Read Up on Afghan Culture (and many others) with Cultural Atlas

Literacy Minnesota’s English Unlocked Curriculum Team recently learned from Dawn Skinner, Director of the ELLA Center in Tucson, AZ, that according to the newly arrived Afghans in her class, the thumbs-up symbol found in our English Unlocked Phonics Workbooks is offensive in Afghan culture. The curriculum team has updated the documents not yet released to remove the symbol and adapt the activity to avoid this gesture. Previously released documents will be updated soon as well.

Given this insight, as well as the fact that as of January of this year, 65,000 Afghans have resettled in the United States, and hundreds have arrived in Minnesota with up to 2,000 expected, we thought it timely to read up on and share cultural information about Afghanistan found on the Cultural Atlas website. Here are a few things to know from the article that might come into play in an adult education classroom:

• It is extremely inappropriate and disrespectful for men to inquire about an Afghan man’s female family members, unless you know the family or person well. 
• Ask an Afghan’s permission before taking their photograph – especially if they are a woman.
• It is very difficult to be punctual during one’s daily activities in Afghanistan as various incidents often occur (whether it be a pressing family matter, terrible traffic in cities, roadblocks, a power outage or an insurgent-related threat). There is also a widely held belief that one will arrive if and when God deems it – “Inshallah” (“If God wills it”). In conjunction with this fatalistic approach, people’s views of time are often a lot more flexible than Western notions of punctuality. They tend to be more understanding of lateness and generous with their time.

Read the full article about Afghan culture here or click on Cultures to find information on dozens around the world including Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, Ethiopia, Somalia and Iraq. If you were born in the US, also consider reading the article on the United States and reflect on your own culture and how it might influence your interactions with learners from other countries.

While this information is a great starting point, keep in mind that, as the website reminds us, “Cultural descriptions cannot be universally applied to all individuals within a particular culture,” and “descriptions of dominant cultures are not representative of all individuals’ experiences.” Consider these guidelines, not hard and fast rules.

Thank you to Jessica Jones, Adult ESL Teacher at Open Door Learning Center Arlington Hills for sharing this resource. 

For questions or comments about this tutor tip, please contact Literacy Minnesota’s Tutor Training Coordinator, Meghan Boyle, at mboyle@literacymn.org.