So this journal will focus on my appreciation for two things I've recently learned in this course.
First, I went to Cultural Inquiry's "rafa-rafa" night. The group in attendance was separated into two different groups and rooms, then taught a made-up culture with culture values, traditions, ways of interacting. After trading and interacting in my group for a few minutes, we went over in groups to observe the other group, some of us got to try and interact, and nothing about the other group was explained.
What I noted was my impressions as I observed them interact. I tried to drink in facts and observations, but it was difficult to remember all the nuances of their silent interaction and I felt like I had a lot of questions and didn't know who to ask or if I even could ask anyone. This was an interesting opportunity to learn how I'll react when I go to Ghana this summer. I was so glad I could watch and observe, but I'm worried about how impossible it will be to soak up and become functional in a different culture when I only have 90 days and no clue when I'm offending or how to overcome new and awkward interactions.
Also, when I returned to my own group, I felt comfortable and confident I could interact appropriately. I found myself grateful I understood my own culture and didn't have to go back to the other room. All day today, I've been considering my rapid and faulty judgments of other people's decision. I've wondered why I make those judgments or feel uncomfortable, and realized I want to develop a more accepting and interested attitude about completely foreign concepts--for example, I watched a movie about Bedouin herdsmen in Iran and in the movie they showed clips of the men killing a sheep, cutting off the head and skinning it. My first reaction was to look away, but I imagined what that would communicate if I was present and I tried to suppress the desire to look away, instead trying to adopt a practical outlook on the event. An accepting, open and interested attitude will be an important skill to have in Ghana, and I plan to continue developing that skill this semester.
The other thing I wanted to bring up is what we learned about in our readings and class on Monday. I read a definition of rapport that seriously shifted the way I view my relationship with other people. He said that rapport "refers to a harmonious relationship between [people]. It means a basic sense of trust has developed that allows for the free flow of information... However, rapport does not necessarily mean deep friendship or profound intimacy between two people." Perhaps this lacks significance for other people, but the valuable lesson I learned was that forcing or waiting for a close friendship is inferior to building trust and respect and keeping a relationship at an acquaintance level. Often in my life I've thought that in a particular setting, I need to emphasize and perhaps exaggerate how much I liked someone; this was often only in the initial stages of the relationship as an attempt to help them open up or reciprocate what I'm saying I feel--a way to deepen a relationship. I think acknowledging that is a part of changing. What I realized with this sentence was a new way to build relationships, a way that takes hard work learning to ask good questions and act honestly to build trust and respect. This is important to my life, but will prove important to my research in Ghana because it provides a way to: feel confident in the honesty of the interviews I conduct, increase the number of potential interviews I can conduct, and improve the way the interviews go. The questions the reading discussed were things I can use to develop this attitude and relationship and I'm nervous about the challenge, but excited to grow this way.
These are two ways my thoughts about my study have grown and changed. What are your thoughts?
I love rafa rafa! Honestly, that sensation of complete confusion was not uncommon in my experience in Ghana. It took awhile before I was able to buy a loaf of bread without feeling like an idiot. As far as the observations and things you were feeling like you were missing, I think one of the most important things that every field study student should do RELIGIOUSLY is keep a jotting book. Just a little notebook to right down observations as they happen because when you sit down at the end of the night chances are you will forget all of the great details.
ReplyDeleteRapport is an interesting topic as well. You mention that it does not have to be a close intimate relationship from the reading, but I think it can be (and I might argue that it should be). People can tell if you really care about them. For my kind of interviewing at least, it is important to establish some kind of relationship that goes deeper than your actual project if you want to get any kind of answers. If you are leaning towards more structure, however, rapport is less emphasized.