I enjoyed reading “Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication”written by LaRay M. Barna. In the text Barna said
“The Japanese, for example, have the reverse belief that they are distinctively different from the rest of the world”and “Expecting no similarities, they work hard to figure out the foreign stranger but do not expect foreigners to be able to understand them.”(「StumblingBlocks.pdf」. 19th Sept 2011. http://education.ucsb.edu/hudley/documents/StumblingBlocks.pdf.)
Her opinion is interesting because of objectivity. I want to talk about her statements as one of Japanese.
I think Japanese place us in people who live in the Galapagos. Japanese products, for example, such as mobile phone and toilet stool are said to be Galápagos Syndrome in Japanese domestic society. Galapagos has unique natural culture and it can be said to be distinctive. But I do not know Japanese are distinctively different from “THE REST OF THE WORLD”Each person and culture is original and unique in a different way. Anyway, I hope Japanese will not be like people who lived in Easter Island.
I think Japanese place us in people who live in the Galapagos. Japanese products, for example, such as mobile phone and toilet stool are said to be Galápagos Syndrome in Japanese domestic society. Galapagos has unique natural culture and it can be said to be distinctive. But I do not know Japanese are distinctively different from “THE REST OF THE WORLD”Each person and culture is original and unique in a different way. Anyway, I hope Japanese will not be like people who lived in Easter Island.
Nice Barna reaction! I think it is very important to explore that claim of Barna (and a common assumption) that Japan is distinct from the rest of world. One important thing to remember is that there are many types of Japanese people!
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