In “The Stranger,” Schütz also describes the ways in which people become familiar with new places and communities. This is often a disorienting experience, and strangers do not have a clear map to guide them through it. Think of a time when you have been a stranger learning about a new community. How did you adapt to this situation?
Due to my father’s work, my family often moves to different places and I had to join a different school overtime we moved. This has been usually within different states in India and I got to experience different types of people and their different ways of living life. However, when I moved to USA in the Freshman year of high school, this was when I actually felt like a stranger in a new community. Before moving I watched many YouTube videos trying to learn about the American culture, but when I actually moved in things were quite different. Luckily I made a few friends who were from India, but had been staying there. Everyone in school was very friendly and explained me the different ways the community functioned compared to India. Another major problem was my accent which, was a pain at first because I felt out of place, but I gradually started mixing with the community while embracing my unique identity.
