Cultural Differences

[James]

Sorry for making you look at Jimmy Wales again

JESUS CHRIST I KNOW RIGHT

[jvcc]

I was wondering if anyone here is informed about Japanese culture, because I have a question regarding the little boxes with people's reactions that they put in the upper corner of the screen during many of the Japanese tv shows that I've seen. I read a study a while back, which unfortunately I cannot now find, which stated that when "Western" and "Eastern" individuals were shown a picture of a person standing in a group and asked to identify how that person was feeling, people from Western culture looked at the person in question, while individuals from Eastern culture looked at the people in the background as well. So I was wondering if those look reaction boxes (I don't know what the official term for them is, if there is one) are indicative of a culture that places emphasis on the importance of observing others in order to evaluate information. I can say for certain that Western culture, or at least American culture, values independence.

[Binkatron5000]

I was wondering if anyone here is informed about Japanese culture, because I have a question regarding the little boxes with people's reactions that they put in the upper corner of the screen during many of the Japanese tv shows that I've seen. I read a study a while back, which unfortunately I cannot now find, which stated that when "Western" and "Eastern" individuals were shown a picture of a person standing in a group and asked to identify how that person was feeling, people from Western culture looked at the person in question, while individuals from Eastern culture looked at the people in the background as well. So I was wondering if those look reaction boxes (I don't know what the official term for them is, if there is one) are indicative of a culture that places emphasis on the importance of observing others in order to evaluate information. I can say for certain that Western culture, or at least American culture, values independence.

I don't know much about Japanese culture per se, but I do know that there are differences in how people from East Asian cultures fixate on a scene as compared to North Americans.

In a vein along what you were observing, Easterners tend to focus more on the context, and Westerners are faster to focus on an individual focal object. Here's a link to a study that talks about this in terms of Chinese culture

And, even more relevant, here's a PDF of another study that examined eye gaze of Japanese vs Americans when determining facial expressions in others. You'll find a lot of good coverage of this topic in the introduction!!!


EDIT: so yes, I would wager that those looky-boxy-thingies most definitely arise out of Japan's cultural importance of taking in context

[jvcc]

I was wondering if anyone here is informed about Japanese culture, because I have a question regarding the little boxes with people's reactions that they put in the upper corner of the screen during many of the Japanese tv shows that I've seen. I read a study a while back, which unfortunately I cannot now find, which stated that when "Western" and "Eastern" individuals were shown a picture of a person standing in a group and asked to identify how that person was feeling, people from Western culture looked at the person in question, while individuals from Eastern culture looked at the people in the background as well. So I was wondering if those look reaction boxes (I don't know what the official term for them is, if there is one) are indicative of a culture that places emphasis on the importance of observing others in order to evaluate information. I can say for certain that Western culture, or at least American culture, values independence.

I don't know much about Japanese culture per se, but I do know that there are differences in how people from East Asian cultures fixate on a scene as compared to North Americans.

In a vein along what you were observing, Easterners tend to focus more on the context, and Westerners are faster to focus on an individual focal object. Here's a link to a study that talks about this in terms of Chinese culture

And, even more relevant, here's a PDF of another study that examined eye gaze of Japanese vs Americans when determining facial expressions in others. You'll find a lot of good coverage of this topic in the introduction!!!


EDIT: so yes, I would wager that those looky-boxy-thingies most definitely arise out of Japan's cultural importance of taking in context

Whoa, that was perfect, Bink! You're like a research-finding machine. That second study is most definitely the basis for the article I read.

[Nyperold]

I don't know about live action, but one thing that happens in anime (at least in my limited experience*) is that the background changes fairly dramatically to reflect dramatic emotions. So you've got things like the dark blue background with the descending vertical squiggly black lines for some emotional states, and so on.

*Azumanga Daioh, Hidamari Sketch, and Lucky Star

[Binkatron5000]

Whoa, that was perfect, Bink! You're like a research-finding machine.

0100000101000110010001100100100101010010010011010100000101010100010010010101011001000101
(It's what I do all day anyways )

I don't know about live action, but one thing that happens in anime (at least in my limited experience*) is that the background changes fairly dramatically to reflect dramatic emotions. So you've got things like the dark blue background with the descending vertical squiggly black lines for some emotional states, and so on.

*Azumanga Daioh, Hidamari Sketch, and Lucky Star

Good point! I find this sort of thing interesting. It is tangentially related to my area of research, and by tangentially I mean not really at all, unless you think of it very very vaguely like "individual differences in emotion ability" and disregard brains and all that other stuff.

DISREGARD BRAINS, ACQUIRE CURRENCY? Am I doing it right?

[jvcc]

1. DISREGARD BRAINS
2. ???
3. ACQUIRE CURRENCY

[James]

I have nothing to add, but that is pretty interesting.

It does make me think about how such fundamental differences arise (something I often ponder regarding language). Will we ever again have the kind of relative cultural isolation that allows for such fascinating idiosyncrasies to develop, or will the chart of human history end up as one big divergence followed by one big convergence? Not that I don't appreciate the benefits of the convergence. I just wonder whether we've turned a corner of some sort.

[jvcc]

QUESTION FOR THE BRITISH: Does anyone have a decided opinion on Will Self the author? I've seen him on Have I Got News for You a few times and don't know what to think about him. I'm wondering if his books are good and if his smugness belies genuine intellect or just assholery, that sort of thing; how he's regarded.

I didn't mean to ask specifically about him as I often wonder about new faces that wander onto the panel show circuit, but I can't think of any others now. Oh, wait! yes, I can. Brian Blessed and Bruce Forsyth. They're both very over the top and I can't tell if it's because they've earned the right to be through having successful and noteworthy careers or something else.

More details as they occur to me.

[James]

I'm also in the not-too-sure-what-to-make-of-Will-Self camp. He's certainly an intelligent guy, but I'm not sure whether he's intelligent enough to warrant his dismissive and sometimes arrogant demeanour. Initially I found the certainty of his proclamations intimidating, then I heard a review of a book of his that undermined that somewhat, and now all I'm really decided on is my ignorance. The problem is that regardless of how clever he actually is, he's certainly much cleverer than me, so it's difficult to properly judge him. I haven't read any of his books, of course.

Brian Blessed and Bruce Forsyth, on the other hand, are generally well-liked personalities who have been around forever, and whose boisterous and flamboyant behaviour is consistent with their respective histories in theatre and show business. I don't have any strong feelings regarding Forsyth, but there is something quite comforting about Blessed's booming voice and magnificent beard.

[jvcc]

I initially read your first sentence as "I am also camp."

I liked Blessed when he hosted Have I Got News for You (or HIGNFY, for the sake of convenience), but found Forsyth's hosting stint unmemorable.

Who else is there? Oh, Rolf Harris. I know he's Australian, but he seems to be famous in Britain. All I really know of him is this.

[James]

Have I Got News for You (or HIGNFY, for the sake of convenience)

The irony.

For me, Rolf Harris is mainly this and this (which had so much sax in the theme tune), and a little bit for this.

And you're right: although Australian by birth, he's lived in England for most of his life. I think I read somewhere that he's a British citizen, but I didn't immediately see anything about that on his Wikipedia page just now, so perhaps I'm inventing memories.

[MysticalDescent]

What James said, except I don't really know anything about Will Self. Bruce Forsyth is, I think, a bit before my time for me to really 'get' him as a host, but he gets brownie points for appearing in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I think he really made his name by hosting a myriad of TV gameshows, when such things were apparently all the rage. Fun fact: he was one of the very few acts to be booed off the stage at Jollies club in Stoke.

[chrismachine]

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Awesome

[James]

Bruce Forsyth is, I think, a bit before my time for me to really 'get' him as a host, but he gets brownie points for appearing in Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Wait, what? I guess I need to see that film again.

Anyway, I'd say he's mainly famous for his catchphrase.

[jvcc]

He plays the character Swinburne, apparently; not Algernon Charles, just some general, thuggish Swinburne.

[James]

Funny, I just spent the last fifteen minutes looking through the same series of YouTube videos for some footage to find pretty much the same bit.

It's been so long since I've seen that film. All I really remember is the football match and the invasion bit at the end.

[jvcc]

I remember that I loved it. Let's see, what else? Two children meet Angela Lansbury; she makes the bed fly; some guy goes with them; they have an important book; there's a song about Portobello Road, the street where the riches of ages are sold; they enter Disney's Robin Hood and play soccer/football; they go to a castle and the suits of armor come to life; then everything ends happily ever after.

[chrismachine]

Also, lots of magic knob use. Anyway I love that film. Showed it to my students on the way to a winter outdoor ed camp last year and most had never even heard of it before.

[ntw3001]

I remember that I loved it. Let's see, what else? Two children meet Angela Lansbury; she makes the bed fly; some guy goes with them; they have an important book; there's a song about Portobello Road, the street where the riches of ages are sold; they enter Disney's Robin Hood and play soccer/football; they go to a castle and the suits of armor come to life; then everything ends happily ever after.

You got me beat. My memories are 'flying bed, PORTOBELLO ROOOOAD, man from Mary Poppins'.

[James]

I remember that I loved it. Let's see, what else? Two children meet Angela Lansbury; she makes the bed fly; some guy goes with them; they have an important book; there's a song about Portobello Road, the street where the riches of ages are sold; they enter Disney's Robin Hood and play soccer/football; they go to a castle and the suits of armor come to life; then everything ends happily ever after.

That's not fair. You were a child much more recently than me. Also, my memory is terrible.

[jvcc]

I remember that I loved it. Let's see, what else? Two children meet Angela Lansbury; she makes the bed fly; some guy goes with them; they have an important book; there's a song about Portobello Road, the street where the riches of ages are sold; they enter Disney's Robin Hood and play soccer/football; they go to a castle and the suits of armor come to life; then everything ends happily ever after.

That's not fair. You were a child much more recently than me. Also, my memory is terrible.

I don't think of you as being that much older than me. But I will admit that I do remember movies and other trivial things really well.

[James]

Do not be fooled by youthful exuberance and boyish good looks: I'm rapidly approaching thirty, and therefore no longer of any use to the species. Granted, I live the life of a worthless student, but, despite my fiercest wishes, doing so isn't actually postponing my eventual death at all.

JEEZ GUYS, KEEP IT LIGHT.

[MysticalDescent]

Let me think.

Evacuee kids waiting to be picked up, woman pops up in motorbike that fires yellow smoke out the back of it, children go back to her house in the country and talk in comical 'Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins' accents, children see woman trying to fly broom one night, children confront woman over broom use, magic course investigated further, quest for completed locomotive spell begins, all go to find the man who was sending off the information for the magic course, Portobello Road, some magic, a bit of explanation, Bruce Forsyth, somebody turns into a rabbit, cartoon island, football match, lion/king tricked out of his medal, substitutiary (I swear that's what they said in the song) locomotion spell is now usable, Nazis pop up, suits of armour from the castle reanimated, Nazis run away, man joins the army.

I love that film.

[jvcc]

Nazis! I'd forgotten about the Nazis.