10/19/2021; Week 6: Response to "Differences in Cultural Expressivity"

     It was wonderful to watch yet another one of Brother Iver's lectures, this one on "Cultural Expressivity". Cultural expressivity is a measure of how much members of a culture outwardly express their emotions in public. This varies vastly across cultures throughout the world, but it can also vary by region within one particular country. This not only affects how members of different countries, regions, cities, and smaller municipalities relate to one another, but it can even affect how spouses who were raised in different regions understand one another. 

     Here in Mexico where I live, people are much more expressive of their emotions than many who grew up in the United States. One thing I often notice myself doing is starting a WhatsApp message something like this: "Hey, Rafael, were able to find the adapter we need for the slide show?" However, after reading it, I realize that it's all wrong and I have to erase it and start over, writing something like this: "Hey, Rafael! How are you? How is your family? Did you guys have a good time at the Noche Mexicana last night?" It is only after a few exchanges of pleasantries that I can write the true purpose of my exchange. I believe that when I send messages the first way, I come across as rude and abrupt. This is the last thing I want to do, so I try very hard to interact with the appropriate level of cultural expressivity for my region in Mexico. 

     That being said, cultural expressivity can be very different even within countries, as stated before. Here in the northern Chihuahua region, when you pass someone walking down the street, it is polite and common to say good morning or good afternoon. However, when I walk the streets of Mazatlán in Sinaloa much further south of where we are, most people do not greet other passersby, and if I do greet someone, I am met with a short response or none at all. 

     Again, fascinating topic of study!  

Comments

  1. New BloggerOctober 20, 2021 at 6:28 PM

    you have a great cultural experience. People in Mexico likes to be greeted first and then you can ask anything.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 21, 2021 at 7:42 PM

    I agree with you Jen, every country has they different way of expressing themselves, and even in the same country you can find hundreds of differences of expressing themselves. I also like you, don't want to be rude, so I try very hard to be polite according to the ways of the people I am talking to.

    ReplyDelete

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