Moore Intercultural Experience
Angela Moore
Comm102
Intercultural Experience When given the task of placing myself in a cultural environment that I was unfamiliar with, I thought long and hard of where to go. I wanted to challenge myself and truly use the opportunity to become better educated. I looked at the controversies that are in my present society. I examined my own stereotypes or preconceived notions about different cultures. The one that caught my eye and ignited my brain the most was Muslim. There is so much I didn’t know or understand that I wanted to delve into the culture. I began researching Muslim to familiarize myself with some of the basic norms of the culture. I had many misconceptions. I thought that women wrapped their heads as a sign of oppression from the men of the culture. I thought they believed and worshipped a completely different being than I did. I believed that they wanted power and wealth. What I found was so different and very enlightening. I researched where my local mosque was and found their service time was on Fridays at noon. When I arrived I had brought a scarf with me but was unsure of if I would need it since I was not of the Muslim faith, but I wanted to be respectful. I wore modest clothing, khakis and a high neck long-sleeved button up shirt. When I first entered the mosque I had a few stares but was quickly greeted by a middle-aged woman, Amal. She approached me and said, “Salam.” I tried to repeat the phrase back to her, and then panicked that they would not be speaking English. I told her that I was there to observe and to ask some questions about their culture. She smiled wide and said it was great to have me there. I was so thankful that she replied back to me in English. She led me to take off my shoes, and helped me to wrap my head. The gentleness and welcoming nature of her made me feel peaceful. She then took me to the wudu to show me how they cleanse before prayers. We slipped on slippers and then walked to the sinks. She
Comm102
Intercultural Experience When given the task of placing myself in a cultural environment that I was unfamiliar with, I thought long and hard of where to go. I wanted to challenge myself and truly use the opportunity to become better educated. I looked at the controversies that are in my present society. I examined my own stereotypes or preconceived notions about different cultures. The one that caught my eye and ignited my brain the most was Muslim. There is so much I didn’t know or understand that I wanted to delve into the culture. I began researching Muslim to familiarize myself with some of the basic norms of the culture. I had many misconceptions. I thought that women wrapped their heads as a sign of oppression from the men of the culture. I thought they believed and worshipped a completely different being than I did. I believed that they wanted power and wealth. What I found was so different and very enlightening. I researched where my local mosque was and found their service time was on Fridays at noon. When I arrived I had brought a scarf with me but was unsure of if I would need it since I was not of the Muslim faith, but I wanted to be respectful. I wore modest clothing, khakis and a high neck long-sleeved button up shirt. When I first entered the mosque I had a few stares but was quickly greeted by a middle-aged woman, Amal. She approached me and said, “Salam.” I tried to repeat the phrase back to her, and then panicked that they would not be speaking English. I told her that I was there to observe and to ask some questions about their culture. She smiled wide and said it was great to have me there. I was so thankful that she replied back to me in English. She led me to take off my shoes, and helped me to wrap my head. The gentleness and welcoming nature of her made me feel peaceful. She then took me to the wudu to show me how they cleanse before prayers. We slipped on slippers and then walked to the sinks. She