A great, great book (Making Common Sense of Japan) makes this point: usually, when people say “culture” (or “preferences are different”), they’re using it to say “I haven’t found a structural reason so it goes in my miscellaneous bucket.” https://twitter.com/sknthla/status/1022234997485432832 …
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Example: culture of 9:01-is-late in Japanese companies is embedded in a) a reality where public transportation is extremely reliable and extremely available b) if it breaks down you get an excuse note from the train company because they know you get in trouble if you’re late.
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That is one piece of a much more complicated tapestry and after I get to the part about “Well actually lots of Japanese people aren’t salarymen” folks got “Got it; their culture is inscrutable.” (Totally happens other way, too.)
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As long as I’m on topic of many issues, “How many guns did your family own growing up?” “None. I lived in a city where they are illegal.” “But isn’t your gun-loving culture descended from citizen soldiers and cowboys and don’t you literally fire military weapons for fun?!?”
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“Those are narratives of the American experience and some people do factually engage in that subculture but it is not as hegemonic as you model it as.” “But how did you defend yourself from armed kids at your school?” “Complicated topic!”
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End of conversation
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