AnthroScope Korea

Reflecting on my past several years at boarding school, I’ve encountered some cross-cultural faux pas. The broad diversity among the students at my high school has led to several occasions when I took a step back and pondered why such faux pas occur sometimes. 

My initial observation of a cross-cultural faux pas was specifically between Korean and American cultures. For example, as a new boarding school student in eighth grade, I had a conversation with my friend who came from Massachusetts. During the chat, she suddenly complimented me on how humble I was. Although I was very flattered, I asked her why that is, and she told me that I never seem to emphasize and share my personal accomplishments with groups of people. She then continued by telling me how in America, she grew up being encouraged to share her accomplishments to strengthen her confidence. 

This brief interaction prompted me to consider the different perspectives held by people in Korea and America regarding the discussion of personal achievements. In Korea, sharing personal achievements with others can often come across as being arrogant. However, in America, sharing one’s achievements is praised, as it builds confidence and motivates others. Through research, I discovered that this contrasting perception stems from the discrepancy between Korea’s collectivist culture, which emphasizes group harmony, and the United States’ individualist culture, which prioritizes self-promotion. 

When I moved on to high school, I encountered a more diverse community with a larger student body. I witnessed a very interesting cross-cultural faux pas between French and American cultures. While living in a relatively large dorm during my sophomore year, I was brushing my teeth with two friends, one from France and one from Maine. My French friend shared a very intriguing fact about her culture. She shared that in France, natural scents are very welcome, so wearing deodorant is not a strictly expected part of etiquette, unlike in America. She also said that when she first came to boarding school, she perceived my American friend’s shower routine quite excessive. My American friend and I were not familiar with this, but we were certainly interested in how different our perceptions were regarding hygiene. Even in Korea, I would sometimes forget to wear deodorant, not necessarily because natural scents were welcomed, but because a high percentage of Koreans have genetic variations that lessen body odor. 

Similar to what I did after my first observation of a cross-cultural faux pas, I conducted further research and concluded that the differing perceptions of hygiene may have originated from events around the 19th century. Until the 19th century, in France, public saunas had a bad reputation, and people avoided water, thinking it could weaken the body and mind. Additionally, I discovered that a century ago in France, people considered body odor a sign of good health. Meanwhile, in America, emphasis on hygiene vastly increased during the 19th century due to the Great Sanitary Awakening. 

These incidents taught me that cross-cultural faux pas often pertain to mundane, day-to-day issues – things that would be overlooked between people of the same culture.