Expansion of Self through Intercultural Experiences

People from other cultures can be distinctly different from us in their appearance, dressing styles, skin colour, language, verbal and non-verbal behaviour, communication strategies, ways of thinking, knowledge of world history, beliefs and values. This explains why the way they see us is not the same as the way our ingroup members see us. The images of ourselves that we get back from the pupil of the eye of cultural others – what we call “intercultural mirrors” – can be unexpected and new, both in a favourable and unfavourable light. They can enhance or contradict our self-perception the way it was formed through our interactions with our ingroup members. This chapter suggests that developing an understanding of how culturally different people view us adds intricate layers to a person’s perceptual organisation and identity. It enhances the complexity of experiences that we knit together into a narrative we call self.