34836 international taboos customs

International Taboos and Rules

Read the following laws in different cultures and answer each question.

1)

2)

In China you must bow three times upon entering a temple and maintain eye contact
at all times. True/False. Why?
o Because: It is part of the religious law.
o You are mesmerised by the beauty of the temple and the person in
front of you.
o It is highly respectable.
o It is good exercise to keep bowing.

Why must you never use your left hand for things like eating, receiving gifts etc in
India?
o Because: It’s a religious aspect
o You need the left hand for other jobs.
o It is the decent thing to do.
o Laziness.

3)

In Sweden you must always take off shoes before entering a private residential home
because:
o
o
o
o

4)

It is very polite.
They don’t like shoes.
Shoes bring in mud and other elements.
The occupants may be jealous of your shoes.

Why is it considered polite to always maintain eye contact when speaking to another
person in Greece?
o You love the colour of their eyes.
o It is in their culture.
o Everything else to look at is extremely boring.


o It is a religious and symbolic gesture
5)

Which of these must you NOT do on a Sunday in Switzerland?
o
o
o
o

6)

In Cambodia and other various Buddhist countries you must NEVER point your feet at
important people and religious statues. True/False and why?
o
o

o
o

7)

Cut the grass – it is considered very rude to make a loud noise.
Take a walk – you should never exercise on Sundays.
Wash the car – it is considered bad form.
Take the rubbish outside – the Swiss hate litter.

The feet are seen as the lowliest and dirtiest part of the body.
It is a strict religious aspect.
The other person hates your feet
You want to practice your ballet

Christianity, mainly the Roman Catholic Church, condemns the practice of Polygamy.
Why?
o Because: It is greedy to have more than 1 spouse.
o We can class multiple marriages and divorces as Polygamy.
o The testaments in The Bible say that it is not good form.
o It is illegal to practice.

8)

It is considered very rude to touch the head of an elder in Thailand and similar
countries. True/False and why?
o
o
o
o

9)

It is to do with the hierarchy system
You might make their hair greasy
It is a superstition to touch the hair of an elder
You just should not do it – it if bad form and seen as rude.
It is impolite to clap after a wedding in a British church. True/False and Why?
o
o
o
o

Clapping is too loud for the bride and groom
It is religious territory.
It is British culture.
It might surprise people with all the cheering and whistling.


Tribal Cultures: The Suri.
Watch the following clips carefully and then discuss the questions below.

o What do you think the word tribe means?

o Where do the Suri Tribe come from?

o What are some of their main cultural rituals?

o How widespread do you think this culture is?

o Using what you have seen in the clips, what do you suppose HAPPENS NEXT?
The Suri women with lip-plates: Why have they done this?
o Do all the women do this do you think?

The Donga (Stick-fighting Ritual): What happens at the end of the stick fight?
o Why are there so many guns involved?

o What do you personally think about this culture?


o Do you think that these types of rituals will continue in the future?

Create your own Tribes.
Helpful Points

o Come up with a suitable name for your tribe.
e.g. The Warrior Tribe.

o Choose what type of tribe you want to be.
e.g. hunter-gatherer

o Pick a country where you would like your tribe to be situated.
e.g. Russia.

o Decide on around 3-4 rituals that your tribe will have.
e.g. Ritual scarring

o Who will have more authority, men or women or will it be
equal?
e.g women because they are seen as the most important in your culture.