Posted by JenStar on July 24, 2004, at 13:36:01
In reply to Re: regional language » AuntieMel, posted by Dinah on July 23, 2004, at 21:18:26
I agree with you whole-heartedly. Different cultures have HUGE differences in interaction, and it's easy to get offended if you don't recongize the differences.At work we used to spend much time working with people from Israel (phone conferences, bus. trips.) The company offered an internal class called 'working with Israelis' because the style of confrontation and argument there was different from US-style. US workers tended to get offended easily because the Israeli workers would ask very pointed questions, offer pointed advice, and get 'right down to brass tacks' without wasting time on pleasantries and w/ot couching their suggestions in flowery language or the common "it's just my opinion but" and "I don't know if you'll like this but," stuff.
Of course we all got along fine once we learned to work with each other (it was esp. hard for "newhires" just out of college, b/c they didn't have a lot of experience working with different people & cultures in general.)
On a smaller level, I agree that there are cultural diff. w/in the US in different parts of the country. Sometimes it's hard to get used to the brisk no-nonsense attitude of the east coast when you're used to the laid-back west coast.
Your email reminds me to stay open-minded and not to assume the worst about people -- reminds me to think of cultural & locational differences!
thanks!
JenStar
> I actually have a theory that a lot of misunderstandings have a cultural basis. I suspect some people think I'm hypocritical, and I wonder how much of that is a regional thing. I'm just Southern.
>
> And I've had a couple of mental health professionals that I found unbelievably abrasive. Both happened to be from the Northeast, while my beloved therapist is even more Southern than I am, and tends to be even more indirect in his style of speaking.
>
> I hate to generalize, because I don't think you can apply stereotypes to everyone in a region. But I do wonder if there aren't some cultural norms down here that can be misconstrued elsewhere.
poster:JenStar
thread:369475
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040723/msgs/369984.html