Culture General Guidebook : Globally Applicable Concepts and Skills for Military Professionals

Abstract

Current and future operating environments require forces that are as prepared as possible to deal with a multitude of complexities, not least of which are the people within those operating environments and a need to understand them. At the core of understanding people is culture, and developing competence in the art of understanding people through culture requires a deliberate and persistent effort. This guidebook represents an important step in adopting a methodical approach to culture in operations and describes an evolutionary approach to understanding the human dimension. The concepts and skills presented here under the umbrella of culture general provide a pragmatic toolkit to prepare servicemembers for global employment through the deliberate application of culture general knowledge and skills to specific cultures and regions. The concepts and skills presented in the guidebook are general in nature, and applicable in many, if not most, intercultural interactions. This guidebook serves as a good baseline for military personnel to develop the cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral skills they need in an increasingly complex national security environment.