Rather than spouting out definitions, I'd rather this blog discuss my time in Amman, Jordan. My family and I go to Jordan ~every other summer to visit our extended family, and for the most part, I have failed to overcome my culture shock. Culture shock describes the literal "shock" that one encounters when being exposed to a new culture or way of life, which typically results from ethnocentrism, which is an adherence to one's own rules and lifestyle, based upon the culture in which one is apart. 

Personally, as I have traveled to Jordan (3 summers total), I've been astonished by the manner in which people there behave and interact. Like in India, in reference to the video clip we watched in class, drivers in Jordan drive with reckless abandon--"traffic laws" are a myth. Everyone makes their own lanes, traffic lights are disregarded, and pedestrians fend for themselves. It's treacherous, from my perspective, at least. Car horns, also in high contrast to America, are the best friends of all drivers at all times; the longer the horn, the more right one becomes (in Amman, at least). My ethnocentrism has made me accustomed to linear order in driving, but in Jordan, it has been a continuous shock to me to realize that this truly is not the case. 

Furthermore, material and non-material culture, which target the things we can see that are unique to a culture and those that are not as visually apparent. Materialistically, Jordan maintains a sort of "European flair" when it comes to fashion: logos everywhere. In Jordan, the bigger the A&F logo or Polo pony, the better dressed one becomes. In my experience, here in America, I've noticed that style is valued over brand names--typically ugly designer clothing is still considered ugly here, while in Jordan, ugly BRAND name clothing is all the rage. 

Also, in terms of language, Arabic is predominantly spoken, but recently, unique to Jordan, there has been a development in "popular" language. Sprinkling in English words here and there in typically Arabic-heavy sentences is considered sophisticated and high-class. This is one way in which Amman is distinct from the cultures around it, especially ours. In reference to the article we discussed in class about the Arabic word for a "win-win" situation, in recent days, phrases such as those are being made negligent in favor of distinct English phrases, which are known to boost status and increase your apparent level of intelligence to those around you

For the most part, being in Jordan has allowed me to leave the bubble that encompasses SHS and learn about my original culture and heritage--culture shock doesn't necessarily need to have a negative connotation to it, for it can lead to better understanding, empathy, and appreciation for those we share the world with.