Again- What is The Cultural Iceberg?!

In 1976, Edward T. Hall published Beyond Culture in which he developed the “cultural iceberg model.” As the saying goes about icebergs, you only see 10% of an iceberg that’s above water, and the rest is below the surface. 

When we meet someone, Hall argued, we’re only seeing “the tip of the cultural iceberg.” There is much more to a person’s cultural contexts that isn’t obvious by external behaviors. 

The Tip of the Cultural Iceberg 

Food 

Drinks 

Clothing 

Jewelry 

Head Coverings and Hats 

Language 

Accents 

Hand Gestures 

Dance 

Music 

Films 

TV Shows 

Hair Style 

Grooming and Makeup 

Tattoos 

Piercings 

Home decor 

What We Don’t See 

Familial importance 

Friendship styles 

Respect for elders 

Dating and marriage 

Spatial comfort 

Humor 

Work ethic and expectations 

Problem solving 

Concepts of time 

Etiquette 

Child rearing 

Cleanliness 

Individual and group think 

Religious devotion 

Relationship with the environment and animals 

Punishment 

Hall explained that active and repeated communication is key to to learn and understand one’s cultural contexts- which impact behavior. As a result, intercultural communication competence is achieved. 

What are some other examples of cultural contexts that we cannot see on the surface?