How would you qualify or describe different aspects of your target culture? Reflect and your own experiences and expectations of the culture in question. How does your culture reflect various qualitative Hofstede dimensions of culture explored in class, e.g., body language, how people talk about time, etc. Also, have you ever experienced culture shock? If so, describe.
As it relates to one of the Hofstede’s qualitative dimensions, Senegalese culture leans more towards the community than the individual. I’ve come to this conclusion by making sense of certain social norms and expectation revealed by Wolof. For instance, to ask about someone’s livelihood, the direct translation to English asks about their location. Because everyone sees everyone daily, there’s no need to ask, “How are you?”. The communities are so close-knit that the question is used only to express concern. The cue “congcong” to enter a home is another testimony to the culture’s communal aura. Rather than knocking at someone’s door and waiting, many Senegalese people enter the homes of their neighbors with a “congcong” to announce their arrival. Everyone is always welcome.
My latest time experiencing culture shock was in a Buddhist temple. I was invited in by a Vietnamese community sharing lunch. Though they meant well with reassuring smiles and the great food, I felt excluded because I didn’t understand their conversations. All I could do was laugh when they laughed and ask for a translation later.
Comments
It is very interesting how the Senegalese culture focuses more on the community rather than the individual. I think a lot of that relates to the Bangladeshi culture as well. Learning about these different cultures is amazing because they are so different than American culture.
I am sorry you felt that culture shock, but I am impressed that you wanted to learn and asked for translation later. It is also wonderful that you respected them and tried your best to get along with them. I felt similarly when I went to Bangladesh and everyone there spoke Bengali. I look Bangladeshi, so people often assumed I knew the language, which was very frightening because I was very confused and lost. I hope my new knowledge of Bengali will help me during my summer travel to Bangladesh, and I hope your new knowledge of Wolof will also help you in your future!