SDSU Codes of Cultural Behavior for Tourists Visiting Qatar List Paper

1. Each student will represent a single country from one of the following areas (one area per student):

1. Central America, Caribbean, or South America
2. Africa
3. Middle East
4. Southern or Eastern Europe
5. Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand)
6. East or South Asia

(*Please verify that you have chosen the appropriate country by going to the following link for United Nations Country Listings: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/)

2. Each student will provide a list of ‘Do’s and Don’t’s’ (Codes of Cultural Behavior) for tourists visiting his/her representative/host country, including: (20 points)

1. Five major cultural ‘Do’s’ for tourists (10 points)
2. Five major cultural ‘Don’ts’ for tourists (10 points)

3. Each student will provide APA-style citations within the text whenever applicable and compile a list of APA-style references (reference page) for all resources used in his/her write-up (1 point)

4. On the ‘Making Acquaintances: Do’s and Don’t’s’ discussion board, each student will post his/her list of ‘Do’s and Don’t’s’ for the representative country in a single thread, for others in the class to read. If a student does not post the thread by the thread due date, then he/she is not eligible for the 20 points.

5. Each student is required to read the submission of one other student and respond to his/her posting by the response due date. Students’ responses to the postings should consist of complete sentences. If a student does not respond by the due date, then he/she is not eligible for the 4 points. In the posting, each student is required to identify the following: (4 points)

1. One potential positive cultural interaction between his/her country and the other country (2 points)
2. One potential negative cultural interaction between his/her country and the other country (2 points)

NOTE: If the write-up is not based on a country specified in Item 1, the student will receive zero points for this assignment. Each student is required to save his/her work electronically for future use, as this section will be used to build-upon upcoming assignments.

I chose Qatar (located in the middle east)

I will provide a sample below

I will also provide a student post in order for you to respond to following the directions in number5 (5. Each student is required to read the submission of one other student and respond to his/her posting by the response due date. Students’ responses to the postings should consist of complete sentences. If a student does not respond by the due date, then he/she is not eligible for the 4 points. In the posting, each student is required to identify the following: (4 points)

1. One potential positive cultural interaction between his/her country and the other country (2 points)
2. One potential negative cultural interaction between his/her country and the other country (2 points)

respond to this Students post

Country: United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.); Area: Middle East

Five Major Cultural Do’s for Tourists:

1. Dress conservatively; as a sign of respect for the culture, tourists are instructed to wear clothes that cover your arms and legs/knees. It is especially important to dress modestly if you are going to be inside a mosque. (Earl, 2020)
2. Keep UAE currency (dirham) with you when shopping at markets/small shops. Otherwise, credit/debit cards are accepted virtually all over the country. (Earl, 2020)
3. Stand up when you are meeting/greeting new, elderly, or high-status people for the first time. This is customary in UAE, as is men standing up whenever a woman walks into a room. (Cherian, 2019)
4. Use your right hand when you are accepting food & drinks from someone. In addition, it is recommended that you only use your right hand when you are eating. This is a part of Islamic law and using your left hand could be offensive. (Cherian, 2019)
5. Be respectful and mindful of the religious customs and practices of the local people in UAE. This is especially important to be mindful of if you are travelling there during the month of Ramadan, so be aware of certain rules that apply during that month. (Cherian, 2019)

Five Major Cultural Don’ts for Tourists:

1. Do not be under the influence of alcohol in public spaces; it is illegal, and tourists being arrested for public intoxication is fairly common. Only consume alcohol and behave drunk in private, like inside your hotel room. (Earl, 2020)
2. Do not show public displays of affection (PDA); it is illegal to do much beyond handholding for all people. In addition, homosexuality is strictly illegal so travelling here as a member of the LGBTQ+ community isn’t necessarily safe. If you are a gay couple that visits UAE, it’s recommended you reserve a hotel room that has two beds. (Earl, 2020)
3. Do not use or carry any type of illegal drugs: the UAE has extremely strict anti-drug laws and very thorough searches are conducted at the airport upon arrival in the country so checking your prescriptions beforehand is important. (Earl, 2020)
4. Do not show any sign of disrespect or offense to UAE’s culture, leaders, or religion through your behavior, gestures, or clothing. Violating this could end up in serious legal situations, including being arrested. (Cherian, 2019)
5. Do not point your finger at or beckon anyone with your finger; it is more customary to use your entire hand if you are gesturing or calling someone over. (Cherian, 2019)

Reference Page

Cherian, D. (2019, October 4). Do’s and don’ts for Dubai visitors, residents. How-to – Gulf News. https://gulfnews.com/how-to/dos-and-donts-for-dubai-visitors-residents-1.1248905.

Earl, A.-M. (2020, January 31). UAE Culture & Travel Tips: Dos & Donts for Visitors: Marriott TRAVELER. https://traveler.marriott.com/tips-and-trends/10-things-to-know-about-the-united-arab-emirates-before-you-go/