CHAPTER 4: TRADITIONAL CULTURE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

INTRODUCTION

The map of Southeast Asia does not do full justice to the incredible diversity – of ethnicity,
religion, culture and lifestyle – found throughout this region. The region was a key node on ancient
trade routes that spanned the globe, a cultural crossroads frequented by traders, wandering ascetics,
invaders and kingmakers who brought with them new beliefs, customs and tastes. People here have
absorbed centuries worth of outside influences, combining them with native traditions to make them
their own.

Traditional culture is shared experiences that are transferred from generation to generation.
They can exist at the level of a nation or community and can transcend borders. This module will
provide the guide to the learners for them to distinguish the difference between the concepts of
tradition and culture before giving focus on the traditional cultural structure of Southeast Asia.

Without going too deep into the definitions of both terms, we can tell you that tradition is
used to describe beliefs and behaviors that are passed on from generation to generation, while culture
is used to describe the characteristics of a certain society at a particular point in time.

To compare culture and tradition further, culture is a more general term that is seen as a
whole and that describes human behavior, as well as character of people who have been raised with
particular cultural beliefs. It is also a body of knowledge that contains art, language, clothing and,
among all else, traditions. At the same time, tradition is a more specific term used to describe an
event/ritual that is often practiced by individuals or a human behavior on certain occasion. It is also a
set of rituals that a group of people practices.

Aside from the none-visible traditional culture which is spiritual beliefs, some of the tangible
culture will also be featured by this module, such as; building, houses, field and gardens, dress, food
practices, and dance of some cultural group in Southeast Asia.

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

The following are the specific learning outcomes expected to be realized by the learner after
the completion of this module:

1. Describe the way of living of Southeast Asian counties in terms of the structure of their
houses, similarities in dress in relation to their environmental condition.
2. Analyze the recurring importance of the physical features present in the location of the
different indigenous communalities and ethnic groups in Southeast Asia to their
traditional culture.
3. Appraise the value or quality of the traditional culture in Southeast Asia by expressing
their insight towards a certain cultural practice of a particular cultural group.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

A. Preparatory Activity

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 Unlock the difficulties by performing this preparatory activity first. Get the
understanding of the following main concepts before you proceed to the next part of this
module by writing your understanding in the space provided after the terms.

1. Culture
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2. Cultural Practice
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3. Tradition
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4. Costume
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5. Socio-cultural
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B. Content Readings

Read the content and acquire farther detailed information by accessing the sources
provided.

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 TRADITIONAL CULTURE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

A. BUILDING AND DRESS CUSTOMS

Traditional houses in Southeast Asia are typically constructed using prefabricated of

ready-made housing components. This construction technique is feasible due mainly to the
geography and climate of the region, namely proximity to the sea and high annual rainfall,
and has been passed down through generations by the local people. However, a shift of socio-
economic pattern from traditional agriculture to monetary-based agriculture and later to
manufacturing industry has changed the Southeast Asian planning pattern and construction
system as the adopted planning laws, building codes and regulations borrowed from the West
have forbidden housing development based on traditional concepts, because the regulations
promote heavy weight construction using bricks and reinforced concrete as the main
materials. This causes an increase in the incidence of flood-prone areas and land erosions, due
to the large number of land clearings and reclamations for housing and commercial industry,
as well as the construction of highways. These issues are often raised today as problems of
uncontrolled development of urban growth as concern for the environment is not considered.
New technology has it possible to apply traditional construction techniques to urban housing,
and further studies are important to ensure its potential for future uses. This change could
promote the potential of using the traditional system as an alternative construction system
towards sustainable urban development in Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asian architecture, buildings of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Most of Southeast
Asia’s great temples were built by the 13th century. The Indian royal temple, which
dominated Southeast Asian culture, typically stood on a terraced plinth, upon which towered
shrines could multiply. Construction was ideally of stone but could be brick sculpted with
stucco. Exteriors displayed carved rhythmic moldings and figures. In about 770 the Javanese
Shailendra dynasty began its series of superb stonecut monuments, culminating in the huge
Mahayana Buddhist Borobudur and the Hindu Lara Jonggrang (c. 900–930). About 800 the
Cambodian king Jayavarman II built a brick mountain for a temple group. This plan was
furthered when foundations were laid for Angkor, a scheme based on a grid of reservoirs and
canals. Successive kings built more temple mountains there, culminating in Angkor Wat.
Among Southeast Asia’s most impressive sites is the city of Pagan in Myanmar, with many
brick and stucco Buddhist temples and stupas built 1056–1287. Burmese stupas (e.g., Shwe
Dagon Pagoda) typically have a spreading, bell-shaped base topped by a dome and pointed
spire. The many monasteries of Myanmar and Thailand, like those of Laos and Vietnam, have
been repeatedly enlarged and rebuilt. The architecture of the modified Hinduism of Bali is
vigorously fantastical, with gilt paint and colored glass.

Waterways and Houses on Stilts

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 The old neighborhood of water village with shabby houses on stilts, built of wood and
woven bamboo, Inpawkhon, Inle Lake, Myanmar. River houses on stilts, with longtail boats,
Mangrove forest, Krabi river, Thailand, Southeast Asia. Stilt houses are houses raised on piles
over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection
against flooding; they also keep out vermin. The shady space under the house can be used for
work or storage.

Civilizations are known to have developed around water bodies across the world as it
was necessary to meet various everyday requirements such as drinking water, irrigation, and
fishing etc. Even in modern times, cities and population centers have been emerged near
waterbodies with commerce and sustainability become the main advantages. However, there
are communities that live on the water rather than next to it. Known as floating villages or
boat communities, these settlements on the surface of inland water bodies were developed due
to various reasons such as ethnic and occupational in different parts of Southeast Asia.

1. Tonle Sap, Cambodia - One of the freshwater lakes in Cambodia, Tonle Sap, houses
hundreds of floating villages. The floating village in this region is a result of the size of
the lake which fluctuates in seasons.
2. Mogen, Thailand – Living in boats in the waters surrounding South East Asia, these sea
gipsies, known as Mogens, were first brought to notice after the 2005 tsunami since none
of them was victims of the natural calamity. The nomadic community in habit the waters
off Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, and Borneo.
3. Day-asan – Day-asan Floating Village in Surigao City, Philippines is a fishing village
known for its houses on wooden stilts on the surface water.
4. Ha-Long Bay – Located in Vietnam, the Ha-Long or Halong Bay’s floating village
comprises of four villages where people sustain through fishing and fish cultivation
activities.
5. Yawnghwe – Located on the lake of Inle, the floating village of Yawnghwe has a cluster
of 17 hamlets that has a population of around 70,000 people. The lake of Inle is the
second largest lake in Myanmar featuring an estimated surface area of 116 km2.
6. Ko Panyi – Located in Phang Nga Province of Thailand, Ko Panyi is an Indonesian
fishing village that is built on stilts.
Similarities in Dress

Our traditional attire is influenced from India. Our culture is a part of indosphere. Our
clothings based on India like sari. The shoulder sash in Southeast Asia, selendang of Malay
and sabai of Cambodia and Thailand may have been derived from the Indian garment called a

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sari, the end of which is worn over one shoulder, as most Southeast Asia countries were ruled
by Indianized, Hindu or Buddhist kingdoms. The Southeast Asian male garment is influenced
from dhoti (India). Almost all Southeast Asian were influenced from India except North
Vietnam. Before Kinh (Vietnamese) settled in Central and South Vietnam, there was an
indianized kingdom called Champa. Modern Vietnam is a part of Sinosphere which
influenced from China.

The similarities of Southeast Asian traditional clothes is- they all wear chong -kben
which derived from Indian Dhoti, and Sabai which derived from Indian Sari, and wear Sarong
as a skirt. The only different is Thailand has the most advance textile’s pattern and
complicates embroidery work, stylish fashion the most in comparison to other Asian
countries. The cartoon below is Southeast Asian clothing:

Throughout the whole region of Southeast Asia, traditional costumes have remained
strongly represented in their respective countries. Whilst all seem to have some similarities,
there are distinctive differences that single each out. As the region moves into the modern
world and becomes more and more Westernized, it is remarkable that they remain so strongly
represented, but they do. Whilst traditional costumes are worn by both men and women, it is
certainly the women who are more prone to keeping up with tradition and wearing them. In
some parts
they are used
mainly for
ceremonial
reasons, but in
others they
are worn daily
as part of
everyday
clothing. This
is probably no
stronger than
in Vietnam.

The Recurring Importance of Seas and Rives

Rivers play a central role in the lives of millions of people in Southeast Asia. They
provide fish, fresh water, fertile silt, transportation, recreation, and many other essential
functions. Rivers and their catchments - the lifeblood of the region - are increasingly
threatened by ill-conceived development schemes.

The Mekong Region, as it passes through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia
and Vietnam, the Mekong River bursts with color and life. Sixty million people live in the
lower Mekong Basin and their livelihoods and cultures are intimately connected with the
river’s natural cycles. As one of the world’s most diverse and productive inland fisheries, the
Mekong supplies people with about 80% of their protein needs.

Yet this beautiful, dynamic and thriving river system is under threat and the next
decade is critical for the future of the Mekong. The people living along the banks of the river
and its tributaries see the Mekong as a resource to be nourished and sustained for future
generations. But the region's governments and greedy foreign interests seem intent on
constructing scores of dams on the Mekong mainstream and tributaries. China is building a
cascade of fourteen dams on the Upper Mekong in Yunnan Province, which will have

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devastating impacts on downstream communities. Laos, in its bid to become “the battery of
Southeast Asia”, hopes to develop more than sixty dams on Mekong tributaries, and is even
considering nine projects on the mainstream. The dams would mean death by a thousand cuts
to the river's rich fisheries and the people who depend upon them. But there is hope. The
Mekong River is still a thriving ecosystem, and it is not too late to protect it.

People throughout Southeast Asia are facing threats from dams. Vietnam is building
dam cascades on several Mekong tributaries, the impacts of which are being experienced by
ethnic minorities living in Vietnam and by the Cambodian villagers living downstream.
Cambodia is also hoping to build dams on Mekong tributaries and the mainstream. Burma has
plans to construct dams on some of its most beautiful and pristine rivers, including the
Salween River, the region's last major undammed river. In Sarawak, Malaysia, plans are
rushing forward to build as many as 51 dams on the traditional lands of indigenous
communities.

International Rivers is working with a growing movement in the region to challenge

dam plans and promote more sensible options for meeting the region’s energy and
development needs.

The seas of Southeast Asia play an important role in the economy of the surrounding
countries. The region's constantly expanding coastal population and development has made
great demands on marine resources, with growing evidence seen in the further degradation of
the marine environment and continued exploitation of living as well as non-living resources.
Integrated coastal area management has never been considered in the past while
environmental protection measures and policies have largely been at local or national levels.
Implementation of regional study programs less than 10 years ago and ratification of
international as well as regional agreements aimed at protecting the marine environment in
recent times indicate a more enlightened approach to the problem.

Fields and Gardens

Southeast Asia has gardening traditions that date back many thousands of years.
Tropical Southeast Asia is the home of plants such as palms and arums and, of course,
orchids, all used in tropical and subtropical gardens for a lush, jungle look, for vivid colorful
foliage or for exquisite perfumed flowers. The best gardens to see in South East Asia include
many outstanding botanical gardens in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand and also those at
large resort hotels which are as well known for their beautiful gardens as for their pristine
beaches.

The climate in Southeast Asia has gifted the region with an abundance of greenery
and bright, tropical flowers, the best of which can be enjoyed in its botanical gardens.

1. Perdana Botanical Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur's

cherished botanical park is the total tourist package. Found within the Tun Abdul
Razak Heritage Park, the botanical garden consists of a mosaic of different,
smaller gardens, each of them landscaped into postcard-ready perfection.
2. Royal Gardens in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Known as the jumping-off point to the
temples of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap is famous for its bustling night market and its
lively bars and cafes. Tucked within the town center, however, is a pocket of
peace and serenity.
3. National Kandawgyi Botanical Gardens, Myanmar. Also known as the
Maymyo Botanical Garden, this 177 hectare park in the city of Pyin U Lwin
merges raw and untouched forest land with man-made botanical gardens and
recreational areas.

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 4. Singapore Botanic Gardens. Image courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board;
photography by Darren Soh. Singapore Botanic Gardens. Established in 1859,
Singapore's Botanic Gardens stands to date as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
the only tropical garden to receive this distinction.
5. Tra Que Vegetable Village, Hoi An, Vietnam. The scenic farming community
of Tra Que spells a different botanical experience for its visitors. Instead of
manicured gardens, the village features a unique learning and culinary expedition
into traditional Vietnamese food and farming.

B. SPIRIT BELIEFS

Spiritual beliefs include the relationship to a superior being and are related to an
existential perspective on life, death, and the nature of reality. Religious beliefs include
practices/rituals such as prayer or meditation and engagement with religious community
members.

The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and various
connotations can be found alongside each other.

Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims

to recover the original shape of man", oriented at "the image of God" as exemplified by the
founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world. The term was used within early
Christianity to refer to a life oriented toward the Holy Spirit and broadened during the Late
Middle Ages to include mental aspects of life.

Sometimes when you find yourself in the true presence of the natural world, you can’t
help but feel a sense immeasurable calm and peace. For some this might be found when
walking your dog on a sunny morning or while hiking through a rainforest in Hawaii, or
maybe while sitting by a roaring mountain river surrounded by towering pine trees above. For
the people of the world practice Animism, this special sense of peace and calm is attributed to
the idea that all non-human things, including plants and animals have a spiritual essence, and
more specifically it is the belief that these things are actually filled with spirits themselves.

This spiritual belief is thought to be one of the oldest and most commonly used in a
variety of cultures and practices, so Anthropologists and Sociologist take special interest in
this the study of this spiritual practice. Themes of spiritual essence in nature, animals, and
objects are especially prevalent in Asian indigenous cultures.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysia, an indigenous group called the Orang Asli, practice
animism along with some smaller groups within the Asli that practice Islam and Christianity
as well. Semangat is the term used to describe the essence and spirit found in nature.
Therefore, indigenous groups in Mchoose to hunt and harvest only what they need from the
environment, and to honor all of the plants, animals, life tools, and natural occurrences that
allow them to do so.

In modern times, the term both spread to other religious traditions and broadened to
refer to a wider range of experience, including a range of esoteric traditions and religious
traditions. Modern usages tend to refer to a subjective experience of a sacred dimension and
the "deepest values and meanings by which people live", often in a context separate from
organized religious institutions, such as a belief in a supernatural (beyond the known and
observable) realm, personal growth, a quest for an ultimate or sacred meaning, religious
experience, or an encounter with one's own "inner dimension."

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 In Southeast Asia, diversity is less pronounced since Islam strongly predominates in
Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and the southern Philippines, and Catholic Christianity in the
major part of the Philippines. In mainland Southeast Asia, on the other hand, Theravāda
Buddhism is the established religion of all states except Vietnam, where both Mahāyāna
Buddhism and Confucianism predominate. Yet Hindu-Buddhist religion prevails in Bali, and
tribal religions have persisted almost everywhere in the more remote areas. Moreover, the
great religions have been influenced by earlier tribal beliefs. It is the task of the historian to
describe and, if possible, to elucidate the religious developments in order to enable us to look
at the present conditions against their historical background. Spirits are a fundamental
element of Southeast Asian animism, even in its hierarchical variation recently. They are
often seen as the owners and protectors of the land from the village level to larger political
realms whether they are former human beings (or possibly future ones in Buddhist contexts),
or non-human beings.

Despite the varied histories and religions of Southeast Asian societies, a reading of
many historical and ethnographic accounts reveals a common understanding that the world
inhabited by humans was intersected by a spiritual or invisible realm.

C. FOOD PRACTICES

In social science, food practices or foodways are the cultural, social, and economic
practices relating to the production and consumption of food. Foodways often refers to the
intersection of food in culture, traditions, and history. Food practices are here defined as any
activity in which food is involved, ranging from food preparation, gifting food, sharing meals,
or cleaning up, referred to by Symons (1994) as the human food cycle.

More than 3/4 of the Southeast Asia population is agriculture-based. Twice as much
fish is consumed in this region compared to other forms of animal protein, reflecting the long
coastlines and river environments of Southeast Asia. The staple food throughout the region is
rice, which has been cultivated for thousands of years. Rice serves as the basic staple food for
more than half of the world's population today.

Simple daily meals and elaborate feasts characterize all Southeast Asian culinary
cultures. Cooking is economically efficient as people use wok cooking, which requires a low
amount of fuel and makes deep-frying easy. Also, meat and vegetables are typically chopped
into small pieces prior to cooking, which mean that food cooks very quickly. Most food is
cooked by quick blanching or stir-frying and steaming. Southeast Asians are concerned with
nutrition, economy, and ease of preparation as it relates to their food.

Rice is the basis of Southeast Asian food, and in many languages a common greeting
is "Have you eaten yet?" The verb for "to eat" is often the same as the verb "to eat rice". Rice
is used for fuel oil, rice-paper, alcoholic drinks, tea, all manner of foods, cosmetics,
medicines, and magical potions. Typically, a small portion of food is offered to the gods,
ancestral spirits, and other beings during ritual sacrifices at major ceremonies or even before
common, everyday meals. Food can even have an importance in peace relations between
neighboring countries, such as is the case in Thailand and Malaysia. The Muslim Malays raise
pigs for the Thai Buddhists, who in turn raise cattle for Malays. Although differentiation in
culture and religion exist throughout this region, the cooperative food trading system has
helped attain peace and forge alliances between neighboring peoples to the present day.

Popular meals in Southeast Asia consist of rice, fish, vegetables, fruits, and spices.
Curry, "satay" (spiced or marinated meat on a stick that is barbecued), "sour fish soup",
noodles, and soy products are popular. Flavorings that are common include ginger, pepper,
chili peppers, onions, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, fermented fish paste, turmeric, candlenut,

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lemon grass, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, as well as tamarind and lime (for a sour taste).
Coconut milk is often used to bind sharp flavors, while palm sugar is used to balance the
spices. Unique combinations of sweet and sour, or hot and sour, hot and sweet, are common
in various regions. Fish paste and prawn paste is spicy-sour, and is popularly consumed with
green mangoes, fresh fish, or in stews. Fish sauce is used in almost all Southeast Asian curries
as well as in various forms of cooking fish and pork. Popular vegetables are sweet potatoes,
maize, taro, tapioca, legumes, blossoms, and the leaves of many green plants. Popular fruits
are pineapple, coconut, star fruit, jackfruit, papaya, bananas, rambutan, mangosteen, and the
somewhat odorous durian ("king of the fruits", according to aficionados). Tea and coffee are
abundant throughout the region, although the popular drink with a meal is water

Southeast Asia is a diverse and fascinating cultural crossroads that forms both a
geographic a culinary link between Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Traditional Southeast
Asian recipes incorporate the organizing principals of Chinese cuisine and the complex
flavors derived from Indian herbs and spices. Food can be sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter
all in the same bite. Through modern influences, the area has also embraced certain aspects of
Colonial French cuisine, and to a lesser extent, Spanish and American cooking.

Although the foods of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma (Myanmar), Indonesia, The
Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia share core similarities, there are also significant regional
differences. While Thai food, for example, is often characterized as sweet and spicy,
Vietnamese food is considered light and refreshing and Filipino cuisine is heavy in
comparison.

D. DANCE

Music, dance, and song were originally associated with tribal rituals. From the
beginning, the main characteristic of Southeast Asian music and dance has been a swift
rhythm. The slow and stately dances of the Siamese court were of Indian origin; when they
were introduced into Burma in the 16th century, the Burmese quickened the tempo, but, even
with that modification, the dances were still called Siamese dances to distinguish them from
the native ones. In their oral literature—namely, in folk songs and folktales—the emphasis is
on gaiety and humor. Typically, Southeast Asians do not like an unhappy ending.

Throughout the history of the development of dance in Southeast Asia, there have
been several natural factors, socio-cultural influences, and historical developments that helped
shape the various dance forms and styles in the region. These common regional factors are the
reasons why, despite the variety, there are common threads in ASEAN dances–in form, in
style, in function, and in origin.

Southeast Asian dances are artistic or creative expressions of the people of the
region. Through these dances which were created by the members of the community, the
religious leaders and the royalty, and by outstanding artists of the community, we learn about
the rich cultural heritage, the activities, the characteristics, the beliefs, and the customs and
traditions of our people. Throughout the long history of Southeast Asia, these dances have
been performed by dancers, folk people, court ladies, shamans and stage performers to
express ideas, feelings, aspirations and stories. Many of these dances are part of the life cycle
of the community or society, others are created to entertain or educate an audience.

Dance is so pertinent to societies within Southeast Asia to the extent that there are too
many types and variations to pick from. People are continually choreographing and creating
new dance forms; the artistic scene seems tireless in this aspect and though there is already a
wide array of dances, enthusiasts are still coming out with more.

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 Another fact about this multitude of dances is that they are not concentrated in the
same country; the prevalence of dance is found in almost every Southeast Asian society. Take
Thailand for an example. When we started our search for a Thai dance, we realised that
Thailand had 4 different regions and each region had its own type of dances (Farang Pai Nai,
2006). Next, each region had different categories of dance, such as folk dances and dance
dramas. Following that, each category had a variety of dance forms and styles.

SOURCES:

1. https://www.britannica.com/art/Southeast-Asian-architecture
2. http://www.inseasia.com/2015/01/southeast-asian-traditional-dress/
3. https://www.internationalrivers.org/programs/southeast-asia
4. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00005662
5. http://gardentravelhub.com/garden_guide/east-south-east-asia/
6. https://www.aseantourism.travel/articles/detail/southeast-asia-s-most-dazzling-
gardens
7. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/the-diverse-cuisine-of-southeast-asia

C. Outcome-Based Assessments

After reading the content, you are now ready to answer the following questions and
perform the suggested activities.

CHALLENGE YOUR SELF

1. Describe the common characteristics of the way of living of three particular

traditional communities in Southeast Asian by filling in the table below. State at least
five characteristics on the following aspects indicated and short explanation how it is
being affected by the environment.

Traditional Structure of Traditional How it is affected

Communities their houses Cloths by the
environmental
factors

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2. Analyze the recurring importance of the following geographical features present in
the location of the different indigenous communalities and ethnic groups in Southeast
Asia to their traditional culture. Write your answer on the space provided.

a. Seas
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

b. Rivers
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

c. Fields
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

4. Assess the value or quality of the following aspect of traditional culture in Southeast
Asia by expressing your negative and positive impression on it. And explain you’re
the why you are having that impression on the space provided.

Aspect of traditional Impression Justification of your

culture impression
Spiritual beliefs

Food practices

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 Dance

TRY THIS OUT

1. Make an insight paper. The guideline and instruction is given below.

Description

This is a paper of an informal personal insight towards a notable cultural

practice of particular cultural group of an assigned Southeast Asian country. This
insight paper gives the students taking up SOCSCI 223 – Culture and Society of
Southeast Asia, the opportunity to share their analysis of the societal aspects of the
cultural practice chosen. The student should analyze an aspect of that cultural
practice and also include their feelings and ideas about it.

The descriptive nature of the paper is underlying on the principle of

conducting a cultural insight. Cultural insight refers to all insight stemming from
the context of culture: the ideas, customs and social behavior of a particular people
or society.

This is a chance for the students to take on a more casual tone; they will
adopt the first-person writing style, and give their opinion on the chosen topic.
Simply put, the paper is the student’s opinion on what they think about the chosen
cultural practice. Despite the fact that they base this paper on their personal
opinion, they must take care to back up this opinion with evidence, such as related
studies and knowledge from experts.

Suggested Steps

The following are the suggested steps of the process in complying this paper.

1. Gathering Information – develop the overview by acquiring general

information about the culture of the country assigned.
2. Choosing the Focus – identify a specific notable cultural practice which
catches your attention.
3. Brainstorming and outlining – this will be the stage of organizing your
thought and subjective judgment base on your own perspective and point of
view. Note down your points.
4. Putting it into Writings – prepare a basic outline by using your notes from the
brainstorming process. Organize the paper, the basic organization of a personal
essay are as follows:
a. Create a catchy title – The title should embody the main thought of the insight
paper.
b. Use a Reflective Question – a simple question – such as “how does this
subject relate to me and my feelings?” – Helps set the tone and theme of your
essay.

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c. Create a Strong Introduction – get straight to the point with a two or three
sentence introduction that states how the subject relates to you.
d. Focus on a Thesis – quickly introduce a thesis in the introduction that explains
how and why your expectations were met or not met.
e. Explains Idea in Body – use the body of the essay to explain your thesis.
Provide details on how the subject met or didn’t meet your expectations and
why.
f. Wrap-Up with Conclusion – add a short conclusion that summarizes your
thoughts and feelings on the subject.

Parts of the Insight Paper

I. Introduction (Ask Reflective Question; identify the main theme or related

issues; and introduce thesis statement)
II. Body (Explain your thesis; discuss personal experience with subject or the
background of the cultural practice chosen; and Cite Resources and experts)
III. Conclusion (Answer the Reflective Question; Describe Your Overall
Response to Subject; and Conclude with Support for Your Thesis

Format:
 Apply white 8 ½ x 11” page;
 Make it a single-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides;
 Indent the 1st word in every paragraph;
 Set Times New Roman or Arial;
 12-points size is acceptable;
 Double space the entire text

Cover

Insight Paper on a particular notable cultural practice of

(The country assigned)

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