[HPforGrownups] Re: Teenagers, sex and culture

[Michelle Apostolides]

No: HPFGUIDX 8304

 Anyways, my point is that, a  LOT more Americans, esp. teenagers, want
a European experience.
Just as I would like to experience America.

 I also dont like
> the whole "lets's write off american kids bc they dont know what
culture is"
No - that's not what I was saying. I was trying to say that the things
that happen - dating, marriage and the like happen in different ways and
at different times of life in lots of different communities, not just in
Europe and America. It definitely was not my intention to imply that
American children don't know what culture is. I myself don't know what
culture is ! All I know is that to say that a kiss means something
because in one part of the world, certain rites of passage happen at
perhaps an earlier stage doesn't necessarily mean it is so elsewhere. It
just seemed to me that all the discussion about the kiss was based on
the fact that in American society ( I've been trying to think of a
better word than culture all day and I think that's the right one )
young people seem to date and kisses may mean more at a younger age than
in the UK. But these characters and the writer are in the UK, therefore
the kiss can only be cosidered to be of minor significance at this
stage. My experience is that you can kiss a male friend on the cheek and
argue with them and for it not to mean anything at all in terms of
boyfriend/girlfriend things at that stage of adolescence. And that goes
for most people in this country ( UK ). And it just so happens that the
majority of contributions to the Kiss discussion are American.

   I think this is a common misconception Europeans have.  Just
travelling
> around the US there are different cultures, COMPLETELY different, just
like
> in Europe.

I mean, to Quote you "Even if they
> have been to the UK, it's usually not possible to understand any
culture
> unless you live in it for  some considerable period of time".  The
same
> applie for the US, too many people think visiting here for 3 weeks is
enough
> to get a basis for a whole nation, esp one as large as ours, where
there are
> AT LEAST 50 dif cultures among us.  I mean, Texas is SO different from
> Washington State, which is SO dif. from New York etc....I think too
many
> people think that they get a grip from our country based upon movies
<ebg>
One thing that living abroad taught me was that it is not possible to
really truly say you know another country and their people, any country
unless you spend a lot of time and assimilate yourself, mix and so
forth. That's how I know that it is possible - there is a chance - that
some - not all- might not be aware that things happen later as far as
serious dating goes for most UK teenagers.

I hope that clears up any misunderstandings.

Michelle