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Brianna Hamade
Multicultural Communication
April 8, 2015
Can the Cedars of Lebanon Branch Communication with the United
States?
Lebanese culture and American culture is different in various different
ways as a result of many different factors. While there is some overlap in
cultural similarities, there are also major differences that can lead to
miscommunication if people of both cultures dont attempt to understand the
other. In this paper, I will examine the Lebanese culture as compared to the
United States and explain key communication differences and similarities
between the two.
Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea on the east, Syria to the north and Israel to the south. Its
total size is 10,400 square kilometers, making it about two-thirds of the size
of the state of Connecticut (Nations Encyclopedia). The climate ranges from
mild to cool, with wet winters and hot and dry summers. There are
mountains that experience heavy snows in the winter. They have a higher
life expectancy average than other countries in the region, 77.78 years
(Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)).
The population density is 5,882,621 (Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA)), however, Lebanon is unique in that it is estimated that twice the
amount of Lebanese live outside the country than within it (The Daily Star).

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Lebanon ranks the highest in The World Factbook in Net Migration Rate. Out
of a thousand people, more than 83 people will emigrate. The United States,
on the other hand, is ranked number 40 and out of a thousand people, only a
little more than two people will emigrate (Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)).
The population breakdown is 95% Arab and four percent Armenian.
However, it is important to note that of the 95% Arab, many Christian
Lebanese people do not wish to be labeled as such and would prefer to be
called Phoenicians, after the regional peoples great ancestors. Lebanon is a
religiously divided country; the United States estimates that approximately
54% of the population is Muslim, 40.5% is Christian and 5.6% is Druze
(Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)). Religion is a sensitive topic of discussion
because many citizens feel that religion was the cause of the civil war and of
much of the civil unrest in the country (Centre for Intercultural Learning). The
main language spoken is Arabic, and schools teach in combination of either
Arabic and French or Arabic and English. The Armenian language is rarely
spoken in Lebanon and is typically only spoken by Armenian refugees
(Hamade).
The country of Lebanon as we know it is relatively new, as different
nations and empires has occupied the area for centuries. Lebanon came to
exist after World War I when France was given control of the former Ottoman
Empire province of Syria. The French named this area Lebanon in 1920 and
then gave the area its independence in 1943. Lebanon was known as the
regional center for finance and trade. However, this didnt last long as the

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country went through a civil war from 1975-1990, which took a toll on the
economy and political growth (Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)).
Like all cultures, a countrys people have a particular understood way
of communicating with others. One way that people can distinguish what it is
like to communicate with people from another culture is by looking at Geert
Hofstedes Cultural Drivers. Hofstede has six dimensions that he says are the
basis of culture, which include Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity,
Uncertainty Avoidance, Long Term Orientation and Indulgence.
Hofstede defines the power distance index as the degree to which the
less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is
distributed unequally. Lebanon has high power distance, especially when
compared with the United States. Lebanon ranks 75, while the United States
ranks 40. Lebanese culture is very hierarchical and there is little questioning
why certain people are in power. People accept that some people are going
to be more important than others. Centralization of power is accepted in the
government and in the workplace. The United States has a low power
distance, believing strongly that every man is created equal. While a
hierarchy does exist, it is believed that America has the opportunities for
anyone to move up (Hofstede).
In Lebanon, government officials are people who are elite in society. In
the article, The Evolutionaries: Transforming the Political System and
Culture in Lebanon, Anders Hardig identifies Lebanon as a elite-centric
polity, meaning that all policy decisions are made by a traditional class of

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leaders and are based on ties of family loyalty or patron-dependency,
(Hardig). There is no question that the reason people have a position of such
power is because of their standing in society.
The next dimension, Individualism versus Collectivism, demonstrates
whether a culture prefers a society that values individual triumphs or one
that values close and loyal connections with ones in-group. Lebanon has a
collectivist culture, ranking 40, while the United States is a highly
individualistic culture, ranking 91 (Hofstede). This is a very important and
distinct difference between Lebanon and the United States, and according to
the notes from Dr. Fines Multicultural Communication class, some say that
this dimension is the most significant attribute when it comes to
distinguishing one culture from another (Fine).
In Lebanon, the biggest commitment people have is to families,
whether it be immediate or extended (Hofstede). According to Nazih
Hamade, a former Lebanese citizen, Lebanese people care about their
families and traditions. They pride themselves on their hospitality values and
image. He also says that in Lebanon, you tend to see older generations
living with their sons and not on their own (Hamade). In the United States,
we dont tend to keep close ties with our elders or extended family; rather
the focus is on the immediate family and the individual interests of each
person in it.
This also affects work culture, where employer and employee
relationships are seen similar to that of family links (Hofstede). In business,

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in order to collaborate on work together it is important to first build strong
personal relationships. Socializing and building rapport create trust between
people and can lead to promotions or intercompany collaboration (Worldwide
Business Briefings).
Masculinity versus femininity refers to the preference in social
attitudes. Masculine cultures admire achievement, assertiveness and
competition. On the flip side, feminine cultures value cooperation, caring for
others, and reaching consensus. Countries that are extremely masculine may
undermine women in their societies. The United States and Lebanon rank
within three points of each other on the masculinity scale; with Lebanon
ranking 65 and the United States 62. This number indicates that both
cultures are masculine where people live to work, appreciate an assertive
nature and are competitive with one another (Hofstede). In the United
States, women for most practical purposes are treated equally to men,
though there is still some disput. However, there has been a strong
movement in Lebanon about womens rights. For example, Lebanese laws
are largely based off common religious tenants and right now there is
controversy about how it is more difficult for women to file for divorce and
retain custody of their children. Many times custody is granted to the woman
until the child reaches a certain age, at which custody then will belong to the
father (Human Rights Watch).
Uncertainty avoidance is the dimension that refers to how people feel
about uncertainty and ambiguity. When a country has a high UAI ranking, it

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tends to value unchanging beliefs and stability, whereas a low UAI ranking
implies openness to new ideas. Lebanon has no preference for uncertainty
avoidance, ranking in the middle at 50. The way I interpret this is that while
the country may be open to innovation, there are still some strong cultural
beliefs that are left unchanging. The United States ranks at 46, showing a
lower uncertainty avoidance, and thus an openness to new ideas (Hofstede).
Long Term Orientation versus Short Term Normative Orientation refers
to how nations handle societal change. Lebanon has a very low score of 14 in
time orientation, demonstrating that the country is very resistant to societal
changes in culture. Lebanon values traditions and norms (Hofstede).
According to Hardig, Lebanon has a fractionalized society where the society
is stronger than the state, and where the society strongly values the
tenants of different religious sects. This puts a restraint on social change that
can occur in society because of the attachment to traditional norms (Hardig).
The United States also has a low time orientation, with a rank of 26. In
the United States, it takes a long time for societal change to occur, which
reflects the low time orientation ranking (Hofstede).
The final dimension Hofstede examines is indulgence versus restraint.
This refers to how we socialize people into giving in to their desires and
impulses. Teaching children in our society that we should hold back from our
desires to do something more practical is showing restraint. In terms of
indulgence, Lebanons culture believes in showing restraint. Leisure time is
not valued and indulging oneself can be wrong. The United States is the

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opposite; with a ranking of 68, the United States is an indulgent culture
despite having various laws that will restrict the level of indulgence in society
(for example, war on drugs).
There are different meanings of high and low context depending on the
aspect of culture. For example, when it comes to sending and receiving
messages, high context relies on non-verbal communication, while low
context consists of concrete verbal messages (Fine). Lebanese
communication is a mix between high and low context, though I would say
they lean more towards low context. The Lebanese are very expressive and
use descriptive language when talking and explaining themselves. However,
Lebanese people also dislike letting others down or giving rejection.
Therefore, when a favor is asked for one always says yes then later explains
why they cannot complete the favor, and it is forgiven because it is seen as
generous to have volunteered when one is so busy. They also will beat
around the bush when giving a no answer because they feel uncomfortable
giving rejection (Worldwide Business Briefings).
Lebanon is very high context when it comes to interacting with ingroups and out-groups. High context implies a high amount of responsibility
to others, while low context implies fragile relationships and low amount of
commitment to others (Fine). This is found in the highly collectivist nature
that Lebanese culture has.
In terms of orientation to time, Lebanon is high context, meaning that
time is less structured (Fine). Lebanese people dont hold themselves to a

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clock; rather they use it as an estimate of time and similarly, they are
flexible when it comes to dates. For example, businesses may not give their
employees strict deadlines; instead they trust that the work will be done in a
timely manner. Lebanese culture is polychronic. Its typical for Lebanese to
be doing multiple things at a time or socialize while working. Along the same
lines, people and relationships are more important than work, so it is not
uncommon for people to take calls or be late for meetings for social reasons
(Worldwide Business Briefings).
There is a lot of room for misunderstanding between a person of
Lebanese and United States culture, mostly stemming from differences in
time orientation and collectivist versus individualist orientations.
American and Lebanese meet in room, and extend for a handshake. After,
the Lebanese moves closer in to the American, while the American then
moves back to regain personal space.
American: Im eager to begin doing business with you. Your company is so
successful and does well despite the economy.
Lebanese: Yes, I would like to invite you over to my home. You should meet
my family and I am excited to learn about your wife and any children.
Touches shoulder of American.
American: American creates more space between himself and
Lebanese. Oh, why dont we go to a restaurant instead? Im sure there are
good ones around here where we can meet to talk of business.

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Lebanese: No, I insist you come over for a meal tomorrow and we speak of
family before we speak of business.
American: Well, okay, what time?
Lebanese: Tomorrow evening.
This would be an awkward transaction between a Lebanese and an
American. The first piece of miscommunication stems from nonverbal
communication. In Lebanon, people of the same gender tend to have less
personal space and will stand or sit closer together. In America, people value
their own personal bubble and only people they are close with can enter
their personal space. Lebanese people also will use platonic touch while
talking; where in America this is much less common (Centre for Intercultural
Learning). The next piece of misunderstanding comes from the American
trying to conduct business before creating a personal relationship. In
Lebanon, as a result of having a collectivistic culture, it is important to
establish personal ties before conducting business. This would make an
American uncomfortable, and being asked to come over to a business
partners house upon meeting would be unheard of, while this is common
place in Lebanese culture. Finally, in this conversation there is a difference in
time orientation that makes it difficult for an American to comprehend what
time he should arrive. Americans operate very monochromatically and have
a strict schedule, whereas Lebanese have polychronic time and specific
times are not emphasized (Worldwide Business Briefings).

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I would say that I am I typical of my culture in terms of communication.
I believe that I am an individual, and though I care about my family and
friends I would not say that I am a collectivist or that I grew up in a
collectivist culture. I have always believed that you should try to advance
yourself and not let people hold you back, which is a very American way of
thinking. In terms of power distance, I think I stand with most Americans
because I think that people who hold power are not greater than I am, but
instead just have a different job and I am capable of filling different power
roles if I wish. I will say that though the United States is masculine, I believe I
am slightly more feminine in the way that I interact with others as I am not
very competitive and I show a great deal of care for others. I believe that
change is good but I am apprehensive to it at first. I also believe indulgence
is okay because it is a way to reward yourself for the good you do. I would
say overall, I fit the American mold.
Having cultural patterns help within a culture to understand social
norms (Fine). Social norms allow people to feel accepted and it allows people
to know that they are communicating in a way that is understood. With
intercultural communication, a culture clash could occur, which can lead
people to feeling threatened, confused then possibly enhanced. People feel
enhanced once they grow to understand another culture and no long feel
barriers. Having intercultural interactions leads to a better-rounded society
that accepts differences in others and teaches new communication styles
(Johnson). Lebanese culture varies greatly from American culture, and while

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communication between the two cultures may not be flawless, by learning to
understand differences it is possible to have positive interactions from which
both parties can grow.

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Bibliography
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