In my lab in Pamplona, the time I spent not working was still viewed as productive. It was a time to forge connections, to balance work and life, and to improve well-being.
During my anthology class in college, I learned a term: “Cultural relativism." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaelogy as, "the position that there is no universal standard to measure cultures by, and that all cultures are equally valid and must be understood in their own terms.” In other words, we shouldn’t judge other cultures through the lens of our own culture.
For instance, in the U.S., we eat food with utensils such as forks, knives, and spoons. However, in many other cultures, people eat food with different utensils such as chopsticks. In some cultures, people eat food with their hands. Just because other cultures do things differently doesn’t mean that we should negatively judge their practices. Eating food with your hands isn’t “uncivilized” or “dirty” or “weird,” it’s just a different practice.
I moved to Spain with this idea in mind. I knew I would encounter differences, and I didn’t want to judge those differences through the lens of my American culture. I wanted to be aware that the way people do things and saw things is a result of their history.
Surely enough, I have encountered many different perspectives in Spain. For instance, since Spain is a majority Catholic country, I have encountered many people who don’t know much, understand, or agree with my religion of Hinduism. Instead of responding in a confrontational way, which I have found leads to disengagement, I have found ways to have meaningful conversations. Meaningful conversations hinge on the basic principle of respect.
