All over the world, schoolchildren take history classes and, depending on whether they had a good experience or not, history can make them excited, uninterested, or bored (and I’d guess most people tend toward the latter).1 Unfortunately, if your history classes were boring or weren’t taught well, you may think of history as just a boring school subject that’s irrelevant to your life as an expat. If you comprehend what both history and culture are, though, you’ll find that understanding the history of your host culture, people, or country is fundamental to grasping the culture and even understanding bits of the language.
The link between history and culture is so strong, in fact, that if you don’t understand a people’s history, you won’t understand their culture. Without understanding history, you may know the what of culture—things to do or taboos to avoid—but you won’t comprehend the why of culture.
This is a bold claim, perhaps, but I hope to demonstrate it to you in this week’s tip. First, I’ll explain the intimate link between culture and history, then demonstrate that link with examples from around the world, and finally provide some tips to make your study of culture more effective (and hopefully more enjoyable).
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The intimate connection of history and culture
A country’s history is made up of the events which affect the nation and/or its people. Culture, on the other hand, is “the total way of life of a people, composed of their learned and shared values, behavior patterns (norms), and material objects” (Rogers and Steinfatt, Intercultural Communication, 79).
So, consider how these two definitions connect. If culture is learned behavior, where did they learn that behavior? From those who had already learned it; where did those individuals learn it? From those who came before them who, in turn, learned from those who came before. In other words, culture comes from history—from the people who came before, who learned those behaviors in response to the events of their life. History shapes culture and, in turn, culture shapes history.
Put differently, you could say that history is a record of culture. As history is told and retold, it shapes the beliefs, values, and behaviors of people—even as those beliefs, values, and behaviors affect present and future events, which eventually become history.
History is a record of culture
This link between culture and history is why George Orwell asserted that “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.” That’s why, in Orwell’s novel 1984, he depicts the dystopian government as continually revising history. By changing history, that government changed how people behaved and acted in the present; this revision of history isn’t limited just to fiction, however, as others around the world have sought to do the same.
Without history, people cannot understand their culture or identity.
Without history—without a memory of the past—people cannot understand their culture or identity. Imagine for a moment, like many works of fiction have, that you woke up with zero memory. Would you know who you are? How to act? What is important? What is right or wrong? Of course you couldn’t—as those fictional stories aptly tell. What many don’t realize is that what is true of you personally—that your behaviors and values are linked to your personal history—is also true of a people or a nation culturally.
Understanding the present requires understanding the past. As Aristotle said, “If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development.”
Examples of this link
Rather than explain abstractly the link of history and culture, I’ll show you a few examples from around the world where you simply cannot understand a people’s culture without knowing their history. I would love to supplement the list below with an example from every country on earth, so reach out to me if you know of other examples (or if I’ve made a mistake in the example below!)
Cambodia
During the rule of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia (1975–1979), around 2–3 million people died from torture, famine, persecution, and genocide. The impact of that number is greater when you realize that, prior to the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia’s population was around 7.5 million. Imagine the impact on your culture of 30–40% of people being killed in a matter of four years; imagine the trauma, imagine the pain; imagine the shaping influence of informers and executioners who enabled the genocide. Think of how such an event would shape the values and norms of Cambodian people—how it would have a lasting impact on their culture. When I visited Cambodia years ago, someone told me that she does not trust any men over the age of 60 because, if they survived the Rouge, it probably meant they betrayed someone or were complicit.
The United States
When anthropologists compare cultures, one metric they use is to consider if a culture is oriented towards the past, present, or future, as I wrote about in Cultural Taxonomies: A Key to Decoding Cultures. The US is off-the-charts future oriented whereas a country like Japan is highly past-oriented. Why is the US so radically future oriented? Consider the history of how the US was founded. For hundreds of years, every person who immigrated to the US had to say goodbye to their family and would likely to never see them again, ever. People who had strong family ties or who were past-oriented considered that too big a cost to immigrate.
By definition, then, the only people who would disconnect from the past in hope of a better future were future-oriented. Immigrants valued future opportunities more than historical roots, family connections, or their motherland and that shapes US culture to this day. For example, it’s not unusual for children to take a job far away from their parents (let alone their grandparents!) and it’s common for people to not know, let alone regularly see, their second cousins or great aunts and great uncles!2
Russia
An expat friend living in Russia described to me how they were offended when they weren’t invited to the birthday parties of their best friends. They later learned that, during Soviet rule, it was dangerous for others to be in your home or see what gifts you gave your kids. Since anyone could report you or your belongings if they saw them, the culture developed to mostly interact with friends “outside” the home, and definitely not at a gift-giving moment like a birthday party. Thus, the culture developed and apparently still exists today that birthday parties are family-only affairs. That history under Soviet rule has lasting impact today.
Israel & Palestine
Of all current events in the world, this conflict epitomizes the impact of history on culture. You cannot understand the culture of Israel or Palestine, let alone the conflict between them, without understanding the history of the region—going back hundreds of years and not just tens of years. Both sides appeal to history as justification for their actions; if you’re ignorant of it, you simply can’t understand the people, their values, or their beliefs today.
China
Though few people in the West are aware, China’s science, technology, culture, and art were flourishing while the West was in its Dark Ages. Yet the Chinese Empire declined from power and the Century of Humiliation ensued, as China was unable to stand up to Western powers (Opium Wars) and the Japanese invasion prior to the West’s involvement in WWII. The unapologetic and deeply-felt nationalism of Chinese people today is rooted, in large measure, by an attempt to “restore China to it’s former glory”—as China’s leader Xi puts it, the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese people.
More
I could go on: think of the impact that Europeans and the US government has had on the First Nations of the Americas, of the impact that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have on both countries in the future, of the impact the Soviet, Taliban, US, and Taliban rule has had on Afghani life and culture, the impact Saddam Hussein’s chemical warfare had on Kurds and Iraqi culture, the impact the Iranian Revolution continues to have in Iran, the impact of apartheid and it’s official end in South Africa, or the impact of the still-ongoing war between North and South Korea. The examples are endless and are limited merely by my knowledge of the world (please add to it!). If you want to understand a culture or people today, you must understand their history
Tips for understanding history
I hope I’ve convinced you of how necessary and helpful it is to understand your host country’s history. Here’s a few tips for how you can make this process more efficient (and enjoyable)!
Understand popular histories
Only a few people in a culture will go back to primary source documents to understand their history. Instead, what most people believe about history is what they’ve been told—and those beliefs about the past have a shaping and lasting impact on culture today, whether or not they’re true.
For example, many North Koreans believe that the Kim dynasty is divine; whether or not the miracles attributed to the Kim family are true or factually accurate is irrelevant. The people believe they are true and it is that belief, reinforced through schooling and more, that influences its culture so much that North Koreans will risk their life to save pictures of their leaders from a burning fire.3 If people believe something is true, even if it is verifiably false, that false belief impacts how people behave.
To give another example, if most people in a culture believe that their king was appointed by God, this belief has a radical impact on the culture, shaping how the government and its people behave. Whether or not God actually appointed a king for the people is irrelevant; the belief has lasting influence whether or not it’s true.
These popular-level beliefs about history have immense impact on a people even if—or even because?—they aren’t true or factually accurate. These popular beliefs are ones that you must understand.
Understand actual history
Paradoxically, what people believe about history affects culture, even if it’s not true—and what actually is true about history affects culture, even if it’s not believed! Reality and facts have a way of impacting people and countries, even if no one believes them to be true.
Consider, for example, a hypothetical country in which a king has secretly killed every political challenger for decades, yet maintains enough control over news and history that no one knows the killings ever happened. The people of this hypothetical country would genuinely believe their king is good, yet what the king actually did still affects culture and people, even if no one believes it is true.
Truth is inconvenient like that—it won’t be ignored, even if it is not known or believed. History, whether believed or not, inescapably affects, influences, and even effects culture.4 Thus, in addition to understanding “popular history,” endeavor to understand actual history.
Ask locals to tell their history
One of my most valuable exercises in language learning was asking my helper/teacher to tell me about the history of his country and, after that, the history of his country’s relationship with the US (my passport country). His answer was tremendously insightful to me—not necessarily because what he described “actually” happened (the history I learned was different from his on many, many levels) but because it gave me insight into what he and others believe and were taught had happened. Whether factually accurate or not, understanding his explanation of his history gave me insight into his culture (even as it gave great language learning opportunities!)
Especially if you’re utilizing a learner-directed language method, definitely make one of your topics the history of your host country, the history of your host country’s relationship with your home country, and follow up those “big narratives” with more specific topics that arise from your language session.5
Ask what events have the greatest influence on the culture today
Don’t assume that you know what history is most important to the culture; don’t assume that the more recent history is most relevant to a culture! Let the locals that you know tell you what matters most. They may tell you events from last year or from a thousand years prior—both of those answers are quite revealing. Allow them to tell you the story of their country and let their starting point itself inform you.
One thing to keep in mind; the more a culture is past-oriented, the longer back you probably need to understand their history. For a future-oriented culture like the US, understanding 100 years of history may be enough. However, for a past-oriented culture like Japan, you may need to grasp 1,000 years of history. Instead of imposing your mindset about history matters most on locals, ask them to tell you what matters most and where their story begins. Even their starting point will help you learn important things about their culture.
For more tips on learning about a people without imposing your categories on them, see the excellent book Ethnographic Interview by James Spradley.
Ask about country-country relationships
Asking locals to tell you the history of their country’s relationship with your country is likewise a fantastic topic that will reap dividends. Whether or not the narrative they’ve heard is “correct” isn’t the point; your goal is to learn what they believe, as that has a shaping influence on their culture (in addition to what happened). You’ll probably learn more about their culture from the places where the narratives differ than from where they are the same. Perhaps their history is incorrect—why was that narrative changed? Or maybe your history is flawed—why would others have taught it to you in that manner? What do these differences reveal about cultural values, beliefs, and norms?
Do this not just for your host country’s relationship with your home country; do it for any country that seems important in your host country—better yet, ask your friends to tell you what country in the world has most impacted theirs!
Understand as many narratives as accessible
As both true and false narratives impact culture, it’s crucial to consider all perspectives in the historical narrative. Read local history books (ideally in the local language, but even translations are helpful); read the history books taught in primary and middle school; read history books written by foreign scholars; read minority voices and stories (especially if you live among a minority group in your host culture); read “official” histories written by those in the government; read history books written by political dissenters or exiles from the country, and more. As you do, you’ll piece together both what happened and what people believe happened; both have a shaping and enduring influence on a culture.
Some people aren’t readers and I get that—consider audiobooks if the idea of a paper book makes you squirm. However, bear in mind that only the most popular books are adapted into audio format, limiting your exposure to diverse narratives compared to reading printed or electronic books.
Read ex-pat narratives
If there are famous expats who lived in your host country, explore their stories—try to learn from locals if possible, but otherwise find biographies in your host country or that expat’s home country. It’s fascinating to compare the stories, especially when they differ, as each of those differences is a learning moment. Why are these people famous? What did they do well? Poorly? How did they fit in (or not!) with the host country? What lessons do they have for your life?
Conclusion
History and culture are intimately connected; so intimately, in fact, that one cannot exist without the other. As you aim to be an expat who deeply understands and relates to people in your host culture, it’s crucial that you take time to explore and understand the history of your host culture, people, or country. Do so humbly, seeking a variety of voices, and allow your understanding of the deep influences and sources of culture to grow. You won’t be disappointed.
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Footnotes
- I think this is mostly because of how it’s taught. Facts and dates and names are horrendously boring—and easily searchable by Google nowadays. But if history is about understanding how humans have succeeded and failed in endless trends and patterns, then it becomes fascinating, as each story is one that can teach you how to live better. Further, as I explain in this article, understanding history is critical to understanding one’s life. ↩︎
- There are dramatic exemptions of Americans who have a very different culture and orientation—think of Greek, Italian, or Chinese people in the US who are fully American, but who have strong family ties and bonds. What is striking in those examples, though, is we think of that as Greek culture or Italian culture or Chinese culture, not as “US American” culture. They are, of course, a critical part of US American culture, but they are not the typical or majority culture. ↩︎
- This example is from one of the most fascinating biographies I’ve ever read, The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee. The book retells her life in and then escape from North Korea. Powerful, incredible, highly recommended. ↩︎
- I hope you’re as amused as I am that this sentence contains both “affect” and “effect.” Learning that difference in my college English writing class has finally paid off; Mr. Clark, I hope I made you proud! ↩︎
- I would suggest these questions are excellent for late phase 4 material. The latter would be particularly interesting if you could somehow get a recording of two locals discussing their history. That would be incredible. ↩︎
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