12.04 Culture 103: Diving Deeper

Don’t forget your PDF from Culture 101!

Culture 103: How to Dive Deeper and Truly Succeed in Your New Culture! We can ask good questions:

1. How does language reflect the culture, and how has language been influenced by the cultural history of this people?
2. What are the social “norms”, or the unwritten and informal rules that tend to govern the behavior of society
3. What are the stereotypes that I may be applying here that are invalid, misinformed and inappropriate? How did they come about?
   • a. Propoganda/Anti-propoganda?
   • b. False views through media/movies/music?
   • c. Short-term visits that gave a short-sighted view of a long-term reality?
4. What makes life worth living for the majority of the people? What drives them forward each day?
5. Who are major influencers that are shaping this society as compared to the major influences in their history who have shaped much of their world today?
6. What is the culture consuming in order to be accepted, normal, successful stand out or even rebel?
7. What is emerging in the culture from new influences both within and from outside the culture?
8. What are the differences between the majority common or “low” culture as compared to the “high” culture of this society?
9. What are the major changes in culture that have taken place between this people’s archaic culture and the dominant culture of today, and what residual culture is still reflected from that time?
10. Would this people classify as a truly trans-cultural society (reflecting a bringing together of multiple cultures into a new culture?) How?
11. Would this people classify as a truly inter-cultural society (reflecting distinct cultures that co-exist but do not really blend?) How?
12. How will you choose to approach being a cross-cultural ambassador for Christ, knowing that you will constantly be faced with the comparison of your culture to the culture of those God has sent you to?