So growing up I was always taught the adage “When in Rome, do as the Romans.”
I spent my whole childhood bouncing across the US and Europe. So I wonder, what are your thoughts on this philosophy? Should be assimilate into their host nation’s culture? Or should the host tolerate people changing the culture with their own cultural ideas?
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So growing up I was always taught the adage “When in Rome, do as the Romans.”
I spent my whole childhood bouncing across the US and Europe. So I wonder, what are your thoughts on this philosophy? Should be assimilate into their host nation’s culture? Or should the host tolerate people changing the culture with their own cultural ideas?
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I would go with doing both.
Both. Some cultural literacy is a good thing. I wouldn’t go to France and expect them to cater to any American sensibilities I bring that are contrary to their culture.
On the other hand, living your culture in another country can be a really good thing if it exposes people to diverse ways of life and ideas.
I think people should be allowed and able to choose. Why is it my business how other people live their lives?
I think it’s bad. The best dynamic is for successive generations following initial immigration to integrate while the “host” culture absorbs and integrates elements of the immigrants’.
America is a low context culture – people are largely pretty direct, individualistic, there aren’t a lot of cultural intricacies and it’s relatively easy to fit in. You don’t need to assimilate nor conform, but your kids will likely do so naturally.
I largely think the idea of assimilation is a coping measure for people who are of the personality type that finds the “other” to be scary.
Assimilation is fine as long as it’s not coerced.