Iceberg of culture

Page 1

Fig. 1: The iceberg concept of culture

Primarily in awareness

Fine arts Drama

Folk-dancing

Games

Notions of modesty

Primarily out of awareness

Ideals governing child raising Relationship to animals Definition of sin

Dress

Conception of beauty Rules of descent

Cosmology

Conception of justice

Tempo of work

Conception of cleanliness

Popular music

Cooking

Patterns of superior/subordinate relations

Courtship practices

Notions of leadership

Literature

Classical music

Attitudes to the dependent

Approaches to problem solving

Theory of disease

Conception of status mobility

Roles in relation to status by age, sex, class, occupation, kinship, etc. Nature of friendship Facial expressions

Conception of “self�

Preference for competition or co-operation

Eye behaviour Definition of insanity

Patterns of visual perception

Notions about logic and validity

Conversational patterns in various social contexts

Incentives to work

Patterns of group decision-making

Conception of past and future Social interaction rate

Arrangement of physical space

Body language

Patterns of handling emotions Ordering of time

Notions of adolescence

Etc.

Source: p.14 AFS Orientation Handbook Vol.4, New York: AFS Intercultural Programs Inc., 1984

Intercultural Learning T-Kit

19

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