Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, family is considered sacred. Your student might be accustomed to protecting his or her family’s privacy and might initially be uncomfortable sharing too much about them.

Men’s and women’s roles are much more traditional than those in the United States. Typically, the women are most often responsible for household duties, while men are more commonly the breadwinners. These roles tend to be less traditionally defined in the cities.

Honor is of very high importance in Afghan culture. Honor determines an Afghan person’s reputation and worth. For this reason, what shames honor is a more delicate manner than in the United States. To honor their guests, Afghans share their family’s very best when hosting.

One aspect of Afghan culture that has been maintained for centuries is an appreciation for poetry. In the city of Herat, Afghans gather weekly to share both old and new poetry with one another.

Afghanistan’s national game is called Buzkashi, or goat-grabbing. Two teams try to catch a goat while riding horses.