PEACE CORPS IN THE 21 ST CENTURY: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

119critique, tries to justify it, and then recognizes that she’s gone too far. She writes, “Thewhole notion of romance is lost on a place where marriages are commonly arranged andpeople sometimes barely speak before their wedding. This is in no way a criticalcomment, since from what I can see families here in Blue Creek are happy and work welltogether. I better stop myself now before I dig myself into a hole of seeming culturalbias.” 210These cultural biases are common in volunteer accounts when they comment ontheir new and different experiences by pointing out the differences between their hostculture and American culture.When volunteers begin integrating into their community, they have to decidewhether they will abide by local customs or maintain their own norms. Many volunteers,according to their blogs, make the decision to integrate fully into the local culture. InMuslim areas female volunteers try to maintain the practice of covering their hair, arms,and legs. One volunteer notes her attempts at cultural integration when she writes,“Shoulders and knees must be covered (more cultural than religious). My biggestchallenge is riding my bike while wearing a skirt trying to keep it out of the chain ANDkeeping my knees covered.” 211Adjusting to a new culture can present obstacles, butsuccessful volunteers seem to be able to make decisions that help them integrate.Ramadan, the Muslim period of fasting, presents volunteers with a decision, to eator not to eat. Of the 75 blogs analyzed, about 15 were of volunteers from Muslimcountries or Muslim villages. Each volunteer provides detailed accounts of Ramadanbecause it is a major cultural and religious practice in many parts of the world.According to their blogs, some volunteers fast while others simply try to limit what theyeat. One volunteer claimed that she really did not want to fast, but since she ate with her