Culture is like an iceberg where the visible tip belies the vastness hidden below the surface.

What’s a Cultural Iceberg?

The culture or cultures you grow up in affect your deepest attitudes and beliefs, giving you your sense of what’s good or right, what feels comfortable, what behavior is acceptable, and conversely what’s not. What other people see may be only those things “on the surface”—for example, the way you talk or act, what you eat and how you dress.

That’s why culture is often represented as an iceberg. Ten percent is the “surface culture” that shows above the water line and 90%, known as “deep culture, ” is hidden below.

The attitudes and beliefs in deep culture affect what shows on the surface.
© OIC Books

The hidden part of the iceberg influences everything you do and yet you may not even realize it. Ask yourself, for example, “Does it feel right when things come in threes or fours?

The Rule of 3

If you are from western cultures, the threes probably have it:

• You get three wishes.
• The third time’s the charm.
• Speeches are written to make three points.
• Favorite characters in fairy tales and songs come in threes—the three little pigs, the three blind mice.
• Races start with “Get ready. Get set. Go!” Slogans are more memorable to westerners when they’re in threes: “Snap! Crackle! Pop!”

The Significance of 4

To native peoples of the Americas, however, the natural world matters most. There is sacred significance in the Four Directions—North, South, East, and West, and the number four is culturally ingrained:

• The medicine wheel used for health and healing is divided into the Four Directions.

• Things come in fours, such as the elements of nature (fire, air, water, earth) or aspects of life (spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical).

• Many native legends and creation myths, passed from generation to generation, tell of four brothers or four winds or four ancestors.

• In ceremonies, the number four and its multiples figure prominently. For example, historical records and accounts show that, in the initiation ceremony of the Chipeway magicians, candidates entered a lodge of four poles where four stones lay before the fire. They stayed there for four days and participated in four feasts.

Comfort based on certain numbers is just one of countless ways that cultural heritage influences your approach to daily life.

Look into the “deep culture” part of the cultural iceberg above and find some attitudes and beliefs you hold. How do these aspects of your cultural heritage affect what you do “on the surface”? For example:

• Consider your concept of time and how it affects when you arrive at appointments and events.
• How prompt do you feel you have to be to be considered on time?
• Would people from other cultures agree?

Try a few more examples. Did anything make you say, “Oh, I see”?

Comment on this post below.

Image © iStockphoto

Culture is like an iceberg where the visible tip belies the vastness hidden below the surface.<\/p><\/div>\n

What’s a Cultural Iceberg?<\/h2>\n

The culture or cultures you grow up in affect your deepest attitudes and beliefs, giving you your sense of what’s good or right, what feels comfortable,\u00a0what behavior is acceptable, and conversely what’s not.\u00a0What other people see may be only those things “on the surface”—for example, the way you talk or act, what you eat and how you dress.<\/p>\n

That’s why culture is often represented as an iceberg. Ten percent is the “surface culture” that shows above the water line and 90%, known as “deep culture, ” is hidden below.<\/p>\n

The attitudes and beliefs in deep culture affect what shows on the surface.
\u00a9 OIC Books<\/p><\/div>\n

The hidden part of the iceberg influences everything you do and yet you may not even realize it.\u00a0Ask yourself, for example, “Does it feel right when things come in threes or fours?<\/p>\n

The Rule of 3<\/h4>\n

If you are from western cultures, the threes probably have it:<\/p>\n

\n
• You get three wishes.<\/li>\n
• The third time’s the charm.<\/li>\n
• Speeches are written to make three points.<\/li>\n
• Favorite characters in fairy tales and songs come in threes—the three little pigs, the three blind mice.<\/li>\n
• Races start with “Get ready. Get set. Go!” Slogans are more memorable to westerners when they’re in threes: “Snap! Crackle! Pop!”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  The Significance of 4<\/h4>\n

  To native peoples of the Americas, however, the natural world matters most. There is sacred significance in the Four Directions—North, South, East, and West, and the number four is culturally ingrained:<\/p>\n

  \n
  • The medicine wheel<\/a> used for health and healing is divided into the Four Directions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n
    • Things come in fours, such as the elements of nature (fire, air, water, earth) or aspects of life (spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
      • Many native legends and creation myths, passed from generation to generation, tell of four brothers or four winds or four ancestors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
        • In ceremonies, the number four and its multiples figure prominently. For example,\u00a0historical records and accounts\u00a0show that,\u00a0in the initiation ceremony of the Chipeway magicians, candidates entered a lodge of four poles where four stones lay before the fire. They stayed there for four days and participated in four feasts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Comfort based on certain numbers is just one of countless ways that cultural heritage influences your approach to daily life.<\/p>\n

          <\/p>\n

          Look into the “deep culture” part of the cultural iceberg above and find some attitudes and beliefs you hold. How do these aspects of your cultural heritage affect what you do “on the surface”? For example:<\/p>\n

          \n
          • Consider your concept of time and how it affects when you arrive at appointments and events.<\/li>\n
          • How prompt do you feel you have to be to be considered on time?<\/li>\n
          • Would people from other cultures agree?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Try a few more examples. Did anything make you say, “Oh, I see”<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

            Comment<\/a>\u00a0on this post below. <\/em><\/p>\n

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