English Education Paper

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A. Background
Culture (Latin: cultura, lit. "cultivation") is a modern concept based on a
term first used in classical antiquity by the Roman orator Cicero: "cultura
animi" (cultivation of the soul). This non-agricultural use of the term "culture"
re-appeared in modern Europe in the 17th century referring to the betterment or
refinement of individuals, especially through education. During the 18th and
19th century it came to refer more frequently to the common reference points
of whole peoples, and discussion of the term was often connected to national
aspirations or ideals. Some scientists used the term "culture" to refer to a
universal human capacity.
In the 20th century, "culture" emerged as a central concept
in anthropology, encompassing the range of human phenomena that cannot be
attributed to genetic inheritance. Specifically, the term "culture" in American
anthropology had two meanings:
1. the evolved human capacity to classify and represent experiences
with symbols, and to act imaginatively and creatively; and
2. the distinct ways that people living differently classified and represented
their experiences, and acted creatively.[2]
When someone is in a place that has a different culture, there will be
something called Culture shock, this is due to cultural differences between the
places of origin of the people and places that he live now. Culture shock
(disambiguation) is the personal disorientation a person may feel when
experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new
country, a move between social environments, or simply travel to another type
of life. This case might happen in daily activity, for example in the paper is
when a Javanese came to Sundanese region because of a new job for instance,
what would happen? Is there will be a cultural diversity? Or cultural shock?.
One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in
a foreign environment. Culture shock can be described as consisting of at least
one of four distinct phases: Honeymoon, Negotiation, Adjustment, and
Mastery.

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All communication is cultural it draws on ways we have learned to speak
and give nonverbal messages. We do not always communicate the same way
from day to day, since factors like context, individual personality, and mood
interact with the variety of cultural influences we have internalized that
influence our choices. Communication is interactive, so an important influence
on its effectiveness is our relationship with others.
B. Identification of the Problem
Based on the background of the problem above, the writer try to
identified the question of the paper, that is:
1. What will happens if a Javanese stays at Sundanese region, what will he do
to communicate with the local people? Will they accept him?
2. How is the communication? Is there will be a cultural shock?
3. What is the benefit of the research?
To collect the information to answer those question above, the writer try
to make an interview to a Javanese that lived in Padalarang. He came prow
Solo, Central Java. He had no idea about Sundanese culture, behave, and also
the language. We hope from the interview we will find out the research
question.
C. Purpose of the paper
Based on the research question mentioned above, the purposes of the
research is to fulfill an assignment in Cross Cultural Understanding subject,
and also to find out about personal cultural adjustment, in this case is when a
Javanese live in Sundanese region, what will happen in his daily
communication, because in this case the culture that he has is really different
with his new place recently.
D. The Interview
In this section the writer tries to interview the person, we did a face to
face interview, he is a Javanese, his name is Joko Susilo, he comes from Solo

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central Java, an operator of PT. Sabatex in Cimareme, West Bandung. He had
stayed in here for one year. Here is the interview transcript.
Writer : Where do you come from, exactly Mr. Joko?
Joko : I’m from Solo, Central Java
Writer : What do you feel when you first meet with local people?
Joko : Well, I feel really surprised, because they language is really
different wit mine.
Writer : So, what did you do to communicate with the local people? Do
Will they accept you easily?
Joko : First, it’s really hard to communicate. Especially because I’ve
no idea in sundanese language,.. it was a big truble for me
because all of my friend doesn’t understand Javanese language,
neither I, I don’t understand about sundanese language at all.
but then, after several time I communicated its quite
interesting. I tried to learn about the language, and it’s quite
fun.
Writer : Is there any differences between your language and the people?
Joko : Yes of course, but it’s really nice to know their culture,
Sundanese is almost the same with Javanese, especially with
Solo People. In language we have a similarity, our language is
polite language.
Writer : How is the communication? Is there will be a cultural shock
Joko : At first yes, especially when I go to the market, or go to the
restaurant, it’s hard to communicate, but yeah,,…. After several
time I passed it easily.
Writer : What about the clothes? Is there any differences with your
home town?
Joko : Yes it is, in solo there are so many people that still respect the
culture of our ancestors, but not in Padalarang, it seems they
have forget about it. In many ceremonial party we used to wear
an ethnic clothes that consist of blankon, kain sarung and

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bedahan that wears by the man, and kebaya, sanggul and kain
batik for the women.
Writer : What about the shelter?
Joko : I don’t know, maybe because of the mode of house design or
maybe because of I lived in a city right now, and not at the
village, it’s just the same, there are no differences about it.
Writer : What about the food? It is hard to you to adjust your hometown
food and Sundanese food?
Joko : Not really, yeah like I said before Sundanese and Solonese had
a lot of similarity this is includes in food, I know there is food
called lotek, and it’s really similar with pecel in my place, so
when I find something to eat there is no problem about it.
Writer : In what case that you feel really different?
Joko : Well I really surprised when I came to “sukuran tujuh
bulanan” because it’s really unique, when you have to buy a
seven kind of fruits, seven kind of plants, and a rujak that
consist many kind of fruits and plants.
Writer : So, what is your opinion about that?
Joko : Well, I think it really nice to know it, it’s something that have
to continue, and conserve, because as we know now all of our
people had already forget about their own culture, and
especially in Bandung, I know from the story that I’ve heard in
Bandung there are so many culture that interesting. Bun in fact
the people especially the young people had forget about it.
Writer : What about the traditional ceremony? Is there any difference?
Joko : Yeah, when I came to my friend marriage party, there is a
ceremony that shows a nice culture that called Lengser and also
a dancer that wear a merak costumes. Really nice.
Writer : What about the traditional music? Is there any difference?
Joko : Yeah I know, I’ve seen Calung and wayang golek, it just
almost the same in my home town. The difference its really

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small, for example in wayang it just the same. And calung is
really cool, I’ve seen the show, it’s really fun and funny. The
use a bamboo that produce the sound when it hit.
From the interview above we know that Sundanese and Javanese culture
is almost the same, they have a lot of similarities. We know it from the report
of the interview of Mr. Joko, a Solonese that lived in Padalarang, West
Bandung. At first he had a cultural shock when he had to communicate with
local people, as we know he lived there alone and have no idea about the
culture of Sundanese. But after several time he had his own culture adjustment,
so he able to stay and blending with local people.
E. Conclusion
The conclusion of the research and interview that we’ve done is when
someone came to a new place that had a lot of differences, and he had no
information and knowledge about the place it will make a cultural shock,
especially when the first time, in the case that we’ve done there was no a
significant problems, it caused the culture of Solonese and Sundanese is almost
the same especially in cultural ceremony, musics, and the others. And perhaps
it’s a good chance for the next researcher to continue the research.
F. Suggestion
Based on the conclusion above, the writer suggested for the next
researcher to continue the research. Next researcher suggested finding out
related issues in this field especially in looking for information about a
difference culture in different islands, because in the case of this research the
writer tried to find out the problem in the same island that is Java, and it has a
lot of similarities in culture.

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BIBLIOGHRAPHY
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture
Michelle LeBaron (2003) Cross-Cultural Communication Copyright © 2003-2012
The Beyond Intractability Project, The Conflict Information Consortium,
University of Colorado; http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/Cross-
Cultural-communication.htm
http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/cross-cultural-communication

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