Cultural Laziness

While listening to a podcast about media and culture, I realized something. I've thought of this before, but it seemed to have more of an impact once there was a label attached to it.

Cultural laziness is when a person moves to a new country/culture, but instead of investing themselves into that culture, they cocoon themselves in their own. They deny many aspects of the new culture they are in. If you are living in Japan, Korea, China, etc, but only watch downloaded episodes of "Lost", "Heroes" and only listen to English podcasts, read English newspapers and don't learn the native tongue at all...you may be suffering from Cultural Laziness!

I suffer from"Cultural Laziness."


Creative Commons Music (used with permission):
"Lovely" by Dr. Arthur
http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/2512

The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corportation) podcast I refered to is called "Spark." It's great. Have a listen here:
http://www.cbc.ca/spark/

The website that "Hikosaemon" recommended for Japanese Creative Commons music:
http://wacca.fm/

Check out Hikosaemon's channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Hikosaemon

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Japan
• Japanese
• language
• Korea
• culture
• lazy
• cbc
• spark
• study
• ipod
• podcast
• read
• newspaper
• isolation
• cultural
• learn
• nihongo
• hangul
• Korean

[MargaritasAntesPorco]

you have the right attitude though, BusanKevin,---good luck

btw, i'm finding 2beersinasia quite interesting too...(!)

[BusanKevin]

check out my other channel "jlandkev"

[raztaman420]

I just watched a bunhc of your videos since I'm going to teach in S. Korea soon, and I can see you've gotten a lot better with the lighting and framing of the shots! Shooting while walking around is a little nuts, but aren't we all?

[BusanKevin]

Thanks a lot. I suppose its a learning curve thing. the more I do it, the better I get. Since this video I have moved from PC to Mac as well. That helps in the editing!

[plzwakeup]

Think you will be well received anywhere you go. The more I view your videos, the more I come to like this cool dude.

[BusanKevin]

cool! Thanks a lot for the kind words. I'm busting my ass studying Japanese now. Slowly, it's getting better :)

[spanglish4u]

Hey there!! I randimly found your videos, I taught in Turkey for a while now back in my country for a year till I go back again. I was wondering if you had the opossite reaction back in Canada, such as listening all korean music n cultural stuff when in Canada....You seem really wise about all this experience I though It might help to listen what happened to you when you went back home...:) Thanks for your previous videos, they are extremely helpful!!!

[194jms]

Lots of nice examples of "cultural laziness". What's missing from this video, though, is any discussion or explanation of what's wrong with being "culturally lazy"?

[azdaveg]

Good video and great advice. Thanks for softening the message by including yourself! Your videos are very helpful.

[hamongog2015]

marijuana causes laziness. It also causes smokers to be passed over for higher paying promotions. Smokers r suckers to any con on the street. Weed isn't natural, it is a hybrid that has been specifically altered by breeders. Every high alters brain cells. Users habitually smoke away their intelligence, becoming shells of their former selves. Yes, weed is habitual. Users waste all their cash away on it. Pot is for fools who are headed nowhere fast.

[NickTechReview]

I forgot too add english of course. Best way to learn a langauge is a combination of langauge software and visiting the country to get used to different accents.

[NickTechReview]

I love going to other countries, At this point in time I can understand, speak, read, write in Russian, Armenian, Italian. Curently learning Spanish then Japanese

[li0nr0se]

I'm really loving your videos - our dynamic gesticulating and clear articulation make it a joy to listen to them! They're really helpful for me considering I'm working on an application to teach abroad in South Korea.

All the best to you in Japan - though I realize this comment is late by about a year. Yeah Canada!

[MargaritasAntesPorco]

good points--i agree w/ you that to be "culturally lazy" is to miss valuable opportunity to expand language capabilities and knowledge of the world. But i can also assure you that this "laziness" is prevelant in America too--its not just westerners in asia who are culturally lazy--its lots & lots of people! There are masses of immigrants, including asians, to america who can barely speak english and know basically nothing at all about american or european history, even after decades here...