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Culture Shock!
Culture Shock! Philippines
Whether you travel for business, pleasure, or a combination of the two, the ever-popular "Culture Shock!" series belongs in your backpack or briefcase. Get the nuts-and-bolts information you need to survive and thrive wherever you go. "Culture Shock!" country guides are easy-to-read, accurate, and entertaining crash courses in local customs and etiquette. "Culture Shock!" practical guides offer the inside information you need whether you're a student, a parent, a globetrotter, or a working traveler. "Culture Shock!" at your Door guides equip you for daily life in some of the world's most cosmopolitan cities. And "Culture Shock!" Success Secrets guides offer relevant, practical information with the real-life insights and cultural know-how that can make the difference between business success and failure.
Each "Culture Shock!" title is written by someone who's lived and worked in the country, and each book is packed with practical, accurate, and enjoyable information to help you find your way and feel at home.
- GenresNonfictionTravelCultural
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1992
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103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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September 7, 2014This well-written guide to the Philippine Culture has served to open my eyes to many nuances in Filipino customs and etiquette before I even put my feet on the Philippine’s soil. Many times I caught myself wishing that I had read a similar guide to Israeli culture before my family spent 9 months studying there. This book is written in a way that is educational yet fascinating and able to hold one’s attention. I also appreciated the little comics interspersed throughout the pages depicting different situations one might find itself in the Philippines. Several things about the Filipino Culture have stuck out to me in particular that I make note of in the following:
Filipino Culture emphasizes self image to such a degree that it is considered more important to not offend than to say what you really mean. This reminds me of my mother’s own personal cultural conflictive experiences in the States, when she learned the hard way that sometimes people in the South will sometimes invite you over simply to be nice, and not really expect you to take up on the offer.
Since it is considered more important to not offend, than to say what you really mean, verbal agreements are not binding. A Filipino may say “Yes”, simply to get out of an awkward situation, and not really think that you are counting on his word. For something to be binding, it needs to be written or repeated in some fashion to make sure that yes really meant yes.
Emphasis on self image has also led to a tendency for there to be a bit of a facade in most Filipino lives. Fake smiles are plastered on, especially when disagreements arise. One must be very alert to catch subtle clues of displeasure.
Whereas in America, individuality and courage to stand up for one’s own personal beliefs are appreciated, in the Philippines it is looked down upon. This culture is so family oriented that who you are is based on who your family is. If you mess up, it affects everyone connected with you. This creates a great deal of pressure to “fit in”. This is not always a negative thing, as it cuts down on crime and need for law enforcement.
As stated before, Filipinos are very family oriented. This creates a culture that does not expect it’s young men and young women to “grow up and move off” until they get married. Young men stay with their fathers and join in on the family business. Even after marriage the young couple is not expected to leave into their own home until a few years after the marriage takes place. Otherwise, people may think that there was some sort of discord in the home. The need for individualism so prevalent in the West is not a factor in the Philippines.
One very important value for the Filipino is that of honoring and caring for your parents. There is a sense of debt to your mother and father for having brought one into the world. To this end there are no retirement homes in the Philippines, since it would be strongly looked down upon to put one’s parents into such a place, instead of caring for them yourself.
Specific ways this information may apply to midwifery include the conflict over sincerity; Americans generally are confused why Filipinos don’t just “say it as it is”. However, it is the Filipinos that often complain about foreigners’ lack of sincerity. They simply don’t know that when you are talking to a salesman, seeing an ad on TV, or listening to a politician that you need to take everything “with a grain of salt”. This is why there are so many Filipino mothers that end up feeding their babies powdered milk. They were deluded by the TV ads claiming superiority over mother’s milk. On the other hand, Filipino culture teaches people to take everything said in a face-to-face encounter with a grain of salt. So it is important to realize that a Filipino mother may not believe everything that you tell her in a face-to-face conversation, as culture dictates. So in order to really get a point across, you may need to follow up a conversation with a video, or a pamphlet of some sort in order to convince her that what you are saying is really true.
These are only a few things that I have learned in Culture Shock!, and it was truly a read worth the time spent.
Filipino Culture emphasizes self image to such a degree that it is considered more important to not offend than to say what you really mean. This reminds me of my mother’s own personal cultural conflictive experiences in the States, when she learned the hard way that sometimes people in the South will sometimes invite you over simply to be nice, and not really expect you to take up on the offer.
Since it is considered more important to not offend, than to say what you really mean, verbal agreements are not binding. A Filipino may say “Yes”, simply to get out of an awkward situation, and not really think that you are counting on his word. For something to be binding, it needs to be written or repeated in some fashion to make sure that yes really meant yes.
Emphasis on self image has also led to a tendency for there to be a bit of a facade in most Filipino lives. Fake smiles are plastered on, especially when disagreements arise. One must be very alert to catch subtle clues of displeasure.
Whereas in America, individuality and courage to stand up for one’s own personal beliefs are appreciated, in the Philippines it is looked down upon. This culture is so family oriented that who you are is based on who your family is. If you mess up, it affects everyone connected with you. This creates a great deal of pressure to “fit in”. This is not always a negative thing, as it cuts down on crime and need for law enforcement.
As stated before, Filipinos are very family oriented. This creates a culture that does not expect it’s young men and young women to “grow up and move off” until they get married. Young men stay with their fathers and join in on the family business. Even after marriage the young couple is not expected to leave into their own home until a few years after the marriage takes place. Otherwise, people may think that there was some sort of discord in the home. The need for individualism so prevalent in the West is not a factor in the Philippines.
One very important value for the Filipino is that of honoring and caring for your parents. There is a sense of debt to your mother and father for having brought one into the world. To this end there are no retirement homes in the Philippines, since it would be strongly looked down upon to put one’s parents into such a place, instead of caring for them yourself.
Specific ways this information may apply to midwifery include the conflict over sincerity; Americans generally are confused why Filipinos don’t just “say it as it is”. However, it is the Filipinos that often complain about foreigners’ lack of sincerity. They simply don’t know that when you are talking to a salesman, seeing an ad on TV, or listening to a politician that you need to take everything “with a grain of salt”. This is why there are so many Filipino mothers that end up feeding their babies powdered milk. They were deluded by the TV ads claiming superiority over mother’s milk. On the other hand, Filipino culture teaches people to take everything said in a face-to-face encounter with a grain of salt. So it is important to realize that a Filipino mother may not believe everything that you tell her in a face-to-face conversation, as culture dictates. So in order to really get a point across, you may need to follow up a conversation with a video, or a pamphlet of some sort in order to convince her that what you are saying is really true.
These are only a few things that I have learned in Culture Shock!, and it was truly a read worth the time spent.
September 28, 2013
An honest, relevant and interesting book on Philippines culture and society. Designed for anyone wanting live or work in the Philippines or anyone curious about the life, customs and cultural norms of Filipino people.
I enjoyed this book and found much relevant information for understanding Filipinos and their background.
I enjoyed this book and found much relevant information for understanding Filipinos and their background.
June 12, 2012
Found the Morocco book in this series very useful, so read again. A lot of great info is packed in about the cultural differences to expect. Book is a bit unorganized, but flows well. A lot of great info for people permanently moving the the Philippines dealing with longterm social problems.
August 1, 2014
Very interesting, but also very dated. Some of the material, like courtship rituals, hasn't been changed from the 40's or 50's. Still, this book will give you some sense of how the elderly in the Philippines think.
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February 8, 2008Fantastic book! This was so valuable to read before I moved to the Philippines. Before I visit any other countries, I will pick up the Culture Shock series for insights.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews