Personal Space

23 October 2020

Week: 06 Personal Space Differences

In America, we have this thing called personal space. I think of it as an imaginary bubble that we don’t want people to invade unless we know they and have given them permission. This is not the case for all cultures though. Many other cultures are very close and are not use to having personal space. In the video below you can see how people in Japan are without personal space when riding the train.

Could you imagine being pushed onto a train so that everyone could fit?

Other cultural differences can be seen when talking about personal belongings as well. Americans are very possessive when talking about what belongs to them. Brother Ives, a BYUI professor, talks about how Americans think of their belongings as an extension of themselves. This is not normal for all cultures. Some cultures are very giving and can barrow whatever is around. This is like a “what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine” mentality.

When discussion differences in cultures before someone is to visit or move. It is important to understand this concept. If this is not understood some people could be accused of stealing or weird for invading their personal bubble. If taught correctly this cultural difference can help these new comers to ask before they use others belongs and be seen as a polite person. I also believe that by more people understanding that each culture has different personal space ideas we can be less judgmental of others and talk things out that seem different.