雅思写作素材：Culture Shock_雅思英语写作

雅思写作素材：Culture Shock

　　People in different culture usually have different values. In speaking with friends, I had misunderstanding too. I have a friend in school who was Middle American. He often tells people how healthy he is. It gave me a feeling that he likes to show off. But I know he was not showing off, he was just like to expresses himself. Because traditional Asians often look down on material things and dont think that these things could give them more value. So, I asked my friend the price of his houses, cars or clothes, and he was very surprised since people dont do so. Moreover, people there dont ask someones age, for people dont want to show that they are old. But in Chinese culture, the elderly are very respected for they are considered as knowing the secret of life, and, therefore, wiser than the youngster. So Asian people are not hesitant to ask and tell their ages.

　　Body contact can be another subject for misunderstanding. In my home country, people dont kiss or hug somebody of the opposite sex in public places. I was very surprised to see people kissing each other in front of me. On the other hand, in Asian countries, homosexuality is almost non- exist, because even if people are homosexual they will always hide it as a secret. So two girls or two boys can walk together hand in hand and no one is shocked. But if they do so in America, their American friends will be horrified.

　　The main reason that I experienced culture shock in America or in other countries because I had practiced a particular culture as my basis of reality and I am strongly attached to my own culture. Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging another culture by the standards of ones own culture. Ethnocentrism also generates misunderstanding and sometimes conflict. I agree that I am ethnocentric but I think ethnocentrism is difficult to avoid because culture is learned though enculturation rather than inborn.