ibunka TB_U11

11 Interacting with Strangers

One Step Further ACTIVITIES

Here are some more responses from the Ibunka Survey on the topic of interacting with strangers. Let’s examine them for underlying cultural trends. We can see that the language in many responses hints at two basic patterns.

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LOOKING FOR PATTERNS

CULTURAL PATTERN A: Interact with strangers ΖQ VRPH FXOWXUHV ZKHQ SHRSOH ȴQG WKHPVHOYHV ZLWK VWUDQJHUV LQ D SXEOLF VSDFH WKH\ WHQG WR VPLOH DQG PDNH VPDOO WDON WR IHHO PRUH FRPIRUWDEOH 7KLV XVXDOO\ IHHOV TXLWH ȊIULHQGO\ȋ HVSHFLDOO\ WR SHRSOH ZKR DUH QRW IDPLOLDU ZLWK WKDW FXOWXUH +RZHYHU VLPSO\ VPLOLQJ RU FKDWWLQJ ZLWK VRPHRQH GRHV QRW PHDQ WKDW D UHODWLRQVKLS KDV VWDUWHG

CULTURAL PATTERN B: Ignore strangers ΖQ RWKHU FXOWXUHV ZKHQ SHRSOH ȴQG WKHPVHOYHV ZLWK VWUDQJHUV LQ D SXEOLF VSDFH WKH\ WHQG WR LJQRUH WKHP QR VPLOH QR VPDOO WDON ΖQ WKLV ZD\ HYHU\RQH IHHOV PRUH FRPIRUWDEOH 3HRSOH GRQȇW FRPPXQLFDWH ZLWK VWUDQJHUV ZKHQ WKHUH LV QR VSHFLȴF UHDVRQ EHFDXVH IRU WKHP FRPPXQLFDWLRQ PHDQV WKH ȴUVW VWHS WRZDUGV D UHODWLRQVKLS 7KLV FDQ IHHO ȊFROGȋ WR SHRSOH ZKR DUH QRW IDPLOLDU ZLWK WKDW FXOWXUH

Read through the Ibunka Survey responses below. Highlight in one color the words and phrases that hint at Cultural Pattern A: Interact with strangers DQG LQ DQRWKHU FRORU WKH SDUWV WKDW UHȵHFW Cultural Pattern B: Ignore strangers. You can work and discuss this in pairs or small groups.

In the U.K, it is fairly common to acknowledge others, and you might even say it’s a social expectation. This can be done with a smile, a nod, or even by saying hello when you enter an elevator, or if you join a queue and you make eye contact with someone. In supermarkets or shops, it is very common for the checkout assistant to start talking to you and it rarely feels contrived. This is something I sometimes miss about the UK. In Japan, I have found that a lot of people avoid both eye contact and small talk, unless you're somewhere where alcohol is being served. %ULWLVK PDOH WUDQVODWRU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 1 Usually, on the street I would not address people I didn't know. So I wouldn't mind not talking to someone even if we were in the same space for a longish amount of time. But if XTRJTSJ FIIWJXXJI RJ ƳWXY YMJS . \TZQI WJUQ^ YT YMJR PNSIQ^ %HOJLDQ IHPDOH UHVHDUFKHU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 2 Let’s say .ƍR NS FS JQJ[FYTW \NYM F XYWFSLJW FSI \JƍWJ GTYM MJFIJI YT YMJ YM ƴTTW If I am in a good mood and the person looks receptive, I would probably make a brief general comment on the way up. That is quite a long time to be in the same space as someone and not acknowledge them. I might at least smile or make brief eye contact to say, "yes, here we are, you and me, we are in the same space going to the same place." $PHULFDQ PDOH IUHHODQFH MRXUQDOLVW KDV OLYHG LQ -DSDQ 3

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4 When I meet complete strangers, I am rather neutral, but I smile and say a greeting when I meet a familiar face in my neighborhood or at work, even if I don't know the person. )UHQFK IHPDOH WHDFKHU DUWLVW OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 4

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