Answer

Dealing with different cultural backgrounds and adapting to a new social environment are challenges we all face. This paper delves into the article, “Shakespeare in the Bush” explaining why was it important for the author to realize how much a different cultural perspective can influence the way people understand the world around them. It also explains why there are difficulties in explaining a joke, story or concept to a person from a different background and how we can effectively deal with this type of miscommunication. The paper also reviews the article “Tricking and Tripping” explaining how Sterk’s “outsider” identity created difficulties for her research. It also reveals the ways her outsider perspective enabled her see things insiders did not before concluding with a similar experience faced by the author of the paper.    

Shakespeare in the Bush

            To effectively deal with the difficulties of explaining a joke, story or concept to a person from a different background, we must learn them first, accept and work with them as they are.  In the article “Shakespeare in the Bush,” the author is right in believing that human nature is universal and the same everywhere. All people want growth, development and to survive. However, due to difference in culture, people have myriad means of achieving these goals. Had she learnt this; she would not have expected the Tiv people to interpret the Hamlet like people from her own culture. She would have found a different story to tell so as to identify and connect with the Tiv people. Had she first known the way of life of the Tiv people, she would find it easy to comprehend how they interpreted the Hamlet. People usually comprehend situations based on how they have been taught by their culture and as they have accepted it to be true. This explains the difficulty faced in explaining a joke, story or concept to a person from a different background.  However, if you take the time to learn and accept them, you will always find it easy to explain these things to them. What do they value? What do they despise? Such questions help a person understand another person from a different background. Therefore, learning and accepting the culture of a person from a different background effectively eliminates the difficulty faced in explaining a joke, story or concept to such a person. 

Tricking and Tripping

            An outsider identity usually creates difficulties in adapting to a new social environment. For Sterk, a lack of trust was the main challenge. She explains that the women she was doing her research on were initially circumspect of her and actually tested her to determine if she was trustworthy. It took years for the women to have confidence in her. However, from an outsider perspective, she was able to understand the ways the women came up with to have a sense of control for being demeaned everywhere. For example, the women shortened the service time to pimps. For me, an outsider identity made it difficult for a new group of friends to confide in me. Equally, it took some time before they could trust me with certain information they considered crucial. Hence, an outsider identity usually creates difficulties in adapting to a new social environment.

            In summary, dealing with different cultural backgrounds and adapting to a new social environment are challenges we all face. To effectively deal with the difficulties of explaining a joke, story or concept to a person from a different background, we must learn them first, accept and work with them as they are. Finally, an outsider identity usually creates difficulties in adapting to a new social environment.