The Cultural Iceberg

I really liked Weaver's analogy that culture is like an iceberg and that only a small part of our culture (our external culture) can be seen although most of the conflicts occur between the unseen parts of culture (internal culture). I think this is very true. For example, when we see someone who is wearing a burka, we may feel uncomfortable because it is different from what women in America wear, but any true conflict of culture will occur when values or beliefs that are under the surface are revealed.

Also I agree with the idea that we are often unaware of our internal culture, because at home we are surrounded by those who share a very similar internal culture. When I went to Japan five years ago, seeing the different ways the Japanese students lived and the different things they valued, made me more aware of my culture and my own self in general. I learned how much the Japanese value both family and history, which made me more aware that I might not value these things enough.

This hidden internal culture can also lead to ethnocentrism. When one spends most of their life surrounded by people with a similar culture, it is easy to believe that their culture is the only culture or the best culture. When meeting someone of another culture, one may be blinded by the difference in external culture rather than seeing through to the internal culture of the other person, which may not actually be that different.

In the past when I have learned about ethnocentrism it was presented as a bad thing, but I think it is almost always inevitable to have a sense of ethnocentrism, because our culture is such a large part of who we are. Especially when in a new or strange situation, it is always more comfortable to gravitate to people who share similar lifestyles and values. The key is not to let your ethnocentrism get in the way of appreciating and respecting the value of a culture that is different than your own.