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International etiquette guide for London 2012
by Milota Sidorova

Launching international brouchure for an event such as London Olympic Games may seems like a good thing and a lot of fun. Well, at least for the first sight – once you get through a bulleting pointing out all stereotypical bugs about nationalities and their specifics. Ok, it may be usefull to know that Canadians hate being misinterpreted as Americans, such as Chinese tourists consider prolonged eye contact and finger pointing as rude while Japanese smile doesn't mean happiness but a bunch of emotions.At least it may be good for London staff, for taxi drivers or any kind of servicemen. It may be good to know and recognize that there are more nationalities out in the wo! rld and that different people deserve such respect as domestic Londoners. In the country or in the city that is the world within the world this may be a good lecture of international etiquette. But on the other way, such brochure may lack reliability, since British national tourism office published the guide based on opinions of its staff. That may lack any kind of deeper social research and raise questions about negative power of stereotypes.Let's put it in right way – for some people Brazilian or Slovak label is not the indentity. Man is not anymore made from ethnic or nation (especially in the times of cultural mixture), but from his/her own behavior, ideas, characteristics. To be more precise, publishing such guide may lead into labeling visitors and putting them into “boxes”. That in the worst scenario may lead into avoiding of some groups just based on their nationality. Another way it may just increase the power of stereotypes – instead of a ! personality, one can see just labels something like: You are ! from Chi na that way you won't be impressed by Big Ben, because it's only several hundred years old (that is nothing comparing to your thousands years old history). Or you will see some loud and nasty tourists complaining, then you will think – yes, they have to be from America, because American tourists appear "informal to the point of being very direct or even rude".That way one can easily fall into negative approach towards certain people.So, international etiquette brochure is a good idea, but as everything it shall not be taken to the last word and leave some space for a reader to use also his/her mind and heart.

related story (sgx17984): http://www.france24.com/en/20100812-london-2012-olympic-game...

by Milota Sidorova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

Cantell TV is the fastest growing provider of digital broadcasting coupled with telecommunications, allowing people to easily control, view, upload and share digital content through proprietary interface coupled with free phone calls. Cantell TV is committed to delivering infinite choices to your world of entertainment at the tip of your fingers.

posted by Blog TechSource @ 12:41 PM