Tuesday, October 9, 2007
I have always been fascinated by the variation of social norms and practices across cultures. Take, for instance, the concept of "personal space." I'm rather protective of mine, as are many people, but I remember a display at the Indianapolis Children's Museum that showed how close people from around the world stand when they talk. And right now, I am sitting on the train next to someone who apparently has no concern for personal space whatsoever. No idea if nationality has anything to do with it. I'm squashed up against the window, and I'm struck by how uncomfortable I am. And not just by trying to fit myself in a third of the seat so I don't have to touch a stranger. Most of the time, people go out of their way to keep their distance. Anyway, this is no big deal, just something I find interesting.
4 comments:
Hope you got some rest over the weekend. I keep going to bed too late and 6:30 comes around whether I like it or not. And Zoe just doesn't get the concept of sleeping in. Or maybe after 12 hours, its just a bit much to ask. =)
Thats actually something I was thinking about last weekend at work. While at REI I was greeting at the door and many people seemed inclined to ask questions from a distance of not more than 15 inches from me (some even leaned in as if it was a secret question). Normally I feel as though there should be about 2 to 2.5 ft. Needless to say I thought they were encroaching on some personal space, but I guess i am supposed to greet them...
Trisha: yes, I did manage to get some sleep this weekend. It's too bad that kids don't realize how great it is that they get to sleep 12 hours at a time! A friend of mine was telling me that one of the biggest adjustments to parenthood for her was not getting to decide when and how long she gets to sleep!
Steve--I agree about the 2-foot thing. Unless it's crowded, there's no reason to be that close. Then again, maybe REI customers have their own cultural standards. :) The person who was invading my space this morning was from a very densely-populated country and probably didn't think anything of it.
Here's an interesting, if not overly detailed, article about this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_space
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