American Gothic by NORMan Rockwell

Three American norms that come up in day-to-day life are: not sitting close to a stranger in any sort of public seating, shaking hands when you are introduced to someone new, and saying "please" and "thank you".  When someone around me breaks one of these norms, especially the first two, it makes me feel extremely awkward.
It is for that reason that I try not to break these norms.  As someone who has social anxiety, my life basically revolves around adhering to norms.  An experience that I had dealing with cultural norms was definitely the trip to Germany.  One thing that stands out the most is that I was never allowed to help clear the dishes.  I tried to a few times, and was answered with a stern request that I leave the dishes be.  It was awkward because in my family and with other Americans, it is considered rude if you don't at least attempt to help clean up.  Eventually, I stopped trying, but it still felt weird.
I think that norms do contribute to biases to an extent because we tend to look down on people who disobey the norms as a sort of savage because they behave differently than we do.  It puts an idea in our minds before we even begin to meet the person.

Stick to the Status Quo

I have definitely felt stereotyped about several areas in my life.  I'm a teenager, I'm a girl.  I'm a Christian, I'm a conscientious student.  I've been stereotyped by where I live, my hobbies, and who I'm attracted to.  While it may be uncomfortable to have to defend myself over these stereotypes, I'm thankful to be able to say that I've never actually gotten into a fight over them.

At the same time, I do stereotype people.  And it's not always a bad thing, but it's not always great either.  These stereotypes are largely enforced by the media and in pop culture.  You can pick up on stereotypes from your family or social circle.  I think that it is completely possible, however, to make the conscious decision to push aside the stereotypes as they creep into your brain.  It would help you to become a much more accepting person.  It's human nature to want to group people, and stereotypes are the most common way of doing this.  It doesn't have to end badly, though.

That's Weird...

When reflecting about other behaviors that I have noticed away from home, the first one that comes to mind is the fact that in Germany, I saw a lot of teens smoking.  There were a lot of things that seemed less strict in comparison to life in the US, such as swearing, drinking, and PDA, but this one seemed especially off because it's proven to be a huge health risk.

I thought it was interesting that perhaps the giant health push that went on in the US did not occur in Germany.  Knowing that opinions differ based on cultural background, I understand that smoking as a teen is probably not seen as significant of a risk.

I'm the Best: A Look at Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism is the feeling that one's country is better than any other country or that their country's ideals should be a standard way of thinking internationally.  While this may seem like a bad thing, ethnocentrism can be both beneficial and detrimental to a country's progress.

In the media, we see lots of ethnocentrism.  Our news focuses on American stories with very little about what is going on in other parts of the world.  This isn't just an American issue, however.  When I was in Germany and watching the news there, they focused on German issues.  This can lead to people being ill-informed and close-minded.  However, in cases such as the Olympics, we see a complete opposite.  Newscasters will of course get excited about American athletes, but you will hear stores about a speed skater from the Netherlands or a basketball player from Argentina.  If you're willing to look, you can get past ethnocentrism and learn about the world around you.

What is a Global Citizen?

We talked a lot about global citizens today, and in the end I think it can be agreed that a global citizen is someone who is curious about the world around them and who is open-minded and accepting of people who do not share their same identity.

I am a global citizen.  I care about world politics and about important social issues that impact our entire planet.  I have traveled and made friends in other countries, even though that is not a necessary experience for a global citizen.  My curiosity in other cultures, with a particular interest in history has driven me to learn as much as I can.

Someone in my life who is a global citizen is my grandpa.  He has lived in countries all over the world and travels to volunteer often, including annual trips to Nicaragua to fit glasses for impoverished villages.  He is open-minded and always learning, and I honestly believe I've inherited some of my interest in the world from him.