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Culture #5: Products, Practices, Perspectives

Posted by Conal R Smith on March 25, 2010 at 2:30pm

Product: Persian Rugs

Many people in Iran have invested their whole wealth in Persian carpets- often referred to as an Iranian's stocks and shares - and there are underground storage areas in Tehran's bazaar that are full of fine specimens, kept as investments by shrewd businessmen. And for many centuries, of course, the Persian carpet has received international acknowledgment for its artistic splendor. In palaces, famous building, rich homes and museums throughout the world a Persian carpet is amongst the most treasured possessions. Thus, it is not surprising that current production levels throughout Iran equal those reached prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979. In fact, rugs are now even produced in areas where weaving was heretofore not practiced. Thus, today Iran produces more carpets than all the other carpet making centers of the world put together.

Practice:

Persian carpets and rugs have always been and still are an intrinsicpart of Iranian culture and its people's daily lives. Indeed, carpets and rugs are in many cases the most valued possessions, and they are an integral part of an Iranian home. Historically, from being simply articles of need, as pure and simple floor entrance coverings to protect the nomadic tribesmen from the cold and damp, the increasing beauty of the carpets found them new owners - kings and nobleman, those who looked for signs of wealth or adornment for fine buildings.

Perspective:

There are two aspects that I am able to conclude from the role of Persian rugs in Iranian culture. One is the pride Iranians have for their rugs and how the country and its people revel in their own history. They see their rugs are status symbols which describe wealth, social standing, and history of their own family. The second relates to how Iran functions. The society revolves around the family which is central to Iranian life and the dynamics of its culture. There is no doubt having a Persian rug as a center piece to one's home says an inordinate amount about one's family. I think both aspects, national pride and the strong emphasis on family life, makes Persian rugs so valuable within the country and to the average Iranian since they value family and pride.

Artifacts

Posted by Nora Mann on March 25, 2010 at 11:40am

This week we really started working on artifacts with Haya. Alper and I not only created a story line but we also translated (from english to written hebrew) and recorded our progress. While working on this, I recognized how much trouble I have reading the language... I find it is easier to understand when spoken to, rather than read off a single piece of paper. I have always been this way about learning anything- but I think by recording and listening to myself, I am learning a lot faster from my mistakes! I truly sound VERY american when I speak in Hebrew but I am starting to love learning the language and finding better ways for me to progress.Later this weekend, I think I am going to ask Haya to assist me with pronunciation. There are still certain sounds that I struggle with- for example, when you say beraa (that is capital) but bera is beer. When working in groups I find it more difficult to say I don't understand something- because Alper tends to actually get it every time... but I have been talking to Haya post our lesson and think it is starting to really help. Reviewing one on one, writing out words to explain pronunciation, and speaking with a native speaker, have proven to be the most productive way for me to learn the language!

Ani Rotset

Posted by Nora Mann on March 25, 2010 at 11:33am

From the beginning of my studies with Haya, I knew I wanted to be able to have a simple conversation... I have many friends who speak/understand Hebrew and I am finally able to conversate with them=) I still am having a little/a lot of difficulty hearing the difference between some sounds but I feel like I'm making great progress! This past week, we talked about our vacations- where we went, what we did, and what the weather was like... this is just the beginning but I feel like I am really movin in the right direction! Haya as been SO MUCH HELP and really works with me until I understand everything.The only thing I would change about this process of teaching myself how to learn a language is- having more people around me to understand or help me understand what I want to say. Haya is one of the only people I can practice with- and I think she is the only one who is really not embarassed to correct me. Without her help I'd be struggling immensely!

Hofstede: Where Iran is...

Posted by Conal R Smith on March 25, 2010 at 11:30am

Oh Where, oh Where, Shall Iran Fall?

Indivduality

Iran's lowestHofstede ranking is Individuality (IDV) at 41, compared to the Muslim countries average of 38. This manifests itself from close long-term commitments to the member 'group', which is the family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. Furthermore, I think older generations demand a greater sense of respect within the society as a whole. The survival of the group ensures the survival of the individual. Lastly, harmony and interdependence of group members are stressed and valued. I believe there is a stronger emphasis on having a more indirect/high context manner of communication within Iran.

Masculinity

From what I have read, there seems to be an apparent divide between the socializng of men and women within the Iranian soceity. Examples such as the separate eating areas for men and women in public restaurants and that Conservative Iranians would not invite females over to dinne or to socialize demonstrates this cultural divide. I believe, at least from what I've read about Iran, that it is a masculine domintated country where women are somewhat assertive and competitive,but not as much as the men, so that it shows a gap between
men's values and women's values.

Uncertainty Avoidance Index:
This score indicatesthe society’s low level of tolerance for uncertainty. In an effort to minimize or reduce this
level of uncertainty, strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations are adopted and implemented. The ultimate goal of this population is to control everything in order to eliminate or avoid the unexpected. As a result of this high Uncertainty Avoidance characteristic, the society does not readily accept change and is very risk adverse. In order for change to come about, it must be an extremely gradual and slow process so that the society as a whole can accept and understand it. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, such as Islamic law, safety and security measures such as the Revolutionary Guards, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth; 'there can only be one Truth and we have it'. People in uncertainty avoiding countries are also more emotional, and motivated by inner nervous energy.

Power Distance Index:
Iran has high PowerDistance (PDI) is indicative of a high level of inequality of power and wealth within the society. This condition is not necessarily subverted upon the population, but rather accepted by the society as their cultural heritage. Examples of this are the following:

-Centralized companies
-Strong hierarchies
-Large gaps in compensation, authority,and respect

Overall, the Power Distance rank of 58 comparesto the Arab (Muslim) World ranking of 80.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The research by this website was conducted in 1972. There should bea more moderate application of these two Hofstede Dimensions, specifically those mentioned below, within the society. However, with the over-throw of the Shah in January of 1979, and the subsequent re-emergence into Islamic fundamentalism, the current Hofstede Dimensions for Iran may conform more closely with other Muslim countries that have higher Uncertainty Avoidance and Power Distance rankings.

Scores found at:
http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_iran.shtml

Culture #3: More Iranian Customs

Posted by Conal R Smith on March 25, 2010 at 11:00am

General Overview of Greetings:

Introductions are generally restricted to members of the same sex since men and women socialize separately. Greetingstend to be affectionate. Men kiss other men and women kiss other women at social events. If they meet on the street, a handshake is the more common greeting. When Iranians greet each other they take their time and converse about general things. The simplest and most common greeting is "salaam" (peace).

Dining Etiquette:
-Check to see if the host is wearing shoes. If not, remove yours at the door.
-Dress conservatively.
-Punctuality is appreciated.
-Show respect for the elders by greeting them first.
-Check to see if your spouse is included in the invitation. Conservative Iranians do not entertain mixed-sex groups.
-Shake everyone's hand individually.
-Accept any offer of food or drink. Remember to do 'taarof'.
-Tablemanners: Iranians are rather formal. Although some meals in the home
are served on the floor and without eating utensils, it does not
indicate a lack of decorum. In more modern homes, meals are served on a
dining table with place settings.
-Eat only with the right hand.
-Try a bit if everything that is served.
-Meals are generally served family-style.
-Most tables are set with a spoon and fork only.
-Part of Iranian hospitality is to shower guests with abundance.
-Expectto be offered second and even third helpings. Initial refusals will be assumed to be polite gestures (taarof again!) and are not taken seriously.
-Leave some food on your plate when you have finished eating.
-Restaurantsgenerally have two sections - "family" where women and families dine
and "men only". Tips of between 10 and 15% are appreciated in hotel
restaurants.

Business Relationships:
Iranians prefer to do business with those they know and respect,therefore they expect to spend time cultivating a personal relationship before business is conducted. Who you know is often more important than what you know, so it is important to network and cultivate a number of contacts. Expect to be offered tea whenever you meet someone, as this demonstrates hospitality. Finally, since Iranians judge people on appearances, dress appropriately and stay in a high standard hotel.

Information found at:
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/iran-country-profile.html

Cultural Post 5 - Cultural Product

Posted by David Mowry on March 25, 2010 at 10:30am

The nazar (or nazar boncuğu) is a ubiquitous symbol throughout Turkey. In English, it is referred to as the "Evil Eye bead," which comes from its purported ability to protect against the evil eye. The bead is seen as a means to protect against evil forces, especially from envy. The bead (or sticker, or fridge decoration, etc etc) is placed in the home in order to protect against theft. It is worn as jewelry to keep from physical harm. Some Turks even place it above the bathroom door in order to keep creepy gazes from intruding. The bead is supposed to literally deflect the negative glances of those wishing to do harm.

The beads can be bought almost anywhere, especially in sidewalk trinket shops and bazaars (çarşı) in larger cities. Of course, there are artisans and glass-blowers who craft the evil eye artfully and carefully. Usually, however, the evil eye is placed or worn as an accessory used more for its symbolic value than its intrinsic artistic worth. To this end, the nazar can be found on charm bracelets, earrings, safety pins, clothing and a whole host of other styles, all often very inexpensive.

Here is a tree in Kapadokya that is a popular destination for tour groups. Its branches are full of nazar beads:

Maşallah :)

Learning Journal #4

Posted by Alper Daron on March 25, 2010 at 2:29am

In the fourth week of our classes, I started to study some Hebrew grammar and asking basic questions like "Ma ze? - What is this?' or "Ha kelev sohe? - Does the dog swim?". Rosetta Stone has been somewhat helpful in learning about the grammar, but I think writing what I hear in Rosetta Stone helps me remember better, so I decided to keep a notebook and practice by writing.
Also, in our meetings with Haya, we went through some of our old vocabulary and we watched a video clip that shows an Israeli street market, and we practiced on our listening a little bit. However, I think it is still too early for me to try to understand without the subtitles in English. But, I could learn some new vocabulary (cheap, soft, fresh, shopping, taste, and etc.) from the video.

Cultural Response 3 - Israeli Road Signs and their representation in Israeli culture

Posted by Alper Daron on March 25, 2010 at 2:00am

The Israeli population is both linguistically and culturally very diverse. And the road signs in traffic are perfect examples that show this diversity. Unlike the USA, which is also a very diverse country, in Israel the government recognizes two official languages: Hebrew and Arabic, and the road signs in Israel are trilingual. They not include Hebrew and Arabic, but also English for visitors or newcomers (new aliyah immigrants), who do not know Hebrew or Arabic characters. Because Israel was formed with immigrants from all over the world, other than these 3 languages, there are also several other languages that are used by large populations. The main ones are; Russian, Romanian, Yiddish, Ladino, Polish, Spanish, French and Ukranian.

Cultural Response 2 Israel - Individualistic or Collectivistic?

Posted by Alper Daron on March 25, 2010 at 1:30am

Since I study Hebrew, and Hebrew is widely spoken mainly in Israel, I made some research on whether Israel was an individualist or a collectivist country. Our reading suggested that no country can neither be completely individualistic nor collectivistic. I guess this statement couldn't be any truer in any other country, but Israel, because Hofstede suggests that although being slightly individualistic, Israel can be both. This did not surprise me, because Israel is a country that created the idea of "kibbutzim" - collective communities that work together in agricultural areas, but at the same time in the business life Israelis tend to be very individualistic and they focus on individual goals and achievements.

Project Number 2: Turkish coffee

Posted by Andreas Vassilopoulos on March 25, 2010 at 1:24am

Turkey's famous product that represents its culture is coffee. It is totally different than American coffee in many ways. First of all Turks do not drink coffee in a plastic cup or standing up. Drinking coffee in Turkey is a way to have a conversation with someone, an enjoyable time of sitting and chatting. They even have a saying that when you invite someone for coffee, that you will remember that bonding time you had with him while drinking your coffee for forty years. In America you just go in a Starbucks or a Costa cafe for five minutes pick up your coffee and then you just go wherever you have to go either at work, home or anywhere else. Turkish coffee is normally prepared using a narrow-topped small boiling pot called an kanaka, a teaspoon and a heating apparatus. The ingredients are finely ground coffee, sometimes cardamo, cold water and maybe sugar. It is served in a demitasse. Some modern cups do have handles; traditional cups did not, and coffee was drunk either by handling the cup with the fingertips or, more often, by placing the cup in a zarf, a metal container with a handle.Turks drink their coffee in a round ceramic little cup. Their coffee is not made with a machine like American coffee but it is prepared by boiling finely powdered roast coffee beans in a pot.

In Turkey coffee is very important and it is a way of meeting new people and get to know them. It is very similar to my country Cyprus, the cups are quite similar and the way we make coffee. We also like to sit and chat while we drink our coffee. In Greece coffee was called Turkish coffee due to the Greco-Turkish relationship but the named changed after the Turkish invasion in Cyprus.

Project Number 1: Individualistic or Colectivistic?

Posted by Andreas Vassilopoulos on March 25, 2010 at 1:00am

Is Turkey a individualistic country or a collectivistic? No culture or country is exclusively individualistic or collectivistic. Turkey though until now was more of a collectivistic country. Their family is very important to them and they always think about the people who are close to them. For example if someone is going to make a decision for himself he would first think about his family and then his own concern. In Turkey health comes first, second comes family and third your own pleasure. As a country they are very proud of their ethnicity and they always move forward as a group.

The cecular policies of Ataturk, however took away from the collective Turkish identity. His policy was that there should be no religion which changed the Turkish identity forever. People were united with their belief in Islam but now they began to separate.This period was followed by a period of economic expansion, industrialization of business and other individualistic ideals. Turkey is well known for its business and Turks in general are very good business people. Turkey is rapidly changing from being a collectivistic country to a individualistic one due to their expansion and their development.

Reflections on how knowing a language's history can help you learn the language

Posted by Elliott Hammer on March 25, 2010 at 12:00am

Usually knowing the root of a language can help you develop some "language logic" while in the process of learning. For example, knowing that Italian or Spanish is based in latin helps because I can recognize latin root words (because they appear in English as well) and then make an educated guess about words I don't know. In Hebrew this is not the way in which history helps to learn the language. (Classical) Hebrew is very old and therefore one can't really point to its roots as a teaching aide.

In this case I don't know if I would say that learning the history of the Hebrew language helped me learn the language. BUT I think that learning the history helped me to understand more about the culture. The point of learning a language is to be able to interact with the people that speak it and that involves being exposed to their culture. Therefore, learning a language and learning the history of that language are interconnected.

Milk products of Iran

Posted by Laura Major on March 24, 2010 at 10:15pm

I read in an article somewhere that milk prices in Iran have increased due to high demand. This interested me and I read farther into the history of milk production of Iran. In the past Iran had used milk powders yet then switched to pasteurized milk. Through recent years, Iran has increased milk production due to the demand for the products. Milk prices have also increased through the demand the money put forth for agricultural needs for the cows to produce the milk. Recently Iran's milk export has increased and the demand is causing the production to increase. I read in several articles that Iranians enjoy cream and cream dishes. However, I am not sure that this could fairly justify as a cultural statement for Iranian culture. But it can be said that milk is a healthy product and interest is increasing in Iran as studies have proven through the stats on its high demand.

Artifact 1 (repost)

Posted by Tania Bukach on March 24, 2010 at 6:04pm

Farsi Greetings.ppt

Just moving this from the other section of my page!

Learning Journal 6

Posted by Tania Bukach on March 24, 2010 at 6:01pm

This week, Sofia and I worked on conversational skills. Extremely rudimentary skills, yes, but it was helpful nonetheless! I've been working on question/answer phrases one might expect when getting to know someone. I've mastered general introductions plus four questions and their corresponding answers. It's quite exhilarating seeing some success!

Practicing with Sofia was helpful, but I've found practicing on my own to be essential. Writing and saying the words over and over is a good warm up, but I've developed an even more helpful way to make the words stick in my long term memory. It's called talking to myself. I've started having conversations (well, one really - the same conversation over and over) with myself aloud in the park. Speaking at full voice is better, I've found. I guess it's that action learning kicking in. Whispering the words under my breath in the library isn't as effective as speaking the same way I would normally. It's also fun having someone to talk to. While I'm working (I'm a nanny), I talk to the child I care for. Holden makes a great audience, because he doesn't care that I'm saying the same things over and over (he doesn't even speak English yet!).

Week #8

Posted by Laura Major on March 24, 2010 at 5:00pm

We took our quiz this week on the Farsi alphabet, animals, our name, connecting letters, and greetings. Afterward we learned members of the family in Farsi and we practiced numbers again. We are now learning Farsi vocabulary in just Farsi script rather than using the transcription which is difficult. I have to include the symbols around the consonants so I remember how it is pronounced but I still have a hard time remembering.

Week 4 Reading Exercise #2

Posted by Roman Abdul Satar on March 22, 2010 at 2:00pm

After reading a story on مورچه (ant) that wants to eat some عسل (honey) but is to up high and he is not able to reach it, we started reading second story about two کبوترهای doves who are neighbours.
Each story that I have read so far starts the same way as in English stories (i.e. Once there was). The story starts when one dove, Arza says that she will join the other one to go to journey. But the other dove male Namabr says no because he need to go stright to work. As the story progresses you can see how the feminine dove is proud and wants to be equale with male kabootar.
Besides reading the story Sofia also told me to rewrite them and circle words that I don't understand.

Reflection on a cross-cultural experience (Culture Blog 1)

Posted by Elliott Hammer on March 20, 2010 at 9:00pm

When I was in Israel one thing that struck me was that all my little cousins knew they were going to be in the army when they turned 18. When I was there they asked me if I was joining the army here and they were surprised to hear me say no. In Israel everybody serves in the army after highschool (3 years for men, 2 for women). This is understandable to me because Israel is definitely a country that cannot afford to ever have a number drop in their military. It just struck me that I might have grown up thinking differently if I had known that I was going into the army when I hit 18. I suppose that's because the idea is so foreign to me and there it is normal.

Culture Blog # 1

Posted by Roman Abdul Satar on March 19, 2010 at 7:30pm

I decided to write this blog about Persian New Year, which is a very important and big celebrated holiday.

People in Middle East, Central Asia and other parts of the world gear up to celebrate Nowruz, which means New Day, as the year of 1388 comes to end in the Iranian calendar. Nowruz is on March 21 this year like it has been for about three millenniums. Nowruz indicates the first day of spring and the beginning of the year.

The modern western calender is dated from the time of Christ, which is about 2010 years, however the modern Iranian calendar is dated 1389 year from the time of Mohammad. Years are counted since the Hijrah, which is when Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Madina.

Modern Iranians celebrate the New Year for 13 days. It is expected for all to bath and clean themselves before Nowruz. New clothes are worn to emphasize freshness. The houses get cleaned, since Nowruz is "a feast of hope and renewal.

Families wait at home for the New Year to be announced. Once it is announced younger members of the family will visit the older members to pay respect and wish the a happy New Year. Relatives kiss and hug and presents are exchanged. Candies are offered to symbolically sweeten their lives for the rest of the year. New Year festivities continue until the 13th day. The 13th day is mostly spent outdoors. People leave their homes to go to the parks for festive picnics.

This celebration reveals many aspects about Persian people. Nowrus is a very old tradition and it still is celebrated by many people t shows that they have been following their ancestors. This event tells that Persian people value their religion and family the most.

Learning Journal #3

Posted by Alper Daron on March 18, 2010 at 11:33pm

In the third week of our meetings with Haya, we went over the previous vocabulary that we discussed in the video, and we also listened to a Hebrew song, sang by an Israeli singer and we added some more new vocabulary. I learned some basic love-related words that we hear very often in many songs.

Also, I wanted to learn the colors, so I found a website, which taught all the colors in hebrew. I wrote them down to my notebook, and I am trying to memorize all of them. But it seems like it is not that easy to remember all of them, because the colors also change depending on whether the word is a masculine/feminine/plural form. For ex: white can be "lavan" for mas.sing. "levana" for fem.sing. "lvanim" for mas.plu. and "levanot" for fem.plu. depending on the object/s that is/are white.

Other than that, I keep on working on Rosetta Stone, which I think helps a little bit on learning some more random words such as: water, bread, rice, apple, milk, car, newspaper, fish, eggs and etc. I also find Rosetta Stone helpful on learning how to say basic things in proper grammar.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.