One world many cultures, is a multicultural book that offers an indepth insight into differences in culture that are brought about by various factors. These factors include race, nationality, gender and class. This book represents multiple countries in the world as well as their cultural differences. Some of the countries addressed in this book include U.S, China, France, and Iraq amongst others.
This book is compelling to readers because the authors have employed a non judgmental style of exploring how race, nationality, class and gender have resulted to cultural differences. The author challenges the readers to compare their different experiences with different people from various cultural circumstances. Additionally, the authors have made a good selection of short stories from various countries which enhance the reader to understand various cultures. Similarly, the book has been made interesting through the narration of various experiences of people from different countries and how the experiences gave them a sense of belonging to their cultures. The rationale of choosing this book is to have a deep insight on how various cultures differ as well as rhyme in some experiences. Additionally, the key aim of choosing this book is to vividly understand the roots of the various cultures in different countries globally.
` As a reader, I like the first chapter of this book where the author tries to explain how families shape our characters as well as who we are. The author clearly illustrates on how the families we are brought up in have resulted into cross cultural misunderstandings. In addition, the authors have portrayed that the difference in habits of speech and thought between U.S and china has resulted to misconceptions and misunderstandings between cultures. The author is trying to say that one needs to have a prior understanding of the other person’s culture before judging the character. For instance, it is very easy to misunderstand one’s culture when we lack the prior knowledge of the different habits of speech and thought between various countries.
The aspects of this book that are more compelling include family life in various cultures, rituals and beliefs, the adolescent relationships as well as gender roles and how they shape our cultural differences. The author has clearly highlighted on the roles familiesplay in transmitting culture from one generation to the other. Additionally, the authors have vividly brought out how culture dictates gender roles as well as how rituals and values differ from one culture to another. On the other hand, the aspect of experiencing a new culture has not been fully discussed, as much as the author answers many questions, they invite many questions. These questions include why it is so easy for other people to easily adapt to a new culture as compared to others.
In general, the author has comprehensively discussed the issue of race and class and how it has resulted to a wide gap in cultures. There is a vivid exploration on how difficult it is for adolescent relationships when they originate from different countries and the difficulties they experience in adapting to the new cultures. Additionally the book has outlined on how our different cultures shape our gender roles and how the roles differ from one culture to the other. Through the various short stories and articles used by the author, the readers have the opportunity to compare their various experiences and how they have shaped their thoughts with regard to various cultures.
On the other hand, the authors have not given a deep insight into how the different cultures should be connected to reduce the cross cultural gaps that are as a result of family life, gender roles, race, nationality and class. Similarly, the authors have not clearly outlined on how to overcome the various challenges experienced when one joins a different culture.