Managing Differences Between The United States & The United Kingdom

Everyone loves a vacation, but how easy would it be to vacation in the United Kingdom? Let's talk about it. In my personal opinion I do not think it would be too difficult for the average American to visit the United Kingdom. I say this for many reasons, and luckily I have already listed many of these reasons throughout other blog posts. In the United Kingdom their national language is English, which is certainly an added perk. Navigating a language barrier in a country that you have never been to can surely pose some challenges, so not having to navigate a language barrier on top of things will definitely help. Although, even though the official languages are the same, it is important to remember that does not mean that all words and phrases are the same. To learn a bit more about the difference between English in the United Kingdom Compared to English In The United States refer to this previous blog post of mine.

The other challenge that I think you could face while visiting the United Kingdom would be adapting to the etiquette practices. Their etiquette is quite different from the etiquette styles we have in the United States. In the United Kingdom there is a status level that you receive within this culture, and your status is determined by how you present yourself in public, The Brits are known for being much more formal in their day to day lives, especially in comparison to the United States. To learn a bit more about how to navigate this etiquette read my two previous blog posts, How To Put Your Best Foot Forward In The United Kingdom, and Business In The United Kingdom. 

Immersing yourself into a new culture can be extremely overwhelming, but don’t worry, there are things you can do prior to visiting that will make your immersion more seamless. Culture shock is a real thing, so it's important to have the tools to navigate it. One tool that you can work on prior to your travels is to educate yourself on ethnocentrism (pg. 297). Ethnocentrism is the mindset or belief that your own culture is superior to others. If you are aware of what this mindset is, you will be less likely to partake in it. Always remember that no culture is better than the other, and it is not a competition. Every culture has something to offer, and good to give. Embrace everything around you and leave prejudice and pre-existing beliefs behind. All and all I think that if you are interested in visiting or even moving to the United Kingdom it is very doable. Just be sure to always be mindful and respectful toward others, as well as the culture you are immersing yourself into.

The foundation of iterating is built on ethics, so let's discuss intercultural ethics, and its components. There are five components to intercultural ethics. The first component is being aware that communication produces a response. This concept highlights the idea that within your own culture you can usually anticipate someone's response, but when interacting with an individual from another culture the response cannot always be adequately anticipated. The second component of intercultural ethics is respect for others. The ethical stance is very simple. No matter what culture an individual belongs to, they are worthy of respect. The third component of intercultural ethics is seeking commonalities. This component encourages individuals to focus on what their two religions have in common, rather than focus on what their differences are. Essentially the idea that within communication if you focus on the positive and not the negative it will act as an ethical guideline. With that being said, the fourth component of intercultural ethics is recognizing and respecting differences. Despite what anyone says, it is innate to notice differences throughout culture. Although, this concept emphasises that you need to notice these differences in a very respectful way. The fifth and final concept in intercultural ethics is to be self-responsible. This concept emphasizes that at times throughout communication you will experience consequences for your actions. Whether or not your consequences are a result of intended or unintended behavior you need to take responsibility. By taking responsibility you will be able to learn from your mistakes and evolve. To learn more about intercultural ethics I recommend reading page 311 in Communication Between Cultures.

Even though I created this blog with the hopes that I will one day visit the United Kingdom, that trip certainly is not in my near future. If you are in the same boat as me, there are luckily ways that we can still engage with this culture without leaving the United States. For example, you can watch documentaries on the United Kingdom, or even watch shows, and listen to podcasts that were created there. This will help you to engage a bit more with their rich culture, and television and podcasts are a great tool to utilize for being able to detect different dialects. You could even download duolingo on your phone to help you learn how to properly speak the same way that they do in the United Kingdom. My last piece of advice would be to get a penpal who lives in the United Kingdom. This can be a bit of an overwhelming step, but there are many ways to meet someone and make a friend in the United Kingdom. For example, the website Boo is an app that will help you do just that. Boo is essentially a dating app that is intended to build friendships instead of romantic relationships. By making a friend in the United Kingdom it will give you the ability to engage with their culture on a daily basis from the comfort of your own home.

All and all I hope this blog taught you a bit more about the culture within the United Kingdom. I would love to hear what your biggest take away from this blog was, so please leave a comment below. 

As always, I’ll catch you next time!

Xoxo,

Lil