Quote:
Originally posted by investpro
Interesting reply. I would also think integration involves assimilation to a certain degree. I like your choice of words. Voracious reader or writer?
The reason that the office people said 10 is that they were referring to newbies incorporating and working within the culture of Corporate Canada and not say that in India it's like this or like that or in China it's like this or like that and try and change things here. What they did in the privacy of their home was their business, but once in the workplace, be Canadian. Bitching about work also allowed- that's a world wide phenomenon
Even when shifting from one corp to another within Canada the new co expects you to forget about the culture in the old company and adopt the new one in your current co.
If other CDs would like to contribute their views-please do so.
Indeed interesting. In my office, Canadian work culture is often ridiculed. Reason, probably is that out of 8 persons, only 1 is Canadian and the rest 7 belong to 6 other (one Swede, 2 Indian 1 Russian , 1 Sri Lanka, 1 Khalistan as he insists! and 2 Chinese). Please note that this ridicule is not open and person making comment is always discreet. Some how Canadians in other departments on our floor like to talk more and work less. Take more breaks for coffee and smoking and generally spend more time talking about hockey game and weather. The result is non Canadian have to share their work with lower pay! I wish to point that the culture goes with the boss. My departmental head being non Canadian expects discipline and dedication to work. Wish I had Canadian boss which would make my life less stressful!
I am all for integration (as defined in point #10) so far as office work culture goes.
Quote:
Originally posted by investpro
Interesting reply. I would also think integration involves assimilation to a certain degree. I like your choice of words. Voracious reader or writer?
Let me ask a few questions. You don't have to reply if you'd rather not.
Would integration involve becoming passionate about hockey and talk about Sundin and Gretzky? Get passionate about Am. football and sit and watch Miami vs whoever with your Can friends? Watch Raptors? Will the Canadians as a whole accept cricket and become passionate about Tendulkar? Or even an English player? I mean Cricket is played by the English and Australians (no accident I picked these two countries) and the Head of State is the Queen of England so how come cricket was lost?
If other CDs would like to contribute their views-please do so.
So far as integration in much broader sense is concerned, I sincerely believe that it is accommodating and respecting cultural differences so long as it does not violate law of the land and is not offensive to others.
I have come across CDs who criticize the way some Canadian girls dress (reveling dress) and at the same time ogle at them. These are the kind of people, in my opinion, are not trying to integrate. I believe that taking interest in Canadian sports helps as it opens an avenue to forge friendship. However, speaking personally, I have never liked Ice hockey an interesting game. The next best thing that I do is to read report on the game and hence when it comes to discussion, I can contribute or at least nod my head and add couple of comments. I do believe that integration is essential but as pointed out earlier, it has many connotations and I hope this would become interesting topic on this thread of CD.
Quote:
Originally posted by investpro
Would integration involve becoming passionate about hockey and talk about Sundin and Gretzky? Get passionate about Am. football and sit and watch Miami vs whoever with your Can friends? Watch Raptors? Will the Canadians as a whole accept cricket and become passionate about Tendulkar? Or even an English player? I mean Cricket is played by the English and Australians (no accident I picked these two countries) and the Head of State is the Queen of England so how come cricket was lost?
I speak for myself but I really have never felt the pressing need to become passionate about hockey or American Football. But then I was never very keen on cricket either. I prefer soccer.
I think you and I are defining what it means to be Canadian at every moment. That is what I mean by Integration vs assimilation(where the purity and superiority of the host is the ideal to be aspired to).
I was speaking more broadly in terms of transfer of culture. e.g: the immigrant community knows more about Christmas and how it is celebrated here. At the same time people in Canada are now more aware of festivals like Diwali...especially in places like the GTA. Same with food, arts etc.
If you ask me Integration is nothing new to most people from the Indian subcontinent. India has managed to successfully(for the most part) integrate varying cultures through the thousands of years. Even if the cultures came via waves of invasion, economic/trade routes or other forms of migration(refugees, fleeing persecution etc).
Its probably happening at a quicker pace(30-50 yrs) in places like Canada.
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Posts: 1628
Location: carl sagan's universe
Posted on: 05-12-06 18:15:01
Location: carl sagan's universe
Posted on: 05-12-06 18:15:01
Quote:
Originally posted by Nightmare
. I do believe that integration is essential but as pointed out earlier, it has many connotations and I hope this would become interesting topic on this thread of CD.
Yes, totally agree- connotations that would probably be a mile long or more if compiled.
I wonder if there is a checklist around where one can tick off the items as and when one feels one has reached that stage.
Too many considerations. At my workplace I feel that all the East Europeans cling together, all the Indians together, all the Hispanics together, all the Jamaicans together, all the Chinese together, all the Philipinos together, and I wonder if we really are integrated.
Same thing when I go to a school. Strikes me that even the next gen will not be so integrated. It's only those that have been here generations and look like the French and English who may have integrated. I am specifically refering to the big contingent of "Ukranians" in and around Winnipeg who seem to have morphed. Even the Chinese who have been here generations seem not to have integrated- at least to me.
But then to add a lighter side to everything, Russell Peters says we'll all wind up as Hindjews( Hindu with Jew) , Pastafarians (Italian with Jamaican), ice cubes (eskimo with Cuban), Freeks(French with Greek), and so on. He also says the whole world will be beige.
Integration, assimilation, morphing -all together.
Posts: 1628
Location: carl sagan's universe
Posted on: 10-12-06 22:47:34
Location: carl sagan's universe
Posted on: 10-12-06 22:47:34
Here's an interesting link to assimilation and integration.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1165445414821&call_pageid=970599119419
