Top Ways You Can Learn More About Different Cultures

Very few countries are ethnically homogenous anymore. This is a good thing since it gives people the ability and opportunity to learn about other people’s cultures first-hand. If you live in Europe or North America, then you likely know this all too well, since these places are melting pots. Learning about other cultures can make you a more intelligent person, not to mention make you a lot more cultured.

If you are interested in learning about other people’s cultures, then this post will tell you all of the top ways that you can go about doing that.

Religion

One of the easiest ways to learn about another person’s culture is to look at their religion. Even if a person is religious, the religion of their country folk and family will still tell you a lot about how that person was raised and their cultural customs. Learning about religion has never been easier since there are lots of online courses and classes that you can take. You can learn about the Quran online, the Bible, and also the Torah. You can take a course in these books and their religions, or you can read informational guides and watch instructional videos. If you are really interested in a specific religion, then you could go down to a local place of worship and speak to the building’s custodian or minister. Most religions will be more than happy to welcome you inside and explain them to you.

Cuisine

A nation’s food can tell you a lot about it too. Many would agree that food is one of the best ways to learn about a culture because a people’s eating habits tell you a lot about them (i.e., eating socially or eating privately). The best way to learn about the food of another culture or nation is to seek out a local restaurant that serves that cuisine and go inside and eat it. If you are interested in a particular culture, then try to find an ethnic enclave that’s inhabited by the people of that culture and eat at restaurants there. You will also be supporting small, local businesses by doing this.

Friendship

If you want to learn about another person’s culture, then why not try to make friends with a person of that culture? The internet makes this really easy to do. All you need to do is to sign up for a forum or a chat room and begin talking to people. On some video chat services, you can customize your location settings, so that only people from a specific country show up. If you want to communicate with people from another country more effectively, then you should make an effort to learn their language. It will also endear you to them.

Community

As mentioned previously, if there is an ethnic enclave inhabited by the people of the culture that you are interested in near you, then you should go there. This is one of the best ways to make friends and also learn about a new culture. Because you will be going to an ethnic enclave, people will probably look at you strangely and wonder why you are there, but eventually (if you keep going there), they will accept you and begin to talk to you.

Events

In ethnic enclaves, there tend to be a lot of events, religious or cultural. This is because people who migrate to other nations tend to feel very strongly connected to their own culture and increase their connection to their own culture by ensuring that they hold important cultural festivals. More often than not, these festivals are open to everybody, which means that you can just turn up, attend, and meet the locals. When attending events, make sure that you are respectful of the customs being practiced, especially if you are attending a religious event.

Music

Lastly, a culture’s music (or lack of it) can tell you a lot about them. The best way to learn about a specific culture’s music is to use the internet. The internet has millions of songs available for you to listen to on it. When you are talking to people on forums or video chat services, you can also ask them to show you their favorite songs, which will give you an idea of what a culture’s music is like. When listening to another culture’s music, be open to it and don’t immediately dismiss it because it doesn’t sound like what you’re used to.

Learning about other people’s cultures can make you a much more worldly and knowledgeable person. Thanks to the internet and international migration, it’s never been easier. All that you need to do is to log onto a forum, take a course, or pop down to a local enclave and speak to the residents. Always be polite, respectful, and understanding of other people’s cultures. Never be judgmental, because this will stop them from wanting to talk to you.