My name is Sophie and I live to find adventure. Whether that is paragliding in the Swiss Alps, taking selfies with monkeys in Bali, living abroad in Prague, or getting motion sick almost everywhere I go… life is all one big adventure. With this being said, I also live for conversation, personal growth, understanding, and education. While I started this blog during my junior year of college as a way of documenting the things I had learned while studying abroad, Soph Sees the World has shifted into a deeper passion project for me. 

The purpose of this blog is to recognize and showcase the perspectives of other ways of living so that in a time of acute social division we can be more accepting of our differences and learn how to grow from others. So, as you’re reading my ask is that you try to understand from the point of view of the culture you’re reading about, because it may just enlighten you.

Before we begin there are two terms you should be familiar with: ethnocentrism and cultural bias. According to Merriam-Webster dictionaries, Ethnocentrism is “the attitude that one’s own group, ethnicity, or nationality is superior to others”. Similarly, Cultural Bias, according to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, is “the tendency to interpret and judge phenomena in terms of the distinctive values, beliefs, and other characteristics of the society or community to which one belongs”. These terms will be very helpful to you as we advance our knowledge and it will be important for you to consider these before jumping to form your own opinions. 

Now, let us commence on our quest to explore the beauty of our culturally diverse world.