Chapter 4 – Culture, Intercultural Competence, and Pragmatics
Chapter 4 – Culture, Intercultural Competence, and Pragmatics
Going on a Culture Expedition
Faith Adler; Bibi Halima; and Keli Yerian
Preview Questions
- How can we conceptualize the complexity of culture?
- What are some models for understanding the experience of culture shock?
What are some of the language features that come to mind when you think of a language classroom? Grammar? Vocabulary? Have you ever considered that learning about culture could be just as important as these other components of language? Cultures (and sub-cultures) can shape how people speak to and interact with one another. In this section, we will take a look at a few ways to conceptualize culture.
Culture as an Iceberg
You might be familiar with how we perceive icebergs. Though we can see the surface, this only captures about 10% of what is there. Similarly, culture can be seen as an iceberg. There are parts of cultures that are easy to see and are talked about often such as language, art, food, or fashion. However, these topics are only the visible surfaces of culture, as we can see in the illustration below.
There are also subjects that are talked about less frequently, such as how to behave in business settings, or the symbolism of certain gestures. These patterns are just part of everyday life, and usually remain just below the surface.
Then, there are subjects and behaviors discussed even less frequently. These are so deeply embedded in those who grew up in the culture that they occur as thoughtlessly as breathing. This might include norms between genders or ages, how the culture values personal space, or even what is seen as “good” or “bad.” These aspects remain deeply hidden unless we are willing to acknowledge and discuss them.
Being aware that a culture we are interacting with may have some norms that are below the surface reminds us to keep our eyes, ears, and minds open. It allows us to dive deeper into an unfamiliar culture and get to know the people behind it in a respectful manner as well.
ROTEX Perspective: Common Misconceptions
Another shared experience we all had studying abroad was how much we were stereotyped by others. We were always happy that people felt comfortable enough to ask about culture in the United States, but it would almost always be about the stuff you see in the movies. “Do you guys really party all the time?” or “Do people really get shoved in lockers?” were a few examples. They might seem silly to us – but those are the sort of things that sit right at the surface of culture, so of course people who aren’t familiar with culture in the United States are going to ask about them.
Eric brought up how sometimes people think that they have a strong knowledge of a culture (or are more knowledgeable than others in their circle) even if they’ve only had minimal exposure, but in reality, it’s really difficult to know and understand a culture if you’re not actively involving yourself in it. He said that “Culture is not visible if you are not im