Integration or Adjustment?
Monday, October 1, 2012
Aamir Rafique
In case of integration of certain groups of foreigners, especially from Africa and South Asia, theoretical discussion in western host nations points to great ways of creating understanding,- the reality however is quite different. The following terms seen in the context of integration between western thought and eastern thought point to the differences of interpretation in both societies and also to the limits of integration, which might be tolerable on short-term basis but hardly possible in the long run:
and so on and so forth but not complete by any means.
If the "foreigners" are really supposed to "integrate", this can happen only at the cost of giving up or losing the identity. Much more desirable are therefore efforts directed towards "adjustment" in order to achieve harmony and peace among communities.
One of the most important factors here is overcoming the socalled "language barrier", which makes or breaks the capability of the foreigner to adjust into the cultural landscape of the host country. That the term "language" does not appear in the above list intends to make clear, that language is indeed only one of the many aspects among a plethora of factors, which in the western and eastern thoughts may not conflict with each orther, however as complete congruity of perception is neither existant, nor possible nor should it even be striven for!
Labels: Aamir Rafique
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:30 AM,
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