A couple of culture/gender moments.

[samvara]

1. Male Malaysian manager tried to organise team of 20+ people for a group photo and ordered all the women to the front. The Anglo women said ‘Gah! Why are we being singled out?’ and went by height rather than gender.
2. British lass pointed out that asking someone where they grew up and what school they went to can be interpreted as trying to ‘rank them’ whereas Aussies tend to do it to establish common ground.

Do other people experience this?

Comments

[purrdence.livejournal.com]

I've had Aussies trying to establish social posistion through where they grew up and what school they went to too. Mostly people name-dropping to make themselves seem better than me. It was also interesting doing a bit of stereotype busting with one of my classes last year who had this idea that because I went to uni and knew lots of stuff, I must have gone to a private school and grown up in a Leafy Green suburb. When I told them I had lived most of my life in Rockingham and gone to Rocko High, they were boogled.

[madradish.livejournal.com]

Relating to point 2, my mother grew up in England and commented once that when she hears a British accent she immediately mentally pegs the person as to class. She does it unconsciously and she hates that she does it.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Heh, I'm reminded of when they were casting the Lord of The Rings and people were pointing out you can't have American elves because no-one associates American accents with ancient wisdom :p

[madradish.livejournal.com]

LOL!

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

So Very Wrong *tries to look stern*

*fails and LOLs*

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

I think in many parts of the business world people use where you grew up/studied to "rank".

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Makes sense when you're talking about professional qualifications...

*grins* a friend who did the private girl school thingy once did a very funny evaluation of all the different private boy schools based on what they were like to date. She said there were marked differences.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

It could be argued that the Brits care more about class and that's why she associates it...

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

...but funny... my cultural prejudices are showing.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Gawd, I like the idea of a Leafy Green suburb though, never heard that expression before!

[purrdence.livejournal.com]

I've heard it mainly within education circles, but I have heard it elsewhere. It refers to well-off suburbs, which usually are well maintained, especially older suburbs with trees planted down the side of the street. In Perth, Leafy Greens are usually the suburbs close to the CBD and/or the Swan River. Think Applecross, Nedlands etc.

[black-samvara.livejournal.com]

Oh I got what you meant immediately - it's very evocative!

I think of that as a post-colonial thing too - people who value/can afford to maintain lawns in our climate are clearly either wealthy or still think they live somewhere it rains a lot.