Scenario: When Monica Arrived in Nepal for Her Peace Corps

question 5

Essay

Scenario: When Monica arrived in Nepal for her Peace Corps assignment, she realized she had forgotten the medication she takes for her painful migraine headaches. Luckily, she was able to get a new prescription sent to a local pharmacy. Unfortunately, when she went to pick up the medication on a weekday afternoon, the pharmacy was closed and no hours were posted on the window. Frustrated, she went to a café next door complaining, "They don't know anything about customer service-he doesn't even keep regular business hours!" A short time later, the pharmacist greeted her with the filled prescription-the server at the café had phoned him at home and he rushed over to get her the medication.
Question: How does what you learned about individualist/collectivist cultures and time orientation inform your understanding of this scenario? Was ethnocentrism or discrimination a factor? What does intergroup contact theory suggest might be the outcome, for Monica, of this intercultural exchange?

---

Definitions:

Minor Child

A child who is legally underage and not considered capable of taking certain legal responsibilities.

Research Study

A systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge through data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Consent

Voluntary agreement or permission for something to happen, based on an understanding of what the action entails.

Child's Agreement

The consent or assent of a minor, under the age of legal competence, to participate in activities or decisions affecting them, often requiring parental permission.