Interaction is a universal social phenomenon that takes various forms in different socio-cultural environments. With the increased migration in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and new ways of communicating and traveling, the study of transnational interaction’s peculiarity became especially relevant (Rynkiewich, 2012). Migration is not a problem by itself, but it may become one when neither the migrants nor the citizens of host countries are ready for this new type of interaction. To live harmoniously in a contemporary multi-cultural world, one should learn to communicate effectively with those with other worldviews, norms, and values.
To do so, one should first understand what urges people to leave their homes. The reasons for migration vary dramatically, from seeking a better job or education to running from disasters or a war zone (Rynkiewich, 2012). Anyway, migrants’ homelands cannot provide them with something necessary or even vital, and they have to leave to find it somewhere else. Once people understand it, they will feel more empathy toward migrants and be more inclined to dialogue with them.
Moreover, people should understand that leaving one’s home and entering a new place with its own rules, norms, customs, and sometimes even language is not an easy feat. Fortunately, migrants seem to be better at adapting and adopting a new layer of their cultural identity, and diasporas play a great role in it (Rynliewich, 2012). Diasporas allow migrants to balance saving their original cultural identity and acquiring foreign values of the host country (Rynliewich, 2012). However, diasporas may urge migrants to keep their cultural values and force them on others without adapting to the rules accepted in the host country (Rynliewich, 2012). It would lead to a conflict as the interaction between the migrants, and those who welcomed them in their country should be bilateral.
In conclusion, successful communication with representatives of other cultures is a must for maintaining peace today. To achieve it, one should be open-minded and learn more about the reasons for migration and the challenges migrants and refugees face in a new socio-cultural environment. This knowledge may become a base for a dialogue that would help people have a broader view of the world’s diversity and avoid conflicts over cultural differences.
Reference
Rynkiewich, M. A. (2012). Soul, self, and society: A postmodern anthropology for mission in a postcolonial world. Cascade Books.