Culture Differences : When a Thumbs Up Isn't A Good Thing

      In any society hand gestures are used in replace of (or with) words to describe someone or something. They are so common people don't even realize that they are even using hand signals. In America the "thumbs up" and the peace sign are very commonly used, without a second thought. Yet every culture has a different set of gestures that are socially acceptable, and ones that are not.  With only so many hand gestures available to use some hand gestures have two meanings depending on what culture is using them.

The following video shows woman from different cultures using hand signals from their culture and their meanings.  You will see that hand signals in some cultures mean something totally different in another culture.

As seen in the video there are many different hand gestures and different cultures use them differently or exactly like the USA.



When two cultures are brought together there is always going to be some confusion for one side or the other. Hand gestures however can be offensive and cause new problems for the two cultures. There are  many examples but here are some of the most common hand gesture differences.

The Thumbs Up

 

   In America if you work in construction or in any noisy situation the classic "Thumbs Up" means you understand the information being relayed to you. Or maybe you want to show someone that they did a good job in America a "Thumbs Up" means good job. 

    Now let's  change the situation you are on vacation in Greece and you are on a tour of their beautiful islands.  You are having a good time and you see a few locals and you decide to give them the "Thumbs Up" to show you appreciate the situation. Their reply is dirty looks and maybe even a return thumbs up with a little more aggression. This is because in Greece and other countries such as Russia and West Africa a "Thumbs Up" means the same as the "middle finger" in the USA.

Come here Doggie!

    Everyone knows what it means when someone looks at them and then motions using their index finger. It means come over here, often to show or tell that person something. This gesture is also used to call a dog over usually to play using a playful voice.

    People in America tend not to get offended when this gesture is used to signal them but in other countries it is a big insult.  My Aunt Lea is from the Philippians and she told me that in her country when this gesture is used on a person.  It is pretty much saying that this person is nothing more than a dog and is below them in society. 

    The reason between cultures and this gesture is that it is how they view dogs. In America dogs are "Man's best friend" they are respected and a great companion. There are shelters for adopting dogs and laws in place to protect them.  This isn't the case in the Philippians were dogs are commonly abused  and are left roaming the streets starving.  Also dog fighting is a common occurrence in the Philippians and that alone shows the level of respect dogs are shown which is zero.  So being a dog in America isn't always a bad thing but being a dog in Philippians is as low as you can go. 

(Information on dogs from)

http://liveinthephilippines.com/content/2010/08/dogs-in-the-philippines-are-they-lucky-or-not/

Okay! Okay! I Get it!

   

  In America its a very common gesture to make after you have had a great meal and want to show your appreciation.  It originally came from the need to have a signal to say great meal if you had a mouth full of food. Then it became a gesture used with or without food in your mouth.

    Such a nice gesture across the ocean takes a complete 360 degree turn. Over in some parts of Europe it is the sign for the number Zero and implies that you are Zero (nothing).The okay sign also can be used as an insult in France and Latin America due to it representing an anus, and calling the person being gestured to an anus. Imagine making the mistake of using this sign in France after a fine meal, it would be very insulting to those serving the meal or anyone else that receives the gesture.
   

Hand Gestures are a normal part of every culture. They are taught to us at a young age and people continue to learn and use new signals as they learn them.  When multiple cultures interact with each other there is always going to be a misunderstanding or two, due to simply not understanding each other.  Yet if people take the time and initiative to understand other cultures, it is more than possible to do.


Source cited:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Hand-Gestures---What-They-Mean-in-Different-Countries&id=1595662 

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hand-gestures-and-their-meanings.html

Statistics : Crime and Violence In The United States

            For many of us we have lived in the United States for the majority of our lives and many people (myself included) are unaware of just how much crime is committed in the United States every year.

          The statistical information that I looked over was the data that the Census gathered on crime from 2004 to 2005 ( the links are at the bottom of the page).   The information goes through violent and property crimes for all fifty states and the district of Columbia over many years but I'm going to highlight the information for the years 2004 and 2005. In order to make the data easier to read the numbers are inserted in the data tables in  rates per 100,000. This means that in the data tables the number is listed as 400 but it really stands for 40,000,000 (400 multiplied by 100,000). This is done to make it easier to compare and read the data. This blog also uses the rates per 100,000 system to make the reading easier. 

          The average amount of violent crimes committed in the United States in 2004 was 463 violent crimes per state.  That total increased  in 2005 to 469 violent crimes.  The  average rate of murders (including voluntary manslaughter) also  increased from 5.5 to 6. Looking at the data it may look like only a small jump but it's important to remember that .5 is an additional 50,000 people killed in the USA that year. Along with murder there was an  increase in  Robbery it went from 137 up to 141. The only crime that dropped from 2004 to 2005  was forcible rape it went down from 32.2  to 32.  The only category that stayed the same was aggravated assault in both years it stayed at 291.

          The second half of the data dealt with Property crime, all of the Census data showed that from 2004 to 2005 all forms of property crime listed decreased.

                                                                            2004           2005          Decrease

                                                         Total             3,517            3,430          -87

                                                      Burglary              730               727            -3

                                            Larceny/ Theft            2,366            2,286          -80

                                    Motor Vehicle Theft              421               417            -4

                                                     
     There was tons of information to be found on these two tables but that one thing I would like to discuses is the Statistics on Massachusetts.  In every category Massachusetts was well below the national average in all the categories in violent and property crimes in 2005, except in the aggravated assault category. In the aggravated assault category the national average is 291 and Massachusetts is at 308. Out of all 11 categories of crime only one had Massachusetts  above the national average.

   Even though the District of Columbia is an American providence it really throws off the curve for statistics. The District of Columbia is higher  in all of the categories compared to the national average by a great amount. The only exceptions were forcible rape which is at 30 in the District of Columbia and the National Average is 32 and burglary 689 to 727 the national average.  In many  of the other categories the District of Columbia shows a much higher average.



                                                       District Of Columbia              National Average

                                           Murder               35                                       6
                                         Robbery             672                                   141
                        Aggravated Assault              721                                   291
                      Motor Vehicle Theft           2,695                                 2,286


        The top three categories listed above murder, robbery and aggravated assault all were more than doubled the National Average. This shows that the District of Columbia  has an overall higher crime rate both violent and in property crimes. If the statistics were gathered for only the fifty states then it would show a large decrease in many of the above categories. Yet the District of Columbia is part of the United States and it really shows how broad the United States in terms of crime from Massachusetts' murder rate at 3 to the District Of Columbia at 35.
                      It really does make one think hard about where they want to live in the United States. It's hard to imagine all of these crimes occurring every year with many of them on the rise.  It's important to stay informed and know what is occurring all over the United States so you can take precautions to protect yourself.



 (All information on this article came from the Census website on the below links)

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008/tables/08s0301.pdf

(All 2004 Information came from table 295 on the Census website you need to open the Excel file)
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2007/law_enforcement_courts_prisons/crimes_and_crime_rates.html