Chapter 1: Studying Intercultural Communication-Becoming an Ethical Student of Culture
“I say to you all, once again -- in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”
-Albus Dumbledore
(J.K. Rowling)
This excerpt from the novel "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" truly does relay a great message that pertains to how we are learning about different cultures, and how we should learn to understand them. At this point in the book, three different schools of wizardry are visiting Hogwarts as part of a magical tournament. Unfortunately, things go for the worse when the villain of the series, Lord Voldemort, returns and kills a student at the school. The Headmaster of the school, Dumbledore, is trying to console the students but at the same time reminding them that they should try and foster and continue the relationships they had made with the other students from the different schools. They need to band together and unify to better understand each other and help fight the evil that Voldemort promised. The last line in the excerpt is probably the best and one of the most true things to be said. If we go into a situation with open minds and try to learn, and listen intently to a person of a different culture, we have a better chance of being able to respect and understand them. These are steps in becoming an ethical student of culture, and they are steps for life in general.
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