Culture and Adaptation

The iceberg model is a great way to demonstrate the deep, far-reaching aspects of culture that fabricate what we can see in society. We can look at human culture from three different academic schools: Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology. Using these areas we can observe how culture exists in the human race, how our behaviour is shaped through our thoughts and behaviour and what agents of socialization have greater impact on how we live our lives.

Using the iceberg model I can decode certain characteristics of my culture that I present by looking deeper into how and why these traits exist.

Doing: What we can observe

People that don’t know me very well can see that in my culture: we primarily speak English; we listen to a variety of music that demonstrates our protected right to freedom of speech; we place a high value on education; we are kind to each other but respect privacy and personal space; and that we value a multicultural community and celebrate our differences. 

Thinking: Ideas that affect what we observe

Underneath the “face” of my culture lies a sociological process that fuels the behaviour people can observe. Socialization is the process in which an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behaviour, and social skills that belong to their role in society. A good example of this would be the way in which people in my culture, due to socialization, automatically line up behind someone if they are wishing to use the same service or speak with the same person. Through our agents of socialization (family, peers, media, and institutions) it is an unwritten rule that you “wait your turn” which is why we instinctively begin to line up at the bank, grocery store, and ticket booth.

Feeling: Deeper understanding of what is right and true

The best example of an unconscious value that exists in my culture is the value of freedom. We do not have to think about our freedom to know that people are not allowed to take it from us. Although we may recognize our freedom every now and then for the most part exists on an unconscious level where we think and do things, knowing we are free to do so without persecution.