After walking down American streets a countless number of times without once having my smile acknowledged, I can’t help but wonder what hardens locals against strangers. Is it the fear of the unknown, or something deeper? More specifically, are people too lazy to acknowledge others? Could it be that smiling at a stranger on the street, waving to a vagrant, or even brushing against someone else affects a person negatively because it acknolwdges the other’s existence? Are we so selfish that we prefer to exist in our tiny bubbles, believing that at least in our worlds, we’re the most important?
Clearly these, among other questions, will be difficult to answer, but exciting to explore. In Berlin, I seek to answer these questions: What cultural differences cause the issue of personal space to be different in America vs. Germany? How do citizens of each react to invasion of this space? Is the difference really that perceptible, or are people generally the same?
To answer these from a scientific and objective perspective, I have conducted research here, including observing and interacting with others, which I have recorded in a research journal. Upon arrival in Berlin, I plan to compare my results in order to come upon an accurate or at least logical conclusion. Yes, I may discover that human inter-action isn’t logical, but to me, that is an extremely significant discovery. Perhaps I will find that humans are too different to be sloughed into little masses of culture, and because of their uniqueness can not be classified. More interestingly, I may find that intrinsically, we are all the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment