CHAPTER 1

UNDERSTANDING
CULTURE

Jeedalyn Borromeo
 CULTURE
 Refers to the socially constructed and learned ways of
behaving and believing that identify individual and distinct
social groups.

 It is a shared practice of a group of people beliefs, values,

knowledge, assumptions, experiences and ideas, customs,
rituals, symbols, myths, and legends of the people in the
community, social activities, economics, politics, agriculture,
industries, laws and ways of justice, security, health,
environment, education, and religion.

 Its shapes a person’s identity and influences the way how he/
she thinks, behaves and forms his/her values system.

 It is a dynamic based on new developments in society that can

impact a group of people. These are passed on from one
generation to the next, and some of the elements may change
over time.

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 Elements of Culture
1. Art
• As mentioned by Price (2018) in his blog. “The
Importance of Art in our Society, “art is an expression of
the creative ideas and imagination, and the artist can
choose a medium to express their craft. Artist can
translate their imagination and ideas into something
tangible, and these are valued by other people as they
appreciate and comprehend meaning from the works of
the artist.

• As tourism professionals, there may be a need to become

familiar with the different art pieces in the community as
these can be a part of the tourism knowledge that
customers expect from the tourism enterprise.
2. Beliefs and Values
People choose their sources of inspiration, and it
can be based on beliefs and values that are shared by
many people in the group. As these beliefs and values
are adopted by many followers, they are passed to the
succeeding generations.
Humans are social beings from birth. The circle of
community grows from the immediate family to the
extended family, to neighbors, to friends in school, to
the church and to other organizations. The circle
grows through the years as a person establishes
relationships with other people. Each persons has
their own set of values formed from childhood that
will continue to change as they interact with other
people. These beliefs are reflected in the attitudes and
behavior that are exhibited by the person. These
experiences contribute to the sense of who each
individual is and how the world is viewed from
different perspectives.
 Values are based on ethics, principles, beliefs, standards, and qualities that a person or a group of
people may hold in high regard. The significant people who will mold the set of values of a person are
those who make an impact on their early life and can guide the way how their decisions will made in
the future. In some instances, if the values are not strongly ingrained in a person, due to conflicts in
the way it is practiced, that person will vacillate in the way that a decision is made, depending on what
will be beneficial to them. These values guide how a person will live, make decisions, and nurture and
keep relationships.
As tourism professionals, there will be a lot of opportunities to work with people or serve
customers with various background, from the young, people with disabilities, senior citizens,
physically challenged or vulnerable, and/ or those who may live a lifestyle that mainstream society
view as different or unacceptable or maybe unusual based on the upbringing that they experienced.
Tourism professionals are expected to provide products and services as required by their enterprise.
They should understand and aware of differences in personal values, beliefs and attitudes of both
colleagues and clients in group settings and are prepared to adapt to the professional values of the
tourism profession. Values can influence many of the judgement that are made, and the support given
to colleagues and customers. As tourism professionals, our work ethic should always be driven by
supporting the organizations and customers values.
3. Geography
Cultural geography looks at the forms of differentiation
as well as the material culture of gatherings that tie together
people’s ideas in the region and make them sound. Apart
from the way societies perceive space, this is how cultures
are distributed over certain land areas. (Crang, 1988)
Geography refers to the various forms of natural or
man-made physical landscapes affected by human activities
and how people arrange the physical space around them.
For tourism professionals, the geography of where their
colleagues and customers come from may have an impact
on the relationships that they will have in the workplace or
in the provision of certain products and services that
customers may require. Certain activities like climbing a tree,
trekking up a mountain, swimming, planting trees, or being
familiar with the products of a particular area may be easier
to do for some. These are some examples on how a certain
geographic source may affect a tourism professional. There
may be questions about plants and food from a certain
geographical location, and the information may be readily
provided by someone who grew up in the same or
neighboring area.
4. Language
Language is very important as
this is how culture is communicated
to colleagues and customers.
Transmission of culture from one
generation to another or from one
member to other members of a
group of people in a society is also
done using language-either written,
spoken, or a combination of both.
Culture is preserved, changed, or
transmitted to colleagues and
customers using language.
 LANGUAGE
•It is to the advantage of tourism professionals to be
able to us English, written and spoken, as it is used by
the greatest number of people. The workplace and
customers will be local or international, and there will
always be an occasion to communicate with them. It is
a good opportunity for tourism professionals to learn
another language besides English, as being proficient in
another foreign language can be an advantage in term
of qualifications and/or can get increase the salary of
the tourism professional. The selection of the foreign
language can be based on the tourist arrivals, unique
customers being serviced by the enterprise, and other
variables. Understanding and misunderstanding are
often traced to miscommunication, and language plays
a major role in this process.
5. Law and Politics
Many of the laws in a nation are developed by
lawmakers based on the acceptable practices of the
members of the country. The concepts of right and
wrong and fairness and injustice draw from cultural
practices in a particular area that may be gradually
accepted as a practice in a bigger area.
As a professional, one must be aware of laws and
politics that apply in the country where their work is
undertaken, especially in the delivery of products and
services to colleagues and customers. In many instances,
it is better to be apolitical, especially in issues that may
be contrary to the individual’s beliefs, as it may create
animosity among colleagues and customers. Tourism
service can be compromised if there is political flavor
expressed by anyone in the tourism enterprise.
6. Religion
Religion continuously offers a kind of philosophy that
establishes a moral compass for anyone who seeks the truth. It
is commonly practiced by a group of people. It has also created
cultural expressions in many areas of life among people. The
dual roles of religion are essential in preparing social policies
and reforms.
As a tourism professional, with the changing profile of
colleagues in the workplace and customers coming from
within the Philippines or from the AMS, awareness of unique
religious practices, whether in a specific place or practiced
nationally, should be considered as a “must-know”
competency. This will allow the professional to treat their
colleagues and customers correctly, considering that religion
plays a major role in the Philippines settings. One of the
biggest attractions in the Philippines are its religious festivals,
church destinations, and religious practices that impact the
operation of the tourism enterprise.
 
7. Technology
“Technology can aid in a variety of ways to co-create tourist experiences. It can serve
as an enabler, producer, attractor, enhancer, and educator. However, it may also become a
‘destroyer’ of tourist experience due to shifts in service experiences that lack interpersonal
charm and thus generate negative effects in retaining the authentic culture of the area.
With the advent of the use of technology, many of the work by tourism professionals
in various tourism enterprises have been replaced by some systems that have made the
work faster and more current. A smartphone can do more that just send test messages and
call. It can also be used as a camera, a calendar, and appointment book, an Internet access
device, and a calculator. The use of a Property Management System (PMS) like Opera can
help in processing reservations, check-ins, and check-outs and consolidating guest folio
accounts. There are changes in people’s behaviors and practices of their socialization skills
due to their preoccupation with their devices. Family members or colleagues talk less with
each other during mealtimes or at work as they are absorbed in the use of their phones or
other devices. The preoccupation can be because of playing games, reading, or using social
media such as Facebook and Instagram. There may be no need to memorize certain
information source is readily available when searched for it using your smart phones with
Internet connection. These require new skills for the tourism professional.
As a tourism professional, even with technology present in the workplace, the
hospitality and service attitude has to be the priority mindset for colleagues and customers.
Building and sustaining relationship with colleagues and customers should take precedence
over anything else in the workplace.
 
8. Social Organization
Resort-based opportunities are enthusiastically received by
villagers. However, over time, tourism will replace traditional
livelihoods activities, along with the knowledge and skills that
accompany them. The development of tourism in one part of the
system creates a multitude of ecological changes capable of
disrupting the broader and highly embedded sociocultural system.
Due to the tourism, activities, there are changes in social
structures within a tourism destination that impact various social
organizations such as the family, the society, and the bigger
community. The changes can include the type of work being
pursued in tourism destinations like switching from farming to
working in hotels and restaurants or not attending school because
of high demand for tour guides in a destination. The authenticity
of the cultural elements is jeopardized because of the interaction
of the demands of the customer and the local workers.
There may be a need on the tourism profession to recalibrate
social organizations so that the authenticity of the cultural
exchange is not jeopardized in favor of pleasing the customer.
 
 KEY FEATURES OF CULTURE

JEEDALYN BORROMEO
Culture Is Learned
The first teacher of a child is his/her family, especially those who interact with the
child closely. As years goes by, a child learns many things form the family, such as how to
talk, eat, behave appropriately, and worship. As the child’s circle of acquaintance
increases, so does the continuous learnings. In some instances, while the child, person
may acquire and learn new things, some of the old things they know may be forgotten or
replace. Culture has to be taught by someone, usually an older person, that is valued by
the younger person. Is it learned through constant practice, reminder, and action. The
elements of culture such as beliefs, ways of life, and languages, can be learned and
shared together and create lasting and powerful relationship. A community with people
of varies cultures can learn form the culture of another community or people groups.
The person, thus, will not be the same from how they were a child to how they will be as
an adult, nor will they same as other members of their immediate family through the
years.
 Culture Is Social
A person needs to interact with other people for the culture to be
transmitted. It cannot be “kept in a cabinet” nor be kept a secret from
the members. The more you interact with the other people, the wider
your appreciation for things, values, and concepts will be, and the more
it will live on. Through interaction with other people, you see how other
people behave, act, and make decisions. Belief and values will guide a
person whether to retain or change their culture in the future as
socialization, beliefs, and other elements change through the years. In
many instances, if the reason for the practice is not explained well, then
succeeding generations may not appreciate this practice anymore.
Culture Is Shared
•Culture is not something that an individual can pass to a person but is shared
by a common group of people in a given area. Various elements such arts,
language, religion, values, and beliefs are all shared by one person to another,
such as members of a family or a community. These beliefs and practices are
accepted by everyone equally. A group of people, several households, a
barangay, a district, a city, or a province may share of elements of culture. This
shared culture is what is transmitted to the other members of the community
throughout the succeeding generations. In instances when a cultural element
dies, it can be traced back to its weak transmission, perhaps its lack of
documentation and practice, and so it loses its meaning to the younger
members of the community. An example will be dialects that have died
because there were no speakers of the dialect.
Culture is Transmitted

•The transmittal of culture can be done through practice, written form, or

verbal form. What is important is that there is a means or method used
wherein the elements of culture are passed on to other persons and other
generations. Usually, the patriarch or matriarch of the family is the holder
of the family practices. All these elders band together to ensues that there
is continued practice of the unique culture, whether it is formal or
informal designation. If there is no one to ensure that these elements are
practiced, these elements will die. On the other hand, they may take
another path, either adapt a more relaxed version or follow a practice of
another group of people.
 Culture Is Continuous

•The transmission of the cultural elements of one group must be continuous

from one generation to the next. This will ensure that there is a common
understanding of the practices, history, and origin. Understanding the basis of
the practice is critical as it explains the rationale for the practice. People want
to know the reason behind a practice, especially the youth, when the oft-
oriented question is “Why?” If there is no resolution to this, there will be
challenges as some people will refuse to practice it, leading to forgetting the
practice altogether.
•In some communities, there are attempts to revive a certain element of culture
after its absences in some years. In its revitalized version, it may not be as
authentic as the original and it make take several years for the restored practice
to achieve a level of committed practice by its community members.

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 Culture Is Accumulative

• With so much history in any society, there is bound to be

changes in culture as compared to when it was initially practiced.
The intensity is dependent on many things: the commitment of
its followers, the number of followers, its documentation, the
rationale of the practice, and even its interactions with other
groups who may have a different practice altogether. As a result
of culture being transmitted to several people, through several
years, there will be changes due to the current situation in the
community.
Cultural Is Integrated
• Common practices bring people together. It is a way of sharing
with other and making it easier for people to understand or
give preference to others who share a common practice.
There are many practices that are uniquely undertaken by a
group of people. They can easily be identified as coming from
a particular region or province. It is part of their life, from
birth to death and all the events that happen in between.
Special events such as Holy Week differ form other region to
region, and this can be seen in the way that we celebrate it. In
other countries, Holy Week is also celebrated differently.
 Culture Is Changing

• With the intersection of many variables across time and people,

culture is bound to change. Developments in technology,
government structure, laws, other elements, and even in people will
give rise to changes in culture. For example, there may be more
effective and more efficient ways of doing something very traditional
such as weaving a design from the handloom versus a machine that
can do the same in a shorter of time. The machine may even use
different threads, resulting in the change of the cloth. Changes must
be acceptable to the group who owns the original, and if members
are happy with the change, then there can be change. Sometimes,
however, this can result in quarrels among the members of the group
and may result in the division if the community. In some instances,
this can create new beginnings or new communities.

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Culture Varies from Society to Society
•Of the many sub-groups in a society, each one brings their own
cultural mindset to a bigger community. Expect that there will be
similarities and many unique practices within given community and
among the different countries also.

•Given these features of culture, a tourism professional should be

aware and liberal in considering the uniqueness and similarities of
their colleagues and customer in the workplace. A tourism
professional should be very understanding, open-minded, and does
not insist on their cultural beliefs or practice on other people.