The following is a list of insights into the nature of culture, compiled from the Peace Corps manual, Culture Matters. They are listed here for student reference.
1: When we look at behavior, we interpret what is happening through the filter of what our culture tells us is happening.
2: Surface behaviors are influenced by beneath- the-surface values and assumptions.
3: Behavior makes more sense when you understand the value or belief behind it.
4: Some behaviors are shared by us all, while some others are unique to individuals.
5: While people have to learn most of their behavior, after they learn it they come to regard that behavior as natural and normal— for everyone.
6: A given behavior has no built-in meaning; it means whatever the observer decides it means.
7: While culture has many definitions, most observers agree on certain fundamental characteristics.
8: The concept of personal identity differs greatly from culture to culture.
9: Culture influences whether you act more like an individualist or a collectivist.
10: Common expressions become common because they reflect core cultural values.
11: Behaviors reflect deeply seated values and world views.
12: Cultural differences are bound to show up in workplace interactions.
13: Many American traits are the direct result either of our geography or of the nature of the immigrants who first settled our country.
14: Host country nationals may have a number of preconceptions about Americans.
15: The responsibilities of friendship differ from culture to culture.
16: Cultures differ on how they distinguish between obligations to in-group and out-group members.
17: The relationship between individual and social ethics is influenced by culture.
18: Different styles of communication mean an increased possibility of misunderstanding and misinterpretation.
19: Americans and host country nationals have different views on fundamental aspects of communication.
20: The meaning of gestures, eye contact, and conversational patterns may not be the same in the host culture as in American culture.
21: In some cultures, the real message is between the lines.
22: Interpret facial expressions from the host country culture’s point of view, not your own.
23: The direct way of saying certain things may strike some listeners as too harsh.
24: The actual meaning of the words may be a poor guide to what an indirect communicator is saying.
25: Lining up and not lining up are culturally determined behaviors.
26: Time is a cultural phenomenon.
27: Time means different things in different cultures.
28: Power must be exercised more openly in some cultures than in others.
29: Interaction between manager and subordinate is influenced by culture.
30: Attitudes toward the unknown shape many human behaviors.
31: Your attitudes towards laws, regulations, policies, and procedures and the degree to which people must obey them may not be the same as those in your host country.
32: People from different cultures may see their ability to influence external events very differently.
33: Culture influences how much control people believe they have over their lives.
34: Activists and fatalists live in very different worlds.
35: Emotional and social distance from other people is greatly affected by culture.
36: We all obey numerous rules for interacting with people at close quarters, most of which we aren’t aware of. The rules of your host culture may be different from what you’re used to.
37: What friends expect of friends may be different in your host culture from what you are used to.
38: Norms for romantic relationships are influenced by culture.
39: Adjusting to a new country and culture happens over time.
