Cultural Expectations Vs. Reality - 1285 Words

My life’s story is that of an immigrant who moved to the USA at a very small age and has fully assimilated with modern US society and is now a citizen of this beautiful country. In this paper, I will present my experience travelling back to my home country of Albania after many years and describe the differences in my social/cultural expectations versus the reality that is evident in most Balkan nations and several European countries. After presenting my story, I will attempt to analyze through my lens and with referring to sociological concepts/theories, my experiences that resulted in a â€Å"cultural shock†. When I moved to the USA, my family and I lived in Atlanta, Georgia for many years. There, the local community welcome us with open arms – I had never been discriminated against. Until recently, the community’s acceptance was something that I took for granted and had become a part of who I am – embracing differences is a something that I stron gly value. After many years, I decided to pay a visit to my family in Albania. Leaving my country at such an early age I was not able to fully embrace the local culture/mentality and it was something that I thought would be challenging for me when I visit. Upon visiting, what I had â€Å"feared† – the exclusion – was something real, and although I thought that it would be something I can withstand, it became unbearable to always be judged. It was then when I realized that this culture does not embrace differentiation the same way the USShow MoreRelatedThe Nature Of Organizations And The Contemporary Environment1294 Words   |  6 Pagesmy reading I have found that culture is defined as the shared intellectual programming of the human mind which differentiates one group of individuals from another group. It has often been understood that statements about culture do not describe â€Å"reality†; they are all general and relative†. 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