The Iceberg Model: What are the Invisible Realities of Cultural Values?

The Iceberg Model is a method used to understand and solve problems encountered in intercultural relations. This model is likened to an iceberg, representing the surface symptoms of a problem as well as the deeper root causes.

The Iceberg Model: What Are the Invisible Truths of Cultural Values?

First of all, culture is a difficult concept to define as it involves a wide range of perspectives. Culture addresses the way people perceive the world, making it easier to understand the complexity that arises. But can an abstract concept like culture be defined by modeling it? What do these models provide us with?

Describing culture with certain models makes the concept of culture more concrete. The Iceberg Model, the Onion Model and the Tree Model are the three main models used to describe culture. Each of these models aims to reduce the complexity of culture and make it easier to understand. In this article, we will talk about one of these models, the Iceberg Model. If you are ready, let's start reading this article.

What is the Iceberg Model of Culture?

The Iceberg Model of Culture, developed by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in 1976, compares the depth and complexity of culture to an iceberg. The study of human behavior, broken down into different layers, is depicted as an iceberg. The image of the iceberg represents the relationship between behaviors and man-made things, as well as values and beliefs that are also embedded in deeper structures.

The Iceberg Model of Culture is a model that basically divides human behavior into three layers. These are surface traits, mid-level traits and deep structures. Surface traits refer to observed behaviors, mid-level traits refer to values, attitudes and beliefs, and deep structures refer to subconscious cultural beliefs and norms.

Sigmund Freud developed a theory called psychoanalysis, which examines human behavior in three layers: conscious, subconscious and collective unconscious. The conscious layer refers to the thoughts and feelings that people are aware of, the subconscious layer refers to the thoughts and feelings that develop unconsciously, and the collective unconscious layer refers to the common beliefs and feelings in the subconscious.

The similarity between these two models suggests that Sigmund Freud's theories were influential in the development of the Iceberg Culture Model. Both models emphasize the need to examine human behavior in specific layers. While Freud's theory of psychoanalysis aims to discover the true origins of human behavior, the Iceberg Culture Model aims to provide support for identifying and resolving the causes of cross-cultural conflicts.

The Iceberg Model in Intercultural Communication

The Iceberg Model is a methodology for understanding and solving problems in cross-cultural relations. This model is likened to an iceberg, representing the surface symptoms of a problem as well as the deeper root causes. By focusing on these causes, it helps to find a common ground between the parties. The Iceberg Model is a method used in the fields of 'intercultural communication' and 'conflict management'. The Iceberg Model emphasizes that conflicts are often about surface characteristics, but the real causes of these conflicts are deeper. Therefore, in resolving intercultural conflicts, it is necessary to act on deep structures rather than on surface features.

The surface characteristics at the top of the Iceberg Model refer to behaviors that can be directly observed and easily perceived. These include items such as clothing style, eating habits, body language, gestures and facial expressions. The part under the iceberg contains the main sources of the elements on the surface. Beliefs, values, behaviors, thoughts, language, ways of communication, prejudices and attitudes are among the main sources of intercultural problems. As a result, the iceberg model helps to identify the source of the reasons that cause conflict as well as the surface features and to seek solutions for it.

How to Resolve Cross-Cultural Conflicts with the Iceberg Model

The iceberg model is an important tool for understanding the causes and consequences of intercultural conflicts and finding solutions. In order to resolve intercultural conflicts, mutual respect and understanding are required. According to the Iceberg Model, behaviors, words and man-made things seen on the surface of intercultural conflicts are the tip of the iceberg. However, only 10% of the iceberg is visible when viewed from above. The real size of the iceberg is much larger than it appears. Therefore, the root causes of conflict resolution need to be thoroughly examined and explored.

The implementation of the iceberg model involves the following steps:

1. Surface Problem Identification: First of all, the problem that has arisen needs to be identified on the surface. This usually refers to differences in behavior and disagreements that arise in the face of an event.
2. Determining the Causes of the Problem: A more detailed examination is carried out to determine the root causes of the problem. This step reveals the real underlying causes, not just the symptoms of the problems on the surface.
3. Determining Solutions: In this step, different solutions to the problem are developed. Alternative options are suggested for solving problems that arise in intercultural conflicts.
4. Implementation: This is the step in which the identified solution is implemented. This step involves implementing the chosen strategy, addressing the problems to be encountered and evaluating the results.
5. Getting Feedback: The final step is to receive and evaluate feedback on the results of the solution. The aim of this step is to develop a better strategy to face similar problems in the future.

The steps above can be applied in cross-cultural conflicts and in many other situations. However, since each culture has its own values, it would not be right to use the same approach for all of them. Culture is part of people's identities and is therefore a living, living phenomenon, not a static, fixed one. Modeling the concept of culture allows it to be better understood by going through concrete forms. As a result, the concept of culture and the theories related to this concept facilitate the learning process in intercultural relations. These models are needed to understand cultural differences and to raise awareness in society.

In conclusion, the iceberg model of culture allows us to think about and talk about an abstract concept like culture. However, models of culture should not be expected to perfectly reflect reality. None of the models of culture, including the Iceberg Model of Culture, represent culture in the most accurate way. Nevertheless, these models are recognized as a starting point for cross-cultural communication and a better understanding of culture. It is important to remember that each culture is unique and represents its own values. Therefore, a different approach to each culture needs to be adopted.