1. Afghan CultureBy: Sayed Mohammad Naim KHALIDMasters Student ISA Lille France 09 Oct 20111

2. 2 3. INTRODUCTION (1/2) NAME:Afghanistan LOCATION:Central Asia GOVERNMENT: Islamic republic AREA: 652,000 km2 CAPITAL: Kabul BIG CITIEIS: Kabul, Kandahar, Heart, Mazar,Jalalabad BORDERS: China, Iran, Pakistan,Tajikistan, Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan CLIMATE: continental, hot summer and coldwinters3 4. INTRODUCTION (2/2) OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Dari (official) 50%,Pashtu (official) 35%, Turkic languages (primarilyUzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages(primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%. MAJOR RELIGION(S): Sunni Muslim 80%, ShiaMuslim 19%, other 1%. MAJOR ETHNICGROUPS:Pashtun 42%, Tajik27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%. POPULATION: 30 million4 5. 5 6. 6 7. GREETINGS (1/3) Men greeting Men - Men usually shake handswhen greeting one another during an initialmeeting as well as in formal situations. Huggingand backslapping are common greetings amongfriends and family members. Some mayexchange kisses on the cheek. Women greeting Women - Women generallykiss each other, starting with the left cheek andthen switching to the right cheek. Some will kissone cheek, but most kiss two or four or even up 8times (alternating cheeks). A handshake iscommon for initial meetings.7 8. GREETINGS (2/3)8 9. GREETINGS (3/3) Greetings between Men and Women - If awoman wishes to shake hands with a man, sheshould extend her hand first. It is common formen and woman to exchange verbal greetingswhen first meeting in social situations. It generallynot acceptable for women to touch men in public. Note: Greetings are very important and usuallyconsist of a lengthy exchange of questionsregarding your health, the well-being of yourfamily and general pleasantries. Asking someonea direct question without going through thegreeting questions first, is usually considered very9rude. 10. COMMUNICATION STYLE (1/1) Afghans tend to favor a mix of indirect and direct communication style. When speaking to elders and members of the opposite sex, the style is mostly indirect. When speaking to people ones own age or younger, the style is usually direct.10 11. PERSONAL SPACE & TOUCHING (1/2) At least an arms length of personal space is common when speaking to members of the opposite gender. This space tends to be closer with members of the same gender. Male friends often walk holding hands or with their arms around each other, but men and women hardly ever display any form of physical affection in public. Between friends and family members of the same gender, touching of theshoulders, and back slapping are common during conversations. There is no touching between genders after the initial handshake, and only if the woman offers11 her hand. 12. PERSONAL SPACE & TOUCHING (2/2)12 13. EYE CONTACT (1/1) Direct eye contact is usuallythe norm between membersof the same gender andage. Indirect eye contact isusually the norm whenspeaking to elders andmembers of the opposite13gender. 14. VIEWS OF TIME (1/1) Afghanis view time as something flexible. They put more emphasis on people and relationships, rather than the meeting of deadlines and keeping to set schedules. With shop owners and merchants, punctuality isnt usually valued but in business situations punctuality is expected.14 15. GENDER ISSUES (1/2) Work opportunities for women are limited depending on social class. Afghanistan is a patriarchal society. Women are restricted in many ways by their men and always do what they say. Women are still expected to do most if not all of the cooking and cleaning,along with the child rearing. Women are expected to keep their heads covered in public. This is not usually the case for foreign women, but it may be appreciated.15 16. GENDER ISSUES (2/2)16 17. GESTURES (1/2) People usually point towards something using the index finger. Hooking the index fingers hand fingers together indicates an agreement with each other. Use the right hand to give and receive objects and to shake hands. Thumbs up means OK, cool, positive, good-luck, thanks, youre cool, I agree. Thumbs down means the opposite. It is polite to take your shoes off when entering homes, offices, and most places of worship.17 18. GESTURES (2/2)18 19. TABOOS (1/2) Dont point the toe or heel or any part of the foot at any person. Dont show the sole of your foot or use the foot to move anything as it is viewed as the lowliest body part. It is very rude for men and women to show affection to each other in public. Avoid raising your voice or yelling at someone in public. Avoid winking as it is generally construed as a come on. It is polite to accept offer of tea when visiting homes19 and some offices. Rejecting the offer will most likely 20. TABOOS (2/2)42 39 020 21. LAW & ORDER (1/2) The legal smoking age is 18 but it is not enforced at all. Cigarettes and cigars are readily available. Being in possession of small quantities of drugs will be subject to fines and/or jail or alternative penalties such as community service or drug treatment. However, as a foreigner could be deported or sent to jail depending on the situation. If you are caught trying to take drugs in or out of the country, it is an automatic jail sentence.21 39 means you are Pemp (not sure of spelling) 22. LAW & ORDER (2/2)22 23. DRESS (1/3) For Men- Conservative suits and shoes are common in most business situations. Dark colors tend to be the norm. Most men wear the traditional Afghan dress consisting of a long shirt and trousers. For Women- Dress should always lean toward the conservative side. Avoid any tight fitting or revealing clothing. Skirts/dresses should be knee length or longer. Wearing a headscarf is advisable and showing as little skin as possible is best.23 24. DRESS (2/3)24 25. DRESS (3/3)25 26. TITLES & BUSINESS CARDS Common titles include Mr. and Mrs. followed by the last name. People will also use titles for Doctors, Lawyers, Government officials, etc. There is no specific ritual surrounding the giving or receiving of business cards. Many people do not have any to give so if you do receive one, its best to treat it with respect.26 27. MEETINGS (1/2) Business meetings do not usually begin on time, however it is a good idea for a foreigner to be punctual. Small talk almost always precedes any formal conversations. Its appropriate to inquire about ones health, families, etc., before dealing with business. The "get to the point" mentality is usually seen as rude. Setting a friendly mood will get you a lot further than trying to be direct about anything. Interruptions are quite common and agendas tend to be followed loosely if at all. Its best to remain patient and follow along.27 28. MEETINGS (2/2)28 29. NEGOTIATIONS (1/1) Bargaining is acceptable in most situations. Decisions tend to come from the top down and may take awhile to be reached. With this in mind it is always best to negotiate with the most senior person one has access to. Negotiation styles can change depending on where you are in the country.29 30. GIFT GIVING (1/1) If invited over for dinner or a drink to an Afghanis home, you should bring a gift. Avoid bringing alcohol unless you are sure they drink and even then its best to be discreet about it. Appropriate gifts include desserts or pastries. Gifts are usually wrapped nicely and presented in a subtle manner.30 31. CLASS RULES (SCHOOLING) (1/1) In urban environments it is common for students to wear jeans and shirts, but in the country side traditional clothing is more common with white colors for boys and black for girls and girls must wear head scarves. Grades in most universities are given on the 0 -100 with 100 being the highest. Passing is 50 and less then 50 is failing. Students are required to attend at least 75 percent of the classes for an individual course in order to be eligible for the final exam. Lectures are the most common teaching method and it is the only method at many universities. It is commonplace for students to take down everything31 the professor says and then use their notes when 32. SOCIALIZING (1/1) Most people socialize by joining parties and going to each others house.Socializing is more common with members of the same sex. Social networks are very highly developed and every one respects them. Drinking is highly prohibited, especially in public places. Smoking is not acceptable inside of the classroom or in front of elders and professors. Dating is very limited and pretty much non- existent.32 33. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS (1/1) Eid el fiter ( After fasting month) Eid el Adha ( After haj) Ashoora ( 10th of Moharram) Mawlood Al Nabi ( 12th of Rabie el Awal) Nawrooz (March 21st ) Jeshan Azadi (Aug 19th independence day) Labor day33 34. Resources http://www.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.php?Id=27&CID=1 ( consulted on09 10 2011)34