Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour

Culture is a set of ideas, customs and social behaviour that is shared by a group of people in the society. Every country has its own culture which may be similar or different in certain aspects from others. Therefore, it is important to understand and adapt to various cultural behavior so to avoid or minimize misunderstandings among people.

I recalled an incident which took place a few years back when my family and I went to Bangkok for a short holiday trip. We went to a few tourist attractions for sightseeing and it is common to see some of the locals selling souvenirs along the roadside. Suddenly, we heard a commotion behind us while we were looking at the souvenirs. We turned and saw a Thai lady got into a heated argument with a Caucasian. She was arguing in Thai language which we cannot understand and she even pointed her finger at that Caucasian. Furthermore, we also saw a young boy hiding behind that lady. Soon, we came to learn from our tour guide that the whole incident started with the Caucasian patting the Thai boy’s head after giving him sweets. However, it is a taboo to touch the head of a Thai as the head is regarded as the highest or most sacred part of the body. Hence, it is best to avoid touching Thai people on the head, not even as a friendly gesture. This is very different from Singapore where we pat our niece or nephew’s head to demonstrate our liking for them.

In conclusion, different countries have different cultures and so it is important to do a research about the Do’s and Don’ts of the country that you are going. We must be sensitive and learn to respect and appreciate the intercultural differences so as to avoid intercultural conflicts.