We are truly a global world now. With the click of a button you can find real time photos and news for almost any location on the planet. A quick plane trip has us melting together in destinations all over the world for business and vacation travel. Being able to thrive in the midst of a variety of cultures is crucial to a happy and productive life in our generation and future generations.
The Benefits of Learning About Other Cultures:
Empathy
When you see new places and learn about other people it becomes easier to see things from their perspective. You can place yourself in someone else's shoes and have a greater understanding of how conflicts can be avoided. Teaching kids how to be on the same wavelength with others leads to sharing of information and ideas and cuts down on misunderstandings - attributes the world needs more of!
Open-mindedness
We live in a world of racism and bias and sadly there is too much judgement. Learning about the cultures of others and understanding our global neighbors leads to having an open mind. When children realize how much alike we really are, the gateway to continued flow of information, art, music, food, and all the good things in life increases. Cut down on the bias in the world by encouraging children to learn about others and keep an open mind - whether you are the Sunday School teacher at church, the teacher at school, or the parent; we can all play a part in teaching about other cultures.
Learning to Appreciate Differences
The world would be dull indeed if you had to eat the same exact meal at the same exact time for the rest of your life. So it is with art and literature and movies and business practices, etc. Teaching a child to enjoy and appreciate the differences so joys of the world can be enjoyed like: pain au chocolate from France, dim sum from China, and spaghetti sauce from Italy.
Preparing for the future
Work of some sort is in the future for every child being raised today and as the world shrinks because of technology, being aware of cultural differences can really give your child an edge in the future. This could translate into rising up the ladder faster or simply being happier because conflicts are decreased or BOTH. Really a win/win!
Increased Cultural Intelligence
The concept of intelligence has changed in recent years and now includes additional categories such as emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence (CI). Cultural intelligence is a person's ability to adapt and interact with others from different cultural regions.
Travel and have fun showing your child the world and other cultures up close and personal!