Personal space

[Bummle]

Are there cultural differences in the amount of space we keep between ourselves? Do you know if any studies have been done on this?

[rowanwitch]

yes there are. to both questions ..if you use google scolar rather than just google you should get a number of decent journal references...

[beso]

Absolutely. I knew someone who was waiting to use a public phone in India. Someone walked up and stood right behind the person using it in a position that any western person would consider rude and intrusive which he thought was quite odd.

Then another and another did the same and the penny dropped. The queue is very closely spaced.

In Australia we tend to keep a long way apart. It is a big country, we have big houses and keep plenty of room around us.

[Bummle]

Thank you both for you very helpful answers

[237SJ]

Hasidic Jews give menstruating women a wide berth although that`s more religious that cultural.

[Bummle]

still interesting 237 SJ

[B00]

How do they know they're menstruating?

[237SJ]

They don`t so they tend to avoid sitting next to women they don`t know just in case they`re menstruating.

[ummmm]

But if you live in the same household I suppose the mood swings and big pants are a give away..!

[237SJ]

Yes, and the flying bagels.

[Khandro]

It's only one of a whole catalogue of things they avoid; I find them tiresome and try to avoid THEM.

[237SJ]

Doesn`t bother me. Each to their own. I was in Tel Aviv last week and had a great time.

[Hopkirk]

I remember hearing that Arabs tend to stand closer to the person they are talking to than Europeans.

This means that at a business exhibition or similar you will see an Arab and a European in conversation moving around the floor, as the Euro backs away and the Arab moves closer again.

[Khandro]

Halitosis has the same effect.

[boxtops]

Yes definitely, in the same way that certain cultures feel it's disrespectful to look you straight in the eye - to us, where eye contact is important, that looks shifty.
There is some much about cultural differences in the way we conduct ourselves, and so easy if we don't know them, to get the wrong end of the stick about the way someone is behaving. Don't show certain cultures the soles of your shoes - others find shaking hands or kissing either acceptable for both sexes, or not at all. Very easy to make a faux pas if one is not aware!