- The degree of prosperity as illustrated by economic indicators can reveal much about a country's culture. For instance, third-world nations with a very low gross domestic product (GDP) are typically agrarian and more traditional than modern, technologically-developed countries. A list of exports indicates how many citizens spend their time, be it in a factory or rooted to the land. A steady, but high, unemployment rate could indicate the acceptance of stay-at-home women and reliance on government assistance. High infant mortality rates indicate a society with limited health care services and a propensity to rely on local midwives.
- Assessing a group's religion is one way to understand cultural activities, including meals, everyday customs, holidays, laws, rituals and attire. For example, Arab countries with strong tenets of Islam promote women wearing burqas and fasting during Ramadan. Hindus do not eat beef because of the belief that the cow is sacred. Though all religious citizens may not follow a religious creed to the letter, understanding the religion is one way to comprehend the formation of beliefs, which may be formed at a subconscious, collective level. For instance, in the United States, Judeo-Christian values shape the Constitution and the belief that men are created equal and have free will. Thus, even an American atheist may be influenced by religious ideals that shaped his country long before his birth.
- The business structure determines many facets of a society's culture. According to anthropologist professor Geert Hofstede, his outlined cultural dimensions of individualism vs. collectivism and masculinity vs. femininity are present in everyday business negotiations. For example, high-ranking collectivist societies such as Japan, Denmark and Singapore often view business deals from the attitude of how they benefit the group instead of just the corporation or individual. Similarly, countries that embody traditionally masculine traits may be hyper-competitive and assertive in business.
- What a group eats indicates level of health, access to crops, bounty from other countries and rituals related to nature. Sometimes, cultures change due to the influence of other nations. The National Institutes of Health explains how the obesity rate among Pima Indians skyrocketed due to the Western influence of lard, sugar and white flour after World War IKI. On the other hand, Pima Indians located in the remote regions of Mexico had significantly lower rates of diabetes due to the maintenance of their traditional diet.
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