10/24/19; Week 6: Response to "Personal Space Differences"
Understanding how a space is defined culturally will help us regulate our interpersonal relationships, sometimes in a positive way and sometimes not so positive. Both humans and animals are territorial. We protect our space in many ways. Sometimes with gestures or annoying reactions.
This week Professor Ivers (BYUI) shares his knowledge about how spaces in certain cultures are strict. He mentions that for German culture personal space is sacred. The motto of a german is "We need living space"
"Edward Hall was one of the pioneers in the study of much spatial need and in early 1960 he coined the word "proximies", from "proximity" or nearness. This proximity differs according to each culture.
For instance, in Western, Northern European and Scandinavian the acceptable conversational distance is 46 cm. In America, the distance between two people who talk is 46-122 cm.
In the article "Personal Space Ownership" It mentions why people tend to hate riding in buses and trains. This reminds me of the time I lived in Chile and I had to take the subway to go to work. Every morning it was a challenge to be able to enter the subway, and endure the touches of some misfits. On one occasion, and I remember it very sadly, after receiving my salary for the month in cash, I had called my husband to tell him to have the children prepared so that together we could go to eat at our favorite restaurant. When I got off at the station to go to my house, I thought it would be a good idea to buy something for my children. At the time of paying the gifts to my children, I realized that I did not have my money !! The rest of the story has already remained in my memories.
Considering that there are differences in personal spaces according to each culture, I believe that protecting our living space is paramount, and we must learn and respect the spaces or territories of other cultures as well, before making a wrong judgment.
Understanding how a space is defined culturally will help us regulate our interpersonal relationships, sometimes in a positive way and sometimes not so positive. Both humans and animals are territorial. We protect our space in many ways. Sometimes with gestures or annoying reactions.
This week Professor Ivers (BYUI) shares his knowledge about how spaces in certain cultures are strict. He mentions that for German culture personal space is sacred. The motto of a german is "We need living space"
"Edward Hall was one of the pioneers in the study of much spatial need and in early 1960 he coined the word "proximies", from "proximity" or nearness. This proximity differs according to each culture.
For instance, in Western, Northern European and Scandinavian the acceptable conversational distance is 46 cm. In America, the distance between two people who talk is 46-122 cm.
In the article "Personal Space Ownership" It mentions why people tend to hate riding in buses and trains. This reminds me of the time I lived in Chile and I had to take the subway to go to work. Every morning it was a challenge to be able to enter the subway, and endure the touches of some misfits. On one occasion, and I remember it very sadly, after receiving my salary for the month in cash, I had called my husband to tell him to have the children prepared so that together we could go to eat at our favorite restaurant. When I got off at the station to go to my house, I thought it would be a good idea to buy something for my children. At the time of paying the gifts to my children, I realized that I did not have my money !! The rest of the story has already remained in my memories.
Considering that there are differences in personal spaces according to each culture, I believe that protecting our living space is paramount, and we must learn and respect the spaces or territories of other cultures as well, before making a wrong judgment.
Hi Sandy, thank you for sharing this sad memory that illustrated the issue well. I do believe that we must learn and respect the spaces of other cultures.
ReplyDelete