The American short-term missionary was very excited to be in Brazil. As he met new people, he often made a gesture with his hand that to him meant “that’s great” or “A-OK.” After a few of these gestures his interpreter took him aside and explained that his gesture was actually considered quite derogatory in Brazil. The American was shocked—and never made that mistake again!
This story reminds us of the importance of international travelers doing their best to understand local cultures. While many cultural nuances take months or even years to learn, there are some basic things that travelers should familiarize themselves with before they reach their destination. Here is a list of 10 cultural questions.
- Greetings—what is the proper way to greet someone? How and when should you do it? Is there a difference between greeting someone young and someone old?
- Personal space—what is considered the proper distance that you should stand away from someone when speaking to them? Some cultures it is very close, while others expect a couple arms length.
- Physical contact—is it appropriate to shake hands? What about giving a friend a hug in public? What about married couples who show affection in public? Is this frowned upon?
- Gestures—what hand or body gestures are considered rude?
- Eye-contact—is it appropriate to make eye contact with a stranger? What about eye-contact with someone of the opposite sex? What about eye-contact in conversations or group settings?
- Dress—what is the cultural norm for dress? Are there different standards for men and women? Do women wear pants? What about shorts?
- Respect—are there certain ways that elders or leaders are shown respect?
- Gender attitudes—what are the attitudes about women? How do you show respect to both genders?
- Loudness—is it expected to speak softly to others and in public or is being boisterous acceptable?
- Time—what is their view of punctuality? Are they offended if you arrive early? What about arriving late? Are things expected to start on time, or just “whenever.”
This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, but it should be enough to get you started! Hopefully by finding out the answers to a few cultural questions before you travel, you will save yourself from some embarrassing moments abroad.
I was shocked when I traveled to India several years ago with a large group. I had simply read a small book about the culture of the land, so not everything was covered. But so many of the other travelers had not made any effort at all to find out about the people and customs of the land to which we traveled. Is this part of the American snobbery?
I think sometimes it is just ignorance. We don’t grow up thinking about the rest of the world–instead we think the world revolves around us–and we don’t realize the importance of educating ourselves about other cultures.