Afghanistan Cross-Cultural Communication
Information on the Country
Demographics
As of 2015, the population of Afghanistan is around 32,564,342, which includes the roughly 2.7 million Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan and Iran. As of 2013 46% of Afghanistan's population are under 15 years of age and 74% of the population live in rural areas. The average woman gave birth to five children during her life and 6.8% of all babies died in childbirth or infancy. Life expectancy in 2013 was 60 years and only .1% of the population between ages 15 and 49 had HIV.
Like many of its neighboring countries, Afghanistan has an ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse population. According to cartographer Michael Izadi there "is a precious little correspondence between language and ethnic or group identity in Afghanistan. Connections such as tribe (e.g. Pashtuns, Aimaqs), religion (e.g. the Shia Hazaras, Sayyids, Kizilbash), group memory (e.g. Arabs and Mongols/Mongols) or lifestyle (e.g. Parsiwans) are far more important markers of group identity than language has ever been. Only Turkmens (totally) and Uzbeks (mostly) are to be identified with languages that they speak. This has been so since the inception of the state in AD 1747.
Afghanistan has experienced a gradual urbanization since the late 1990s but the country remains one of the world's least urban societies. In 1999 around 79% of the country's population lived in rural areas compared to around 74% in 2014. The only city with over a million residents is its capital, Kabul. Other large cities in the country are, in order of population size, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz, Jalalabad, Lashkar Gah, Taloqan, Khost, Sheberghan, and Ghazni. According to the Population Reference Bureau, the Afghan population is estimated to increase to 82 million by 2050.
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Largest cities or towns in Afghanistan
2012 estimate |
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Rank
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Pop.
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1
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3,289,000
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2
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491,500
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3
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436,300
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4
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368,100
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5
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304,600
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6
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219,000
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7
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206,500
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8
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203,600
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9
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171,200
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10
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161,700
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Ethnic groups
Afghanistan is a multiethnic society, and its historical status as a crossroads has contributed significantly to its diverse ethnic makeup. The population of the country is divided into a wide variety of ethnolinguistic groups. Because a systematic census has not been held in the nation in decades, exact figures about the size and composition of the various ethnic groups are unavailable. An approximate distribution of the ethnic groups is shown in the chart below:
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Ethnic groups in Afghanistan
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Ethnic group
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2004–2014 estimate
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Pre-2004 estimate
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42%
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38–55%
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27%
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8%
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9–10%
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9%
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6–8%
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4%
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500,000 to 800,000
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3%
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2.5%
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2%
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100,000
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4%
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6.9%
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Languages
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Spoken languages of Afghanistan
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Dari (Afghan Persian)
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50%
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35%
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11%
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30 others including Arabic
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4%
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Pashto and Dari are the official languages of Afghanistan; bilingualism is very common. Both are Indo-European languages from the Iranian languages sub-family. Dari (Afghan Persian) has long been the prestige language and a lingua franca for inter-ethnic communication. It is the native tongue of the Tajiks, Hazaras, Aimaks, and Kizilbash. Pashto is the native tongue of the Pashtuns, although many Pashtuns often use Dari and some non-Pashtuns are fluent in Pashto.
Other languages, including Uzbek, Arabic, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashayi, and Nuristani languages (Ashkunu, Kamata-viri, Vasi-vari, Tregami, and Kalasha-al), are the native tongues of minority groups across the country and have official status in the regions where they are widely spoken. Minor languages also include Pamiri (Shughni, Munji, Ishkashimi, and Wakhi), Brahui, Hindko, and Kyrgyz. A small percentage of Afghans are also fluent in Urdu, English, and other languages.
Gender
Afghanistan was listed in 2002 as one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be born a woman according to a global survey due to among the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, where half a million die annually in childbirth. The high rate is caused by the healthcare system having been destroyed by warfare and the Taliban.
Religions
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Religion in Afghanistan
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Religion
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Percent
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99%
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Others
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1%
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Distribution of religions
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Until the 1890s, the region around Nuristan was known as Kafiristan (land of the kafirs (unbelievers)) because of its non-Muslim inhabitants, the Nuristanis, an ethnically distinct people whose religious practices included animism, polytheism, and shamanism. Thousands of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus are also found in the major cities.There was a small Jewish community in Afghanistan who had emigrated to Israel and the United States by the end of the twentieth century; only one Jew, Zablon Simintov, remained by 2005.
Lifestyle
Although the Afghan population is composed of many distinct ethnic groups, certain elements of their way of life are much the same. Characteristically, the family is the mainstay of Afghan society. Extremely close bonds exist within the family, which consists of the members of several generations. The family is headed by the oldest man, or patriarch, whose word is law for the whole family. Family honor, pride and respect toward other members are highly prized qualities. Among both villagers and nomads, the family lives together and forms a self-sufficient group. In the villages, each family generally occupies either one mud-brick house or a walled compound containing mud-brick or stonewalled houses. The same pattern prevails among the nomads, except that tents replace the houses.
Settlements in Afghanistan with less than 100 houses number over 10,000 and those with 100 to 250 houses number about 1000. There are 53 urban centers that range in size from 2500 to 25,000 people. In the smaller villages, there are no schools, no stores, nor any representative of the government. Each village has three sources of authority within it: the malik (village headman), the mirab (master of the water distribution), and the mullah (teacher of Islamic laws). Commonly a khan (large landowner) will control the whole village by assuming the role of both malik and mirab.
Baggy cotton trousers are a standard part of the Afghan villager's costume. The men wear long cotton shirts, which hang over their trousers, and wide sashes around their waists. They also wear a skullcap, and over that, a turban, which they take off when working in the fields. The women wear a long loose shirt or a high-bodice dress with a swirling skirt over their trousers; they drape a wide shawl about their heads. Many women wear jewelry, which is collected as a form of family wealth. When urban women leave their houses they usually wear a burka or shadier, along tentlike veil that covers them from head to foot. Women in villages seldom wear the burka, and educated urban women discarded the custom, especially under Soviet domination where it was regarded as backward.
The diet of most Afghan villagers consists mainly of unleavened flat bread called Nan, soups, a kind of yogurt called mast, vegetables, fruit, and occasionally rice and meat. Tea is the favorite drink.
Village men work in the fields, joined by the women during the harvest. Older children tend the flocks and look after the smaller children. The village mosque is the center of religious life and is often used as the village guest house.
Twice a year groups of nomads may pass through villages on their routes from summer highland grazing grounds to the lowlands where they camp during the winter. The villagers traditionally permit the nomads to graze their animals over the harvested fields, which the flocks fertilize by depositing manure. The nomads buy supplies such as tea, wheat, and kerosene from the villagers; the villagers buy wool and milk products from the nomads. For food and clothing, the nomads depend on the milk products, meat, wool, and skins of their flocks; for transportation they depend on their camels. Nomadic women are freer and less secluded than the village women.
A favorite sport in northern Afghanistan is a game called buzkashi, in which teams of horsemen compete to deposit the carcass of a large headless calf in a goal circle. Afghans also play polo and ghosai, a team sport similar to wrestling. The most important holiday in Afghanistan is Eid and Nowruz, or New Year's Day, which is celebrated on the first day of spring.
Culture
The Afghan culture has been around for over two millennia, tracing back to at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire in 500 BCE. It is mostly a nomadic and tribal society, with different regions of the country having their own traditions, reflecting the multicultural and multilingual character of the nation. In the southern and eastern region, the people live according to the Pashtun culture by following Pashtunwali, which is an ancient way of life that is still preserved. The remainder of the country is culturally Persian and Turkic. Some non-Pashtuns who live in proximity with Pashtuns have adopted Pashtunwali in a process called Pashtunization (or Afghanization), while some Pashtuns have been Persianized. Millions of Afghans who have been living in Pakistan and Iran over the last 30 years have been influenced by the cultures of those neighboring nations.
Afghans display pride in their culture, nation, ancestry, and above all, their religion and independence. Like other highlanders, they are regarded with mingled apprehension and condescension, for their high regard for personal honor, for their tribe loyalty and for their readiness to use force to settle disputes. As tribal warfare and internecine feuding has been one of their chief occupations since time immemorial, this individualistic trait has made it difficult for foreigners to conquer them. Tony Heathcote considers the tribal system to be the best way of organizing large groups of people in a country that is geographically difficult, and in a society that, from a materialistic point of view, has an uncomplicated lifestyle. There are an estimated 60 major Pashtun tribes and the Afghan nomads are estimated at about 2–3 million.
The nation has a complex history that has survived either in its current cultures or in the form of various languages and monuments. However, many of its historic monuments have been damaged in recent wars. The two famous Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed by the Taliban, who regarded them as idolatrous. Despite that, archaeologists are still finding Buddhist relics in different parts of the country, some of them dating back to the 2nd century. This indicates that Buddhism was widespread in Afghanistan. Other historical places include the cities of Herat, Kandahar, Ghazni, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Zarang. The Minaret of Jam in the Hari River valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site. A cloak reputedly worn by Islam's prophet Muhammad is kept inside the Shrine of the Cloak in Kandahar, a city founded by Alexander and the first capital of Afghanistan. The citadel of Alexander in the western city of Herat has been renovated in recent years and is a popular attraction for tourists. In the north of the country is the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, believed by many to be the location where Ali was buried. The Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture is renovating 42 historic sites in Ghazni until 2013 when the province will be declared as the capital of Islamic civilization. The National Museum of Afghanistan is located in Kabul.
Although literacy is low, classic Persian and Pashto poetry plays an important role in the Afghan culture. Poetry has always been one of the major educational pillars in the region, to the level that it has integrated itself into culture. Some notable poets include Rumi, Rabi'a Balkhi, Sanai, Jami, Khushal Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba, Khalilullah Khalili, and Parween Pazhwak.
Media and entertainment:
The Afghan mass media began in the early 20th century, with the first newspaper published in 1906. By the 1920s, Radio Kabul was broadcasting local radio services. Afghanistan National Television was launched in 1974 but was closed in 1996 when the media was tightly controlled by the Taliban. Since 2002, press restrictions have been gradually relaxed and private media diversified. Freedom of expression and the press is promoted in the 2004 constitution and censorship is banned, although defaming individuals or producing material contrary to the principles of Islam is prohibited. In 2008, Reporters without Borders ranked the media environment as 156 out of 173 countries, with the 1st being the most free. Around 400 publications were registered, at least 15 local Afghan television channels, and 60 radio stations. Foreign radio stations, such as Voice of America, BBC World Service, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) broadcast into the country.
The city of Kabul has been home to many musicians who were masters of both traditional and modern Afghan music. Traditional music is especially popular during the Nowruz (New Year) and National Independence Day celebrations. Ahmad Zahir, Nashenas, Ustad Sarahang, Sarban, Ubaidullah Jan, Farhad Darya, and Naghma are some of the notable Afghan musicians, but there are many others. Most Afghans are accustomed to watching Indian Bollywood films and listening to its filmi hit songs. Many major Bollywood film stars have roots in Afghanistan, including Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), Aamir Khan, Feroz Khan, Kader Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Zarine Khan and Celina Jaitley. In addition, several Bollywood films, such as Dharmatma, Khuda Gawah, Escape from Taliban, and Kabul Express have been shot inside Afghanistan.
Sports
In recent years, Afghan sports teams have increasingly celebrated titles at international events. Afghanistan's basketball team won the first team sports title at the 2010 South Asian Games. Later that year, the country's cricket team followed as it won the 2010 ICC Intercontinental Cup. In 2012, the country's 3x3 basketball team won the gold medal at the 2012 Asian Beach Games, in 2013, Afghanistan's football team followed as it won the SAFF Championship.
Cricket is the country's most popular sport, followed by association football. The Afghan national cricket team, which was formed in the last decade, participated in the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier, 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One and the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. It won the ACC Twenty20 Cup in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. The team eventually made it to play in the 2015 Cricket World Cup. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is the official governing body of the sport and is headquartered in Kabul. The Ghazi Amanullah Khan International Cricket Stadium serves as the nation's main cricket stadium, followed by the Kabul National Cricket Stadium. Several other stadiums are under construction. Domestically, cricket is played between teams from different provinces.
The Afghanistan national football team has been competing in international football since 1941. The national team plays its home games at the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul, while football in Afghanistan is governed by the Afghanistan Football Federation. The national team has never competed or qualified for the FIFA World Cup but has recently won an international football trophy in 2013. The country also has a national team in the sport of futsal, a 5-a-side variation of football.
Other popular sports in Afghanistan include basketball, volleyball, taekwondo, and bodybuilding. Buzkashi is a traditional sport, mainly among the northern Afghans. It is similar to polo, played by horsemen in two teams, each trying to grab and hold a goat carcass. The Afghan Hound (a type of running dog) originated in Afghanistan and was originally used in hunting.
Ethics
Verbal and Non-verbal Communication
· Do’s:
o Do shake hands with the right hand, firmly but gently in greeting and departure.
o Do return the gesture of placing the right hand over the heart after shaking hands.
o Do try all food offered to acknowledge the hospitality of the host.
o Do offer a cigarette to everyone in the group.
o Do recognize the nature of Afghan hospitality.
o Do expect to spend much of a visit socializing and drinking tea before discussing business.
o Do use applicable professional or academic titles, such as “engineer,” “doctor,” and “professor.”
o Do expect Afghans to have a different sense of time and punctuality.
o Do give a gift in return for one received.
o Do sit with your legs under you or tucked away.
o Do summon people using you whole hand facing down and motioning inwards.
o Do remove your shoes when visiting a home.
o Do wait to be seated by the host when dining in a home.
o Do wait to speak when spoken to, if elders are present.
· Don’ts:
o Don’t use the left hand for physical contact with others, to eat, or to make gestures.
o Don’t sit with the soles of your feet facing someone.
o Don’t walk away from someone who is speaking to you.
o Don’t show a woman attention by addressing, touching, or staring at her.
o Don’t ask men direct questions about their female relatives.
o Don’t wag or point your finger.
o Don’t offer an Afghan food or drink or publicly consume either during Ramadan.
o Don’t ask an Afghan not to smoke.
o Don’t summon people using a crooked finger.
o Don’t confront a Muslim on his religious beliefs.
o Don’t maintain prolonged eye contact with an Afghan male.
o Don’t shame an Afghan in public.
o Don’t bring a dog into an Afghan’s home.
o Don’t force a Muslim’s head to touch the ground.
o Don’t use thumbs up because it means sit on it. Almost equivalent to holding a middle finger up.
o Don’t raise your voice while having a conversation.
Business Etiquette
Of course, conducting business in Afghanistan has its differences when compared to doing business elsewhere in the world. The local beliefs of honor and shame play a key role in all business environments and can be confusing for the uninitiated. You should always come across as trying to be diplomatic when addressing any issues that could potentially be sensitive and never act in a condescending manner. The Afghan communication style can often be rather indirect; you’ll usually find it necessary to read between the lines to decipher what is actually being indirectly stated. This is just part of the culture and should be accepted; under no circumstances should you directly accuse or speak down to someone as this would again be bringing their honor into question. Haggling, as in many countries, is part of daily life in Afghanistan and can often be involved when conducting business. It can be a daunting experience at first, but with practice, it will become second nature.
Physical Appearance: Every country has its own culture of clothing or wearing and so does Afghanistan. Afghan men usually wear clothes like people in Kashmir and Indian Muslim wear.
Chronemics: In Afghanistan time is considered very important while having a meeting with an afghan. If someone does not come a certain he would be called a liar.
Kinesics: Handshaking, Hugging, Nodding and kiss on the chick.
Proxemics: They tend to stay close.
Vocalics: It is better to keep your voice low.
Haptics: Firstly they hug and shake hands and then they place their right hand on their heart and nod their head.
Dining etiquette:
Afghanistan also has a different dining etiquette as other countries do.
Seating etiquettes: Usually Afghans sit with legs crossed under them.
Napkin Etiquettes: After finishing a meal they will wash your hands and let you wipe it with a napkin.
Food Service Etiquette: Usually Afghan people gather around a tablecloth. Males and females have separate tablecloth and certainly in different rooms. Usually per plate two people.
The Table Etiquette: In Afghanistan, people do not use table while having a meal except for some hotels in the central cities. There, people usually sit on a carpet and have their meal.
When to Start: If you are a guest in an Afghan family, you should wait until the host starts eating or tell you to eat, which is really appropriate. They usually eat dinner at 8:00 PM. They start every meal by the name of God (bismillahirrahmanirrahim/ ﷽), which means in the name of God or Allah but they say it very slow that you can’t even hear. You don’t have to do that. They eat with their right hand and you should too.
Toasting: In Afghanistan, there is no such thing as toasting.
How to End dining: Afghans end their dining by thanking God for giving them, what they have, they do that in terms of a prayer. They say a prayer. You should follow what they do, otherwise, it will inappropriate. After they finish their prayer, then, they wash your hands and give you a napkin to wipe it.
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