Blog Post #1 Alyssa Barbosa

    I really enjoyed listening to the presentations and then writing about these topics in my own words. Hearing different people talk about anxiety, assumed similarity or difference, and ethnocentrism made me realize how often these barriers appear in my everyday life, even in small ways. I’ve definitely felt nervous when I’m in an unfamiliar cultural situation, worrying about saying or doing the wrong thing. Sometimes it’s something as simple as not knowing which greeting is appropriate or wondering if a joke I might make will seem rude. I’ve also caught myself if others think and act like I do, or on the other hand, thinking we have absolutely nothing in common when that’s not true at all. Reflecting on these issues helped me realize that I need to be more aware and intentional in how I approach people from different backgrounds, rather than relying on my first impressions or comfort zone.

 

    Another part of this experience I loved was working with my team. Collaborating with them on our presentation made the whole project more enjoyable and meaningful. Everyone brought their own strengths, perspectives, and ideas, and I felt like we were always building off each other positively. Watching my classmates present was just as inspiring. Each group approached the topics in creative and thoughtful ways, and I genuinely felt proud of how well everyone did. Seeing us come together, support one another, and share what we learned made the class feel more like a community than just a group of individuals doing an assignment.

 

    Anxiety as a barrier to intercultural communication really stood out to me because I’ve experienced it personally. Whenever I’m around people whose customs or language are different, I find myself overthinking every little move: Am I being respectful? Did I say that right? Are they judging me? That kind of fear makes it harder to really listen and connect, and I can see how it can quickly lead to avoiding those situations altogether. The presentations showed me that this kind of anxiety is very common, and there’s nothing wrong with feeling it. What matters is how we respond. Instead of shutting down, I want to use that uncomfortable feeling as a reminder to stay curious, ask questions politely, and give both myself and the other person some grace when misunderstandings happen.

 

    The idea of assumed similarity or difference fascinated me because I’ve done both. There are times I’ve thought that someone who looks like me or grew up in the same country as I did must share my beliefs, humor, or habits. When that turns out not to be true, I feel surprised, even though it shouldn’t be shocking that people are unique. On the flip side, I’ve also walked into situations where I assumed I had nothing in common with someone simply because of where they were from or how they spoke. The example of the Mexican-American student whose quinceañera resembles bat/bar mitzvahs and confirmations really emphasized that different cultures can share common values, such as celebrating coming of age. That reminded me that if I look a bit deeper, I can usually find some shared experience, even if everything seems different on the surface.

 

    Ethnocentrism was another topic that I found both uncomfortable and important to think about. It’s easy to roll my eyes at the stereotypical tourist who complains loudly about everything and insists their home country does it better. But honestly, I think most of us have a bit of that mindset. There have been moments when I’ve thought, “Why do they do it like that? Our way is so much more efficient or polite.” Before these presentations, I didn’t always recognize those thoughts as ethnocentric; I just saw them as opinions. Now I realize how easily that attitude can come off as condescending or disrespectful, even if I don’t mean it that way. Learning about ethnocentrism challenged me to step back from judging other cultures by my own standards and instead try to understand the reasons behind their customs.

 

    Stereotyping tied into this in a powerful way. I know in theory that stereotyping is wrong, but the presentations helped me see how automatic it can be and how damaging it is for real communication. Stereotypes are shortcuts my brain takes to make sense of people quickly, but they usually ignore the complexity and individuality of each person. When I interact with someone based on a stereotype, I’m not really seeing them; I’m seeing a flat image I’ve created in my head. That makes true understanding almost impossible and can also be very hurtful. Reflecting on this made me think about times I’ve been stereotyped, how frustrating and unfair it felt, and how I don’t want to be the person who makes others feel that way. It motivated me to slow down, listen more, and let people show me who they are instead of assuming I already know.

 

    The topics of incompatible communication codes and incompatible norms and values were especially fascinating to me because they explain many everyday misunderstandings. I’ve always thought it was interesting how people from different English-speaking countries use different words for the same thing, like “lift” versus “elevator” or “chips” versus “French fries.” But I hadn’t fully appreciated how these differences can cause confusion or embarrassment in real conversations. Even within the same country, slang, tone, and inside jokes can form special codes that make sense only to certain groups. I’ve been on both sides of that—sometimes feeling included because I understand the language, and other times feeling left out because I don’t get the references. The presentations helped me see how these codes can build strong in-group connections but also accidentally shut others out.

 

    Incompatible norms and values also resonated with me on a deeper level. The example of dog meat being a delicacy in some cultures, while many Americans find it disgusting, pushed me to think about how much of my reaction to something is based on what I was taught growing up. At the same time, Hindu beliefs about cows reminded me that what one group sees as normal or even sacred might seem strange or unnecessary to another. It’s easy to judge from the outside, but that judgment just builds more distance instead of understanding. Learning about these differences reminded me that my own norms and values aren’t universal; they’re just one way of seeing the world. If I want to communicate respectfully across cultures, I must recognize that my way isn’t automatically the right or only way.

 

    Overall, I connected with these topics because they pushed me to honestly look at my own habits, assumptions, and biases. The presentations didn’t just provide definitions; they shared examples and stories I could relate to my own life. They made me more aware of the subtle ways I might contribute to communication barriers, even when I have good intentions. I genuinely enjoyed writing about these ideas because it allowed me to connect what we learned in class to my personal experiences and reflect on how I want to grow. This reflection has made me more committed to being an open-minded and respectful communicator—someone who notices their own anxiety, questions their assumptions, avoids stereotypes, and stays curious about different codes, norms, and values rather than judging them right away.