Cultural Differences

We see differences in cultural expectations when traveling quite often. I once heard Martha Nussbaum say that Americans wander through the world as if they already knew all about it. They are blind to the hopes, needs, and desires of others. My observation is that Americans tend to be friendly, outgoing, and, on the surface, polite. But there is a tendency to temporarily claim ownership over various pieces of public property. Often not meaning to be so, the effect is rude. There is a tendency for Americans, particularly young Americans, to drape their feet over the arms of chairs, put their feet upon couches, and to take up as much room in public spaces as they wish. It is difficult for them to fathom that others would prefer not to sit in seats with the residuals of their shoes on their nice, clean clothes. I have observed Americans as incredulous that anyone would suggest seats, and adjacent seats, be treated as public space. As far as some are concerned, sitting in the seat renders it their property for the duration of their stay.

It would be unfair to think only young people engage in such behavior. Sitting at breakfast, in Belfast, I shared the dining area with a group of American students who greeted their Irish guide, one by one, with a cheerful, “Good morning Shane!” As with many university trips, there were some adults in the group as well. Shane was seated at the common table with me, drinking a cup of tea and checking his messages before the day’s activities. A middle-aged man from the group walked up to Shane and pulled his metal tea infuser from his tea cup and asked, “Why do you have a paperclip in your cup?” Obviously, he thought this was funny, but it was overly familiar. Shane was more polite and good-humored about the situation than I would have been; he patiently explained that he liked a special type of tea, but he was cut off by the man who began inquiring about the itinerary for the day. Within a few minutes the same man pulled out a chair and joined a group of students, but completely blocked in people on my side of the common table. When I went to get a refill of coffee, his wife called his attention to his inconvenience and he looked at me and said that I could squeeze through.

Kalervo Oberg described culture shock as what happens when you travel and find that things are not as you expect. Perhaps I just think people should be on their best behavior when traveling and am surprised when they are not.