Journal Entry #9 - Figuring Foreigners Out

[Alexis Witt]

The readings from "Figuring Foreigners Out" help us to understand various things about other cultures. I thought this reading was very interesting, and I really enjoyed applying it to cultures that speak Swahili.

The first section was about Direct (low context) v Indirect (high context) methods of communication. At least in the area that I visited, Tanzanians tent to fit better into the Indirect method of communication. Actions seem to be very important. For instance, to say thank you isn't enough to show gratitude. When we visited, to show her gratitude, Mama Allen cooked dinner for all eight of us, than sang and danced with her family after we finished eating. And in Nyacusa (the local tribal language), there is this word ndaga, which is a greeting, goodbye, and if I remember correctly it is also used as a way to say thank you. Someone really has to know the culture to understand the word. I still don't know exactly what it means. But at the same time, words generally are taken literally rather than metaphorically, which would fall more under the Direct method.

The next section has to deal with how cultures view time. In Tanzania, they are definitely polychronic. Time is not important, at all. One of my favorite stories from my trip that really show came from when we visited a preaching point in the middle of the jungle. It was probably a 30 min walk from the main part of Isuba village to this little pavilion (shown below) in what seemed like the middle of nowhere.

It was early in the afternoon on Monday, so we just expected to meet with some church elders. Eventually we see a man go out into the clearing and start beating a drum (later it was explained that he was calling people to worship). And people dropped what they were doing to come to an impromptu worship service. It didn't matter that it was Monday and there was work to be done. It could be done later.

The next portion of the reading discussed individualist v collectivist cultures. Tanzania is very collectivist. What is good for the whole is more important than what is best for the individual. People are expected to reach out and help their friends and family in need. There is almost no focus on the individual. In the younger generations, there is more of a push for people to go to secondary school and if they are lucky enough to "University," but it is more to benefit the community rather than the individual.

I also really enjoyed the nonverbal communication section. I noticed while I was in Tanzania, there were certain things that were universal, especially smiles. I visited a pottery shop near Matema Beach, and kids swarmed around me. At one point, I had six kids hanging onto my two hands. I couldn't speak with them because they didn't even know Swahili, just Nyacusa. But they were talking amongst themselves, smiling, and laughing. My only method of communicating with them was through my own smile. It was one of my favorite days of my time there.

Another thing that I learned were the differences in various gestures or other nonverbal methods of communication. For instance, in Tanzania holding hands is only between friends, not between couples.When I visited Manow Secondary School, one of the guys grabbed my hand and held it as we walked around. It wasn't out of any romantic feelings, but feelings of friendship. And you would never point one finger at someone because it is considered rude.