"Less visible" aspects of culture
There are many things in every culture that are "less visible" because they require people to observe human behavior. Habits, expectations and values are "less visible" because they might not be evident on the surface, yet they shape how people behave in a wide variety of situations.
In Preparing to Study Abroad: Learning to Cross Cultures, Steven Duke discusses various aspects of relationships, communication styles, and attitudes toward religion and time that reveal "less visible" elements of culture.
For example, interpersonal relationships vary widely across the world and on many dimensions. How individuals fit into their family, clan or social group shape a wide variety of habits and expectations around different elements of hierarchy, power, gender, sexuality, cleanliness, and much more. Communication styles also vary, ranging from very direct cultures (where people say what they think directly, including negative feedback) to indirect cultures (where people imply what they mean but avoid saying "no" directly).
Identifying less visible aspects of culture requires observing how people act and behave, and how they interact with others. It also requires asking questions when behaviors, expectations, attitudes and habits seem different than what you might expect. This can be challenging at times, but it can also be fun.
Mark studied abroad in Spain for a semester and chose to live in a home-stay. He devoted significant energy and time with the home-stay family and found that this environment was ideal for developing new cross-cultural skills and observing the "less visible" aspects of cultural expression. He later wrote about his experience:
"The overall experience taught me a lot about who I was as a person. Not only did I learn how to adapt to several challenging variables, but also I was amazed to see how total strangers could put so much responsibility and trust in me to help the household stay intact. This was particularly special to me because it was nice to feel like such an important asset to the family. Living in a home with no male presence besides myself, it was interesting to see how my Spanish mother trusted me with so many responsibilities without knowing me that well as an individual. This helped me mature because it gave me a better perspective toward the 'bigger picture' in life." [Read Mark's full description and profile in Preparing to Study Abroad: Learning to Cross Cultures, pp. 57-58]
In Preparing to Study Abroad: Learning to Cross Cultures, Steven Duke discusses various aspects of relationships, communication styles, and attitudes toward religion and time that reveal "less visible" elements of culture.
For example, interpersonal relationships vary widely across the world and on many dimensions. How individuals fit into their family, clan or social group shape a wide variety of habits and expectations around different elements of hierarchy, power, gender, sexuality, cleanliness, and much more. Communication styles also vary, ranging from very direct cultures (where people say what they think directly, including negative feedback) to indirect cultures (where people imply what they mean but avoid saying "no" directly).
Identifying less visible aspects of culture requires observing how people act and behave, and how they interact with others. It also requires asking questions when behaviors, expectations, attitudes and habits seem different than what you might expect. This can be challenging at times, but it can also be fun.
Mark studied abroad in Spain for a semester and chose to live in a home-stay. He devoted significant energy and time with the home-stay family and found that this environment was ideal for developing new cross-cultural skills and observing the "less visible" aspects of cultural expression. He later wrote about his experience:
"The overall experience taught me a lot about who I was as a person. Not only did I learn how to adapt to several challenging variables, but also I was amazed to see how total strangers could put so much responsibility and trust in me to help the household stay intact. This was particularly special to me because it was nice to feel like such an important asset to the family. Living in a home with no male presence besides myself, it was interesting to see how my Spanish mother trusted me with so many responsibilities without knowing me that well as an individual. This helped me mature because it gave me a better perspective toward the 'bigger picture' in life." [Read Mark's full description and profile in Preparing to Study Abroad: Learning to Cross Cultures, pp. 57-58]