Inefficient or Laid Back? Your Ethnocentricity Cannot Be the Judge
On a recent flight back from a certain Latin American nation, we heard two American women sitting in front of us complaining about the inefficient nature of this particular country. Because this country has a special place in our small, prune-like heart, we took slight offense. It’s true that most Latin American countries have a different way of doing things (by U.S. standards) which means you might -by design- have to stand in line twice in the same store to buy one item or that you may have to appear in person at the bank to deposit your check. And yes, these types of things can be frustrating and seem like timewasters, but on the other hand, let us step out of our ethnocentric selves and try to see the whole picture.
Ethnocentricity is the notion that we see other cultures through the lens of our own culture so that few observations are objective. These American women are probably used to online banking, Amazon.com, and Costco where you can buy a washing machine, leather jacket, head of broccoli, and a 6-month supply of tampons all in one store. While these conveniences may be nice at times, one could argue they also lead to less personal interaction with community members and less personal attention from the businesses one frequents.
This “inefficiency” also encourages a slower pace in general. If you know you’re going to take the whole afternoon to visit the butcher, vegetable market, and pharmacy, you don’t hurry; maybe you stop to have a cup of coffee and chat with folks on your way. Is that a bad thing?
Of course, this argument is all very simplistic and we don’t even know to what these women were referring when discussing the inefficiency. However, when coming in contact with other cultures, it’s important to: 1. Understand that your view is colored by your own culture and experiences; and 2. Look beyond what you view as negative (or positive) and try to objectively identify both pros and cons for various differences in cultures. These are the differences that make traveling thrilling!
It’s all about being mindful, even with ingrained ethnocentricity. The good thing is that the more you travel, the less ethnocentric you become, unless one uses it to solidify superior feelings.