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11 Interacting with Strangers

One Step Further ACTIVITIES

Here are some more responses from the Ibunka Survey RQ WKH WRSLF RI LQWURGXFLQJ RQHVHOI :H FDQ VHH WKDW most responses fall into 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: Interaction with strangers, and in another color the parts that show Cultural Pattern B: Ignoring strangers. You can work and discuss this in pairs or small groups.

.S YMJ : 0 NY NX fairly common, and you might even say it’s a social expectation to FHPST\QJILJ TYMJWX 9MNX HFS GJ ITSJ \NYM F XRNQJ F STI TW J[JS G^ XF^NSL MJQQT \MJS you enter an elevator, or if you OTNS F VZJZJ and you make eye contact with someone .S supermarkets or shops, it is very common for the checkout assistant to start talking to you and it rarely feels contrived 9MNX NX XTRJYMNSL . XTRJYNRJX RNXX FGTZY YMJ :0 In Japan, I have found that a lot of people avoid both eye contact and small talk, unless you're XTRJ\MJWJ \MJWJ FQHTMTQ NX GJNSL XJW[JI %ULWLVK PDOH WUDQVODWRU OLYHV LQ -DSDQ 1 Usually, I would not address people . INISY PST\ TS YMJ XYWJJY 8T I wouldn't mind not talking to someone even if we were in the same space for a longish FRTZSY TK YNRJ 'ZY NK 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 .K I am in a good mood and the person looks receptive, I would probably make a brief general HTRRJSY TS YMJ \F^ ZU 9MFY NX VZNYJ F QTSL YNRJ YT GJ NS YMJ XFRJ XUFHJ FX XTRJTSJ FSI not acknowledge YMJR . RNLMY FY QJFXY XRNQJ TW RFPJ GWNJK J^J HTSYFHY YT XF^ ^JX MJWJ \J FWJ ^TZ FSI RJ \J FWJ NS YMJ XFRJ XUFHJ LTNSL YT YMJ XFRJ UQFHJ $PHULFDQ PDOH IUHHODQFH MRXUQDOLVW KDV OLYHG LQ -DSDQ 3

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