Coming Into the Murdoch Community
Introduction
Murdoch community is multicultural, which sources for its students all over the world. Each student comes with their cultural practices, which are different from Australian culture. In the beginning, the students from other countries such as Asia, often encounter challenges in integrating into the community. However, with time and learning, they come to sail smoothly in the community while undertaking their studies. The students live the community loaded with knowledge and skills, better than they first came into Murdoch. Coming to the Murdoch community is characterized by new experiences, which might be challenging. Coming to a new community requires one to have techniques of ensuring that there cohesion in the community (Cantle, 2018).
Different cultural settings should not create fear and atrocities in various communities. It should be an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience of living and interacting with different peoplehis is because people fail to appreciate other people’s cultures and associate with them as one of their own. Culture has a significant impact on the lives of people up to the government settings, whereby people vote for someone whom they have standard cultural practices. They believe that having their authority will help in preserving their culture and economic benefits. However, different communities should embrace their diversities and exciting differences to live in harmony and peace (Cantle, 2018). I came to Murdoch to study, and my experiences and techniques on staying in Murdoch are discussed in this paper.
Coming to the Murdoch community for the first time was very challenging. The Murdoch education systems are different from Bhutanese, where assignments are done and submitted online. I did not know to do the assignments, meeting datelines, and submitting the assignments through online platforms. This made me struggle for almost the first semester before I learned to do everything that was required on researching assignments, meeting dateline, and submitting the assignments online. The university environment was distinct from the Bhutanese university.
I also felt socially isolated and discriminated. This is because of the inability to interact with other students in the community due to the language barrier. I had difficulties in interpreting communication due to pronunciation and accent. However, I got to learn English faster to enable me to undertake my classes as the other students from the Australian community. I also used the “mobile-assisted language learning” to improve vocabulary use in communication and doing assignments (Ahmad, Armarego & Sudweeks, 2017). Once I was able to communicate with the other students, I was able to make friends with the Australian students and the staff. The relationships have been instrumental in helping me participate in discussions with others and get the necessary assistance when in need. I have come to appreciate the Murdoch community, which is friendly and welcoming. Just because I felt out of place because I was not able to communicate did not make the community discriminative.
Although, it can be noted that the flourishing of the “not like us” theory has continued and will continue being an obstacle in enhancing community cohesiveness, little is done to remedy the perspective. I had to design techniques for coping and surviving in the Murdoch community. I experienced cultural shock, particularly the dressing mode. The female students dressed in clothes that showed some parts of their bodies, which was contrary to the Bhutanese culture. As time went by, I came to terms and accepted their way of dressing since they were not Bhutanese. I had no business to worry about it. Just as I was thinking about how it was immoral dressing in such a manner, they might also have thought about how primitive I was.
Moreover, I also felt nostalgic, missing my friends and family in Bhutan. I missed the moments we spent with my family, which had a psychological effect. For instance, I missed critical moments with my family when my firstborn was graduating from primary to join high school. However, with technology, I was able to learn how to communicate with them via skype. I could see them and connect to them, lessening the homesickness I felt. Besides, the cost of living is high in Murdoch from housing to food costs. I had to look for employment to supplement my income and sustain my expenses.
Coming to a Murdoch community requires that one design strategies on how to overcome the various challenges and integrate with the new community. The techniques include prior preparation before coming to the new community. Technology has made information available to everyone. Use different mediums to gain knowledge on the cultural aspects of the community one is coming in; for example, I collected information on the internet about the cultural practices of Australia, specifically Murdoch. This helped me in adapting to the culture smoothly without many challenges. Another technique is developing relationships with the host communities by showing interest in learning about their culture. Inquire more information on their cultural aspects, and this will make them realize the efforts one is shaping to be like them and become friendly. For instance, I made friends with two of my classmates who came from Australia and helped me in knowing more aspects of the Murdoch culture. The two friends acted as my guide in everything, and we managed to form a candid connection, where I also taught them cultural practices of the Bhutanese community.
Conclusion
Coming to a new community can be a mixture of challenges and exciting experiences. One needs the techniques to help in overcoming the challenges and adapting to the new community customs and practices. Having prior preparations, identifying to an association, and community engagement are the art of entering the new community are the fundamental arts of joining a new community. Social cohesion is essential for the existence of multicultural communities. Social discrimination, however, has proved to be a menace to achieve a cohesive multicultural society internationally. The formation of structural associations should be done expeditiously so that it cannot escalate community segregation.
References
Ahmad, K. S., Armarego, J., & Sudweeks, F. (2017). The impact of utilizing mobile assisted language learning (MALL) on vocabulary acquisition among migrant women English learners. Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning, 13, 38-57.
Cantle, T. (2018). Community cohesion: A new framework for race and diversity. Springer.
King, M. (2018). Migration, Communities, and Culture [3rd Grade].