Exploring Cultures: The three levels of Hall’s Iceberg model of culture

In the blog last week, we focused on the Lewis model that illustrates three contrasting cross-cultural communication styles. This week, we shall evaluate the Hall Iceberg depiction of culture that acts as both the conclusion to our current series and an introduction to our new topic of ‘Managing Life Overseas’. More specifically, we shall be referring to the Hall model again in the new series especially when exploring the importance of critically evaluating our own domestic cultural values in preparation for the encounter with an unfamiliar cultural context.

Introduction to the Hall Iceberg model

The Hall Iceberg model provides a framework that categorises key cultural elements into three distinct levels positioned as surface, shallow, and deep factors. The purpose was an attempt to distinguish between the visible and largely invisible aspects of a culture as typically experienced by an outsider. The critical importance of this differentiation is that, however distinct or attractive surface characteristics might appear to the short stay visitor, they are insufficient for any meaningful understanding of the influences that shape the everyday behavioural expectations of members.

The Iceberg model

An overview of the three levels of culture

The Surface Level

The common characteristic of cultural elements at this level is that they are tangible and immediately visible even to the outsider. These include language, dress codes, festivals, customs such as greetings, music and the arts, and every day interpersonal behaviour. However, while they always reflect the memorable initial experience of an encounter with any new society, they only represent a very small element of the highly complex cultural context.

The Shallow Level

This level incorporates somewhat complex patterns of norms and rules that are largely invisible to the newly arrived outsider. However, these shared orientations are of profound importance to members as they shape key behavioural expectations. Examples of cultural elements at this level include expectations regarding personal body space, non-verbal communication, etiquette, and social rituals.

As these factors govern daily interpersonal interactions, they are frequently the source of misunderstanding for new arrivals for whom an initial encounter with such mysterious behavioural expectations can be bewildering. Indeed, gradually learning to become comfortable with such cultural expectations at this level takes time, practise, a sense of humour, and significant patience as they are deeply rooted in the collective cultural psyche.

The Deep Level

At this deeper level, beliefs, values, patterns of thought, perceived global perspectives about others or outsiders, and even taboos are subconsciously embedded and taken for granted by members. These largely emotionally experienced perspectives only become familiar to outsiders who experience an extended stay in the culture and make a significant effort to research, observe, and listen attentively to informed locals. Examples of such deep level characteristics include core values, religious beliefs, perspectives on the acceptable distribution of power and wealth, concepts of time, and basic assumptions about life including what is regarded either right or wrong or good or evil.

In conclusion, as we proceed over the next few weeks to explore this new topic of managing life overseas, we shall primarily focus on the issues identified at levels two and three of the Hall cultural model. Here it is important to stress that we will be focusing on the challenges faced by those planning extended periods in a new host cultural context, not on tourists or occasional visitors who typically only encounter experiences listed at the surface level of the topic.

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Question 1

Why is literature focused on tourism so potentially unhelpful for those planning to live overseas?

Question 2

How can learning more about the domestic cultural values help to manage a new cultural context?

Question 3

What are the limitations we must all accept when attempting to plan a new life overseas?

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We shall explore Question 3 in the next blog.

Reference

Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. Anchor Books.