kara walling. last day in class discussion

On the last day we were talking about the differnce between cultural exchange and economic exchange, if one at all. Dr. Redick was posing, if you take home souvenir from another country does that mean you've had a culture exchange. I would say no. A culture exchange is something much deeper that shares meaning from both sides. Simple sitting in an AC room, and taking a "representation" of something of that country, I dont feel would count as a cultural excahnge. That is solely economic because it has no true meaning behind it. On the ohter hand, if you're around a village, or passing through and are offered a homemade blanket or some traditional artifact from someone of that country, that is cultural exchange. It has significance and meaning. It is something you experienced. I guess just generally I would prefer a cultural meaning than an economic (artificial) meaning, and that is how I see the difference.