it as a sign of respect if people observe time as stated on the program. Even though Americans are punctual with time, they can organize for meetings and reschedule them in less than 24 hours. Another difference is regarding the dress code. In America, people are not strict with what they should wear on different occasions and is not surprising to find people going to work in casual wear. Conversely, men and women in Egypt dress well, especially when going to work to make a good impression ( Van-Dyne, Ang & Ryan, 2012) . A woman should put on a dress with sleeves that cover her arms and knees. A woman should not wear light clothes that show her skin. For men, the dress code at work is a suit completed with a tie, with no facial or neck jewelry.
Both in American and Egyptian homes, visitors are offered a drink such as coffee, tea, or soft drink. In America, when someone does not accept a drink it is not a big deal to the host who might assume that the visitor is not thirsty ( Kratzke & Bertolo, 2013) . However, in Egypt, declining to take a drink is a sign of rudeness, and the host does not take it lightly. When greeting or having a conversation with an Egyptian, eye contact is considered to be very important. With technological advancements and inception of mobile phones in the United States, it is not unusual to get two or more people conversing while they are busy with their gadgets.
Apparently, most Egyptians are Muslims, so the Muslim culture dominates. Christianity is also practiced in Egypt, but most cultural practices are determined by the majority. For example, premarital sex or boyfriend-girlfriend relationship is strictly prohibited in the Muslim culture. Sex is only permitted after marriage and girls are supposed to be virgins at the time of marriage ( Kratzke & Bertolo, 2013) . Women who lose their virginity before marriage might end up not being married or jailed. On the other hand, American society is dominated by Christianity that is not very strict on punishing people who do not follow religious laws and regulations. Premarital sex and unwanted pregnancies are rarely punished in the United States, and female virginity is not a rate-limiting step to marriage. In Egypt, once a couple gets married, they concentrate on having a family and bringing forth children. However, in the U.S., people get married primarily for companionship and children are not a central part of marriage. In fact, same-sex unions have been legalized in some states in America ( Van-Dyne, Ang & Ryan, 2012) . Both cultures recognize divorce among married couples but in Egypt the process of securing the divorce is complicated, and someone must have enough reasons to be granted such a request.
Impacts from the Cross-Cultural Experience
The interaction I had with the American classmate helped me to deal with the culture shock I got when I started school in America. I have been able to adjust my mental, physical, and emotional beliefs to fit in the foreign culture. And I have come to appreciate the fact that despite the cultural beliefs that society follows, there is always some significance behind them.
Conclusion
Technology has turned the world into a global village. As a result, diversity in cultural beliefs and practices has become an exciting field of study. Through cultural diversity, communication and understanding between people from different cultures have been made possible. Students from various cultural divides can work together and improve their academic grades through group discussions. From the experience that I have gained from the interaction, I believe that I can work with people from different cultures which is one of the top skills employers look for in new graduates.
References
Kratzke, C., & Bertolo, M. (2013). Enhancing Students' Cultural Competence using Cross-Cultural Experiential Learning. Journal of Cultural Diversity , 20 (3).
Van-Dyne, L., Ang, S., & Ryan, A. M. (2012). Cultural intelligence: A review, reflections, and recommendations for future research. Conducting multinational research: Applying organizational psychology in the workplace , 29-58.
