1 What is culture?

What do you think of when the term ‘culture’ is mentioned? It is likely that the first images that come to mind are related to everyday situations and behaviours. However, the Iceberg metaphor shown in Figure 1 illustrates that there are many assumptions, values, beliefs and customs that are deeply rooted and condition our behaviours, but which, crucially, are not necessarily visible at first sight.

Figure 1  The iceberg model image is an adaptation of Edward T. Hall’s Cultural Iceberg

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Image of two icebergs labelled ‘China’ and ‘UK’. Along the surface line one can read ‘Visible Culture: behaviours’. Under the surface, the words that appear are: ‘Invisible Culture: customs, assumptions, beliefs, values’.

Figure 1  The iceberg model image is an adaptation of Edward T. Hall’s Cultural Iceberg

In their book Hidden Differences, Hall and Hall (1987, p. xvii) said: ‘Despite popular beliefs to the contrary, the single greatest barrier to business success is the one erected by culture’.

But ‘culture’ is a term with many different meanings and which may be understood in many different ways. In Activity 1, you will be presented with two definitions that will provide a foundation for learning more about intercultural competence and appreciating how much values, attitudes and behaviours both shape and are shaped by culture.