[HPFGU-OTChatter] Cross-cultural issues

[Aberforth's Goat]

Tabouli wrote,

> ...was just so close to home I thought I should Reveal All (or some, at
least).  I am, by career, a cross-cultural psychologist/trainer, and spend a
lot of my life prancing around talking about cultural differences, just like
I do on this list!  (by calling I'm a writer, but that's another story...).
One reason why I didn't mention this earlier is because I didn't want to
colour people's readings of my cultural comments, or pick me up on any
inaccuracies or dubious content on the subject on the grounds that I should
know more/better, etc., but I suppose I'll risk it, eh?

That was a fascinating read. I've spent most of my life careening from one
"Western" culture to another, including Midwest US, communist Hungarian, 80s
British, 80s Sicilian, 90s Amsterdam (which most definitely *isn't* part of
Holland), and contemporary Switzerland.

But I do think I see two justifiable generalizations: (1) "Western" cultures
are still closer to each other than they are to, say, Kenyan tribal culture
X or even Tokyo youth. We really do share a huge amount of common ground.
(2) The US is more homogenous than European cultures, where you can have a
different dialect on each hill.

Not that I'm trying to prove anbything--I'm just interested in the topic.
And thanks for telling!

Baaaaaa!

Aberforth's Goat (a.k.a. Mike Gray)
_______________________

"Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been
bravery...."