I am really glad I attended the keynote address for Inquiry Conference today, but I'm even more grateful I decided to listen to Abigail Fisher's presentation on Culture Shock.
The two presentations dealt with things I've had concerns about when entering the field, and both discussed aspects of these concerns I'd never really considered. When Rogers defined inquiry as "extracting meaning from an experience" that really struck me as an appropriate name for a conference where students reports on study abroad experiences, specifically the significance of what they studied and learned from studying abroad. I think that the focus of the Field Study Prep class had really focused on readings and discussion that teach me to extract more meaning from my experience in another culture, and taught me to consider the meaning of my own actions. I liked specifically what she mentioned about understanding yourself and your influence on other circles. What will be my influence on the community I enter? How might that impact my study? What is my motive or agenda with this project? She made me reconsider the situation I'll find myself in in the field, the assumptions I've made about my project, and even examine why I chose this particular topic of evaluating development.
The other presentation I liked dealt with culture shock. As Abigail Fisher talked about her study, I found myself trying to identify how I've reacted in the past to culture shock. I know I get really quiet, but I also get really clean, and find myself evaluating and judging other people's behavior in my head--like I'm unwilling to trust others when I'm so vulnerable. This presentation made me seriously consider how I could prepare now, and what goals I could set now that would help me cope in the field. I'd really like to spend a little more time with Corrine and Deidre, but one on one time that allows me to develop more personal relationships with each. I also want to set goals for how I will interact with people when I reach the field because I know that relationships are often postponed when I'm stressed or shocked, because I think it will be better "later" when I've adjusted. I want to develop ways to personally cope with the challenge of culture in the first few weeks.
These are my thoughts from Inquiry Conference. I'm glad I picked these two presenters.
I'm glad you were able to tap into the culture shock theme during the Inquiry Conference. I was sad that I missed Abigail's presentation. I will have to go check it out after the fact.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best articles I think we read for the prep class is the one of culture shock. It is something we all go through at some point, and it is manifested very differently. It did not take too long for it to set in while I was in Ghana last summer. In some ways you just cannot even predict it!
Are you going to present next year at the inquiry conference?