Mary Louise Pratt The Contact Zone

Unbeknownst to the reader upon first glance, Mary Louise Pratt’s concept of the “contact zone” can be represented in almost any social setting. In fact, it is highly unlikely to find a group within a community that doesn’t consist of at least two or more distinctive cultures. For this reason, it’s imperative to keep an open mind when entering a new setting. Otherwise, these interactions lead to disputes between the inhabitants of the society. In order to break these cultural barriers, the first steps to acceptance are understanding what exactly a contact zone is, where it can be found, and what one can gain from being a part of one. In order to live harmoniously within a community, one must first understand what exactly a contact zone is. Pratt outlines this idea in her essay as any social space “where cultures meet, clash, and grapple with each other” (Pratt 514). In some ways, Pratt is suggesting that this “clash” between cultures is necessary in order to obtain a better understanding of who the other party is. In other ways, the dispute between two groups is not always effective as some cultures are unwilling to change. Such confrontation involves the

I look back on the time when I felt the most vulnerable and alone, and that was when I was living with my first roommate. I had only met her days before moving in, but I was determined to make the most out of our relationship. However, I quickly realized we were at odds over virtually everything, especially when it came to how late she’d stay out during the week. Months passed, and I eventually found a new roommate, but it wasn’t until reading Pratt’s essay that I realized my accepted version of who I thought my roommate was contained misconceptions due to our differences and the lack of knowledge I had going into the school