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Cultural “Backpacks”
To a great extent culture is about social codes. Many of these codes are hidden, even to ourselves. Throughout childhood and adolescence we adopt more and more of these codes from our environment, our parents, siblings, teachers, peers and role models. We store all this information in invisible “backpacks” that we carry with us all our lives. This information expresses our culture’s values and beliefs.
1. What does our way of greeting people for the first time reveal about our culture?
2. How do you show respect when you greet someone?
3. What do you consider as a disrespectful greeting?

Shaking Hands
A Norwegian school class was asked to compile a list of 10 important factors that could contribute to good communication. Shaking hands was ranked as the number one act in establishing a friendly atmosphere at a formal meeting.
This reveals a lot about the values intertwined in Norwegian teenagers’ greeting etiquette. These values are invisible, even to ourselves, and revolve around respect, perception of genders, intimacy and degrees of formality. In Norway shaking hands is a sign of respect in formal meetings, whereas shaking hands in other cultures might be seen as disrespectful in formal settings.
1. What does the shaking of hands in formal settings reveal about Norwegian culture?
2. Where do you think it is seen as disrespectful to shake hands among people you do not know? What does that reveal about the culture involved?

The First Impression
Numerous psychological tests and experiments have confirmed that a stranger will form an opinion of you within a maximum of 60 seconds at your first encounter. As the saying goes: “You will never get a second chance to make a great first impression.”
1. Do you agree, is the first impression the most important?
2. Is it possible do you think to change an unfavourable first opinion to a more favourable one?

Formal or Informal? Guest or Host?
Without doubt, the way we greet people we do not know, can open the doors to friendship and mutual understanding or bar us from further contact. However, the context matters a lot. What is considered formal and what is considered informal depends on cultural aspects. Furthermore, what is your role? Are you a guest or a host? As a guest; should you adopt the greeting rituals in your host’s culture and stick to the saying: “When in Rome, do like the Romans”? The part of the host is not any easier; should you stick to your own ways, or should you consider making adaptations to avoid offending your guest?
1. Do you agree with the saying: “When in Rome, do like the Romans”?
2. Why does context matter in intercultural meetings?

Intercultural Competence
Intercultural competence is your ability to communicate in a successful way with people with another cultural background than yourself. So, at a first meeting, you have 60 seconds to make up your mind; whether to kiss on the cheeks, shake hands or make a solemn bow and thus demonstrate if you are interculturally competent or not. Luckily, if you are going to travel, you most probably have time to prepare.
1. What is intercultural competence?
2. What are the main components of intercultural competence?
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