KINDLY FOR MARY WARNOCK PHD ONLY

Running Head: THE AFGHAN CULTURE

THE AFGHAN CULTURE

John A. Doe

Central State University

CED 555 – Human Relations Skills

Professor Duckie D. Happy

September 13, 2012

Abstract

Afghanistan is a small, landlocked country located in Central Asia. Sharing a border with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, China and Iran, its name means land of the Afghans, or Pashtuns. Afghanistan possesses a history rich in conquest and permeated with multi-ethnicities and cultures. This paper examined the history, cultural beliefs and practices, business etiquette, and strategies for successful multicultural communication with people of Afghanistan.

The Afghan Culture

This subsequent research is to review the Afghan culture in regards to history, the famous photograph, dress, religious beliefs, language, gastronomy, hospitality, and business etiquette and practices. The primary focus of this research is to identify the best practices and strategies to promote globalization and successful communication and negotiation with the Afghan culture.

History of Afghanistan

The people of Afghanistan are believed to have a history as a farming and harvesting community dating back as far as 6000 B.C. (Runion, 2007). The territory was then conquered by the Persian empire and ruled by King Darius before being subject to Macedonians under Alexander the Great. The Islamic religion was introduced by the Arabs around 652 A.D. and the previously Buddhist/Hindu culture began to slowly and uniformly convert to becoming Muslim (Rubin, 1995). The Muslim faith endured beyond Mongolian invasions, British occupation and later Soviet occupation, and is still strong today. Rashid (2001) postulates that Afghans have a reputation as being a pro-war culture, yet this is a land and a people that have shouldered the burden of occupation and invasion almost continuously since the finish of that small farming and harvesting community in 6000 B.C. The worst was to come, however, stemmed from a small, militant civil group of guerillas that aided in the independence of the country from the ten year Soviet conflict named The Taliban (Bradsher, 1985). The Taliban imposed harsh rules, created and accepted nothing less than full adherence to their strict religious codes and committed many humanitarian crimes against the Afghan people until they were toppled from power by U. S. Armed forces and the American occupation began in 2002 (Edwards, 2002).

The Famous Photograph

In 1985, Steve McCurry was a relatively young photojournalist with National Geographic magazine. He was on assignment, covering the conflict between the Soviet Union and the war zone known as Afghanistan. While in a refugee camp in Pakistan, he came across a 12 year old refugee girl, with vivid green eyes and a piercing, haunting regard. The little “Afghan eyes girl,” as she became known in the west, was of the Pashtun tribe, the most war like of the tribes comprising Afghan people. As the details of her short life unfolded, a grim picture of the cost of the Soviet war began to take place. Her parents had been bombed in a Soviet air raid. She was left a refugee orphan and, with her sisters, brothers, led by an elderly grandmother, trekked by foot across the mountainous border into Pakistan. As touching as her story was, she was not alone. More than twenty years later, Afghanistan is still a war torn country in transition. It is current occupied by American forces seeking to uphold the current government and life is still as harsh for many Afghans today as for the little girl in the photograph twenty-four years ago.

Culture and Customs

Most Afghans continue to strictly follow the Muslim religion, whether by choice, or by necessity. Remnants of the Taliban regime have strictly restricted the rights of women and girls. In many Muslim societies, women are expected only to take care of their husband, children, and husband’s family. Although under the current government, girls are permitted to go to school by law, girls are not always allowed to go to school by practice, and when they attempt to are often retaliated upon by remnant Taliban forces. Often, such retaliations are harsh, including the harrowing practice of throwing acid on young schoolgirls as they walk to or return from school. Family is the most sacred and private thing for an Afghan. Afghans are very protective of their families and for this reason, direct questions pertaining to an individual’s family should be avoided, especially when inquiring about gender and intercultural relationships in Afghanistan. Especially avoid questions about or directed to the women of Afghan families. According to Gannon (2005), misunderstood inquiries about an Afghan’s female relatives can at best be considered rude and at worst be grounds for violent revenge. In general, educated urbanites from areas such as Kabul or Herat tend to be more open and tolerant of western cultures than rural communities who are much more private and under the heavy influence of militant extremists and Taliban regime.

Dress

Traditional dress codes are mainly loose fitting trousers and tunics for men and women. Women’s tunics often have high necks and long sleeves (Rutherford, 2009). Women also range in their head coverings from a scarf draped around the head and shoulders to the ultra conservative Burqua required under the Taliban regime. Afghan men tend to wear turbans of white and Pashtuns like to leave a small amount of the fabric hanging down (Rutherford, 2009). Under Taliban rule, were required to wear a beard once reaching age of marriage without exception, though that is changing. It is not at all common to see Afghans dressed in clothing that exposes the skin, such as shorts or open toe shoes.

Religious beliefs

Religion is also very important to Afghanistan culture. The country is comprised of nine different tribes or ethnic groups, most are Muslim. There is some differentiation between Muslims across ethnic groups as well. The vast majority of Afghans are Sunni Muslims. The minority are Shia Muslims (Gannon, 2005). These differences can lead to conflicts between ethnic groups. Rubin (1995) stated it is not uncommon for Pashtuns, the majority ethnic group and Sunni Muslims, to discriminate against Hazaras, a small minority remnant of the Mongols who are Shia Muslims. One important thing to note is that Afghans are a multiethnic culture. They are not Arabs. Their lineage can be described as close to Persian heritage.

Languages

The official languages used in Afghanistan are Pashtu and Dari. Dari (a form of Farsi,) is the official language used in public sector affairs and for business transactions. More than 50% of the population speaks Dari. Most Afghans are multi-lingual and there are more than 70 smaller languages and dialects throughout the country (Smith, 2009).

Gastronomy and hospitality

Afghan dishes are based on Persian cuisine and rely heavily on sheep and goat dairy products such as cheeses and yogurts (Rutherford, 2009). Most refrain from drinking alcohol or eating pork products. It is considered rude to offer either of these items as gifts. Afghans are also heavy drinkers of tea. When Afghans invite someone to their home as a guest, a custom is to never allow the tea glass to be empty. A small, nicely wrapped gift should be brought to the host and sat discretely by the front door or at a side table. At tea you will be offered Afghani sweets like cardamom spiced cookies called Khatai, and Asabia el Alroos, or “Bride’s fingers” which are thinly sliced phyllo sheets with nut and honey filling (Smith, 2009). Afghans are very hospitable and will offer guests the best of what they have, even with very limited resources. Because of this, especially when visiting homes with children, it can be considered rude to continuously accept food and drink that is offered by the host. Once a guest has enjoyed enough tea, a hand placed over their cup with a nod will signal the host to stop serving the tea. After one or two sweets, it is customary to bow your head to signal that you have eaten enough as well.

Business etiquette

The most common greeting to use in Afghanistan is a hand shake. People will often place their left hand over their heart and slightly nod their head to greet people as well (Murray, 2009). Because business cards are a luxury, being given one is seen as a graceful gesture and carries a certain prestige. Accepting a business card requires a careful handling of the card and a thoughtful look over its contents. A gracious comment about any qualifications or a compliment about the card’s style and placing the card into a holder rather than the pocket will be greatly appreciated (Smith, 2009). Women conducting business in Afghanistan should always be dressed moderately and consider wearing a scarf out of respect. From the Afghan culture’s point of view, there is always a winner and a loser when conducting business. Before discussing heavy business matters, there must be introductory meetings to establish trust. During meetings, it should not be considered offensive if an Afghan accepts a phone call or leaves the room for a short time. When negotiating, if money is not the greatest motivator, associating honor or prestige with a proposal may help.

Conclusion

During my research I have learned that the Afghans show high respect for their tight-knit families, are very conservative, and are very gracious hosts. I found it interesting that Afghans’ believe there is always a winner and loser when conducting business, yet trust is a key foundation. I also thought it was important to know how precious business cards are and the appropriate way to handle them to show respect. Lastly, I found it important to know that associating honor or prestige with a proposal when negotiating can be as great a motivator as money. I believe the information I gained through this research will be of great assistance to me when traveling to Afghanistan, and to be more confident and successful in business transactions. Understanding the Afghan culture better has changed many of my assumptions and previously held beliefs regarding the Afghan people. Furthermore, as our country is becoming more global and multicultural, I have a colleague from Afghanistan and I feel what I have learned has helped me to build stronger work relations with this individual, as well as be more open to learning about other cultures.

References

Bradsher, H. S. (1985). Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Edwards, D. B. (2002). Before Taliban. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.

Gannon, C. (2005). I is for infidel, from holy war to holy terror: Eighteen years inside

Afghanistan. New York, NY: Public Affairs.

Murray, K. (2009). Afghanistan Culture. Retrieved from http://www.afghanistanworldfound.org .

Rashid, A. (2001). Taliban. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Rubin, B. R. (1995). The search for peace in Afghanistan. New Haven, CT: Yale University

Press.

Runion, M. (2007). The history of Afghanistan. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Rutherford, D. (2009). Afghanistan culture traditions and customs. Retrieved from

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/afghanistan-culture-traditions-and-customs.html.

Smith, S. (2009). Afghan language, customs, culture and etiquette. Retrieved from

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/afghanistan.html .