I really like Nikki Lee’s series of photos where she became part of all those different subcultures. It said she took weeks to blend in to each one; that is serious dedication to her craft. One that I can’t get over is her Seniors Project photo. If I did my math right she was only 29, but in that photo it is honestly hard to believe that she’s not a 75-year-old lady. She must have gone through so much trouble to fit in to those different environments, and through doing that I’m sure she got such a big appreciation for people’s differences. I think total immersion like that is the only way to fully understand why people are the way they are, a sort of empathy I guess.
I bet most missionaries can attest to that, or anyone who has spent time in a foreign environment. Spending time in another culture tends to change and shape your own attitudes. I’m pretty sure I came back from the Netherlands slightly more liberal than when I left, but more important than that is that I had a better grip on the kinds of values and struggles the Dutch, Africans, Muslims and others deal with. From the readings I realized myself that I need to continue being more conscious of our differences.
I really liked Nikki Lee's photos as well. I had gone through all of the photos and then when I was reading about her I came to understand that she was in each of the photos. That blew my mind. My mission also changed my attitude about a lot of things. I became a lot more conscientious of my ethnocentrism or promoting American values in a place that was obviously not America. I agree with you that being able to see things from different cultural perspectives is an important skill to develop.
ReplyDeleteyeah wasn't that nuts? i went through all the photos too before i realized haha!
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