Chapter 1: Culture
4. Culture is like an Iceberg
Figure: Model of Logical levels (cf. Bateson, G., 1972; Dilts, R., 1994, 1997)
Spirituality
- We are shaped by basic religious and philosophical values that have shaped the ethical principles of every culture for centuries.
- This cultural identity is based on belief and value systems that determine what we believe is good and right
- Values affect what strategies and rules we use to manage our daily lives
- These attitudes and rules are then reflected in behavior with which we also shape our environment
- On the other hand, the environment also influences behavior (e.g., through climatic conditions), the development of certain abilities, or the formation of certain ways of life..
Visitors, that get to experience a culture for the first time, will firstly experience everything what's on the surface of the iceberg. For example, they will learn about cultural artefacts like the music, fashion, art or literature. Visitors will get to know how people greet each other, how they welcome visitors, express their emotions and what kind of physical gestures they use in which situations.
However, what lies beneath the surface is termed "invisible culture" or "deep culture". The layers below can be explored by visitors only step-by-step. Sometimes, they remain unconscious even for the members of the culture themselves. If you get the chance to deeply get to know a culture, you will experience for example how much value a culture ascribes to their family life and how social interactions are organized; how they carry out their work; how friendships are formed and what gender role expectations a society holds for its members.
What also lies beneath the surface are the underlying beliefs, values, norms, understanding of hierarchy and how a culture treats foreigners and outsiders. Cultural values include notions of good and bad, right or wrong, while cultural norms constitute what kind of behavior is appropriate or not in a given situation. Norms answer the question concerning what is right and what is wrong: "how I should behave?", when values answer the question concerning shared ideals: "how I desire to behave?".
However, what lies beneath the surface is termed "invisible culture" or "deep culture". The layers below can be explored by visitors only step-by-step. Sometimes, they remain unconscious even for the members of the culture themselves. If you get the chance to deeply get to know a culture, you will experience for example how much value a culture ascribes to their family life and how social interactions are organized; how they carry out their work; how friendships are formed and what gender role expectations a society holds for its members.
What also lies beneath the surface are the underlying beliefs, values, norms, understanding of hierarchy and how a culture treats foreigners and outsiders. Cultural values include notions of good and bad, right or wrong, while cultural norms constitute what kind of behavior is appropriate or not in a given situation. Norms answer the question concerning what is right and what is wrong: "how I should behave?", when values answer the question concerning shared ideals: "how I desire to behave?".
One can possibly imagine that the ignorance of the underlying traditions, values, beliefs and norms of a culture can lead to unintentional clashes among people from different cultural groups. We tend to interpret another culture's behavior by the cultural reference frame we grew up in, and typiclly the most challenging conflicts and misunderstandings derive from the deeper structures of culture. In this way, we might not even realize that we have violated another culture's values or norms in a particular situation. As visitors spend more time interacting with individuals of a new culture, the factors that are hidden underneath are beginning to show.
The model of the "Logical Levels" was established by the cultural anthropologist Gregory Bateson (1972) and was further developed by Robert Dilts (NLP - Neuro-linguistic programming) (1994, 1997). It is a model that aims at describing learning, communication and perception.
Gregory Bateson (1972) emphasised that, in the processes of learning, change and communication, there is a natural hierarchy. The function of every level is to organise the information from the level below. Changes at a higher level inevitably lead to changes on the lower level.
The identity of a person is based on specific talents and skills and also on his/her belief and value system. The skills and values, etc. are expressed through behaviour. All of this has an influence on the environment in which people live. The inverse applies as well: the environment (e.g. through climatic conditions) influences behaviour, one's skills, etc.
Gregory Bateson (1972) emphasised that, in the processes of learning, change and communication, there is a natural hierarchy. The function of every level is to organise the information from the level below. Changes at a higher level inevitably lead to changes on the lower level.
The identity of a person is based on specific talents and skills and also on his/her belief and value system. The skills and values, etc. are expressed through behaviour. All of this has an influence on the environment in which people live. The inverse applies as well: the environment (e.g. through climatic conditions) influences behaviour, one's skills, etc.