Every environment is defined and identified by its cultural practices. Cultural practices are governed by either formal or informal institutions. The use of the word ‘institution’ here is inspired by the works of the sociologist, W.R. Scott. Formal institutions denote formalized rules and regulations that govern the behavior of people within an environment. Informal institutions are often norms and schemas that are not formalized but govern behavior within an environment. Norms are observed because they are deemed appropriate. They are mimicked by the members of the cultural community and seen as morally right. Schemas on the other hand are representative traditions that have always existed. There is a shared understanding that that is how things are done, no one knows why and everyone in that culture just behaves in the same way without understanding why.

Formal institutions are easy to recognize. In our schools, there are documented rules governing staff and student behavior within and outside the classroom. We also possess norms that constitute rules but they are not written down and there are schemas that constitute undocumented traditions that are observed but are neither written rules nor norms.

Can you take a moment to think about and document the formal and informal rules in your school?

Now that you have done so, what you have outlined provides a picture of the culture in your school. Now think of your national, ethnic, religious, etc,. culture.

A lot of rules that were formal rules in our culture do not exist. But they still constitute norms and schemas that govern how people interact with each other and their environment within our culture.

Now think about your culture. It can be your national, ethnic, or religious culture or any other cultural context.

Can you take a moment to think about and document the informal rules in your selected culture?

So now you have an overall idea of what culture is and how you can identify culture.

Now, as mentioned in the introduction, interacting with people from diverse cultures is often complex. Now that you understand the formal and informal rules that frame a culture, you can also see that there are many formal and informal rules. At this point you may not be able to fully comprehend the number of rules that exist in your culture. But as you were growing up, you did learn about these rules and you have been, in most cases, unconsciously practicing them.

Now imagine you are governed by lots of cultural rules interacting with someone from another culture governed by rules that are dissimilar from yours. How do you navigate communication in that encounter without your attempt to impose your rules on the other party? That is quite difficult.

The outcome of such an encounter can be distressing, uncomfortable, or even chaotic.  Let’s think about one example. Imagine two new first-year students of the opposite sex who are meeting in your classroom at the start of a semester. One is from a country where people prefer gender-segregated spaces, and the other is used to a much more liberal ideas on gender. In this context, two strangers of the opposite sex are caught in a dilemma of not knowing how to say “hello” to each other. For one a simple “hi”, and perhaps a handshake, is normal. But for the other, that may be taboo.  If the students do not know how to act in this situation, they are likely going to avoid themselves. If one of them is an extrovert and decides to break the ice, but from their worldview, that could result in an uncomfortable situation.

Now imagine you, as a teacher, being called to deal with the uncomfortable situation. If you lack the knowledge, skills, and attitude toward intercultural communications, you are likely to address the problem in a manner that is culturally insensitive. Rather than build bridges you will foster further division.