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What is culture? Without searching for the answer on the internet, spend about 5 minutes in your group/with a partner and try to define culture.

People talk about culture as being similar to an iceberg. You can see part of it, but below the surface of the things you can see/hear/taste/smell/feel, there is a lot more.

Parts of culture you can see and feel are things like clothing, music, food, architecture, and festivals. Those parts that often aren't clear are things like values, lifestyles, time use, family life, treatment of others, relationships and many other aspects of life.

Some call the parts of culture you can see the "Big 'C'" parts of culture and those that you can't see the "little 'c'" of culture. The big 'C' parts of culture are often beautiful or unique in some way. The little 'c' parts, which are not as easy to see, are often difficult to understand for those who aren't a part of that culture.

When you are interacting with people from other cultures, you don't want to be like the Titanic and ram into the things you can't see then sink. In this course we want to give you a "cultural radar" and other tools so you can navigate your way on a journey around the many cultures in the world and enjoy the journey safely whilst gaining and giving respect. How good your radar is will depend a lot on how you use it.

What cultures are you a part of? What are the "Big C" and "Little C" aspects of them?

Are you interested in any the cultures of other countries? Which ones? Why?

What cultures of other countries do you know about? What do you know about them?

In this course you will interact with students from other cultures - Colombia, Indonesia and others. What do you know about these countries and their cultures?