What tools can be used to become open minded?
Learning by addition
Assimilation is the individual’s adaption of impressions from the environment into previously developed psychological structures. By means of this assimilation is additions and extension to existing cognitive schemes or knowledge structures. In the context of assimilation one could talk of learning by addition.
Learning by accommodation:
Accommodation, which takes place when impressions from the environment can not fit into existing schemes, consists dissociation and reconstruction, by which means the schemes are altered so that the impressions can be taken in. Accommodation thus implies a going beyond, or a transcendent of, the readiness already developed, and can be characterized as transcendent learning.
An example of accommodation of new knowledge is the story/statement from Ferdinand Magellan. He saw the shadow of the moon as he was sailing the world, and in that way he could calculate that the earth was not flat as the church was telling people, but round.
Culture shock:
A culture shock is when you travel/meet a new culture and it's much more different than what you assumed and was expecting. It can be everything from the meaning of religion, working habits, food and general social values.
I don't believe that's possible in any way to avoid a culture shock when visiting a new and different culture. But you can prepare yourself by reading about the country, being open minded and willing to take the shock as something positive and learn from it instead of being skeptical.
If we acknowledge the unknown and different I believe we will learn much more and understanding of the culture will be much easier.
If we can accommodate a situation there is a risk of seeking understanding through:
Learning by addition
Assimilation is the individual’s adaption of impressions from the environment into previously developed psychological structures. By means of this assimilation is additions and extension to existing cognitive schemes or knowledge structures. In the context of assimilation one could talk of learning by addition.
Learning by accommodation:
Accommodation, which takes place when impressions from the environment can not fit into existing schemes, consists dissociation and reconstruction, by which means the schemes are altered so that the impressions can be taken in. Accommodation thus implies a going beyond, or a transcendent of, the readiness already developed, and can be characterized as transcendent learning.
An example of accommodation of new knowledge is the story/statement from Ferdinand Magellan. He saw the shadow of the moon as he was sailing the world, and in that way he could calculate that the earth was not flat as the church was telling people, but round.
Culture shock:
A culture shock is when you travel/meet a new culture and it's much more different than what you assumed and was expecting. It can be everything from the meaning of religion, working habits, food and general social values.
I don't believe that's possible in any way to avoid a culture shock when visiting a new and different culture. But you can prepare yourself by reading about the country, being open minded and willing to take the shock as something positive and learn from it instead of being skeptical.
If we acknowledge the unknown and different I believe we will learn much more and understanding of the culture will be much easier.
If we can accommodate a situation there is a risk of seeking understanding through:
- Chauvinism (Danish girls are cheap and smoke in public)
- Disgust (all Indians are filthy as they eat with their hand)
- Prejudice (Grown-ups in Ghana accept to be yelled at)
