Mannerisms between cultures

[jerney]

Do you think particular ethnic groups can be differentiated just by their mannerisms, expressions, the way they carry themselves, body language etc? Can you spot foreigners based on these things alone?

Maybe I am just more "in-tune" with this kind of thing, but I can almost always spot Americans abroad without ever hearing them speak (something about the smile is very unique only to Americans) and the same with Europeans in the US.

The reason I know I'm not the only one noticing these subtle differences is because I've never met a European who wasn't surprised when they found out I'm American. Granted, I have a very "European" looking face, but my mannerisms, body language and expressions aren't American at all (not according to me, according to them), and this really throws people off. So, can you spot a foreigner in your country just by mannerisms alone?

[Lars]

No problem at all. Danish identity and manners are well defined and it's easy to spot those who step out of line.

[Wyn]

Following on from our discussion in the chat, Americans that come here as tourists/workers/non-touristy 'visitors' in general are noticeably different to me. Mannerisms are part of that. The differences, though somewhat ineffable, don't seem all that subtle to me. So to this:


So, can you spot a foreigner in your country just by mannerisms alone?

I have to say yes. Foreigners in general (not merely Americans) included.

[SwordoftheVistula]

'talks with hands'=Italian

'waits for light at crosswalk even when no cars in sight'=from Germany/Austria

'drunk and obnoxious by 8PM'=British

'Waves and says Hi from 20 yards away'=American

[jerney]

I go to a university that is full of Asians and differentiating between the chinky chink international students from Asian Americans also couldn't be easier.

[jerney]

'Waves and says Hi from 20 yards away'=American

lol this really made me laugh because it's so true

[Aemma]

'talks with hands'=Italian

'waits for light at crosswalk even when no cars in sight'=from Germany/Austria

'drunk and obnoxious by 8PM'=British

'Waves and says Hi from 20 yards away'=American

Hmm and I thought you were talking about French Canadians all this time. :D I'm sure all you have to do is ask a typical Floridian if they concur. :D

[SwordoftheVistula]

Dunno much about French Canadians. The main thing about 'French Canadians' was a disproportionate amount of truck driver accidents when I lived in an area with lots of them (New England)

[Curtis24]

I think most body language distinctions between people have more to do with profession, and level of education, then ethnicity. I can look at a person's mannerisms and roughly tell if they're a blue-collar worker, a professional such as a lawyer or doctor, if they work in academia, or retail, etc. But not ethnicity.

[Aemma]

Dunno much about French Canadians. The main thing about 'French Canadians' was a disproportionate amount of truck driver accidents when I lived in an area with lots of them (New England)

LOL I think Allenson mentioned this to me once or twice too. :P :D

[Grumpy Cat]

Dunno much about French Canadians. The main thing about 'French Canadians' was a disproportionate amount of truck driver accidents when I lived in an area with lots of them (New England)

That's because we think the speed limit is for pussies.

And old people. :D

[SwordoftheVistula]

I think most body language distinctions between people have more to do with profession, and level of education, then ethnicity. I can look at a person's mannerisms and roughly tell if they're a blue-collar worker, a professional such as a lawyer or doctor, if they work in academia, or retail, etc. But not ethnicity.

I think it has more to do with the family background than the actual educational level or profession of the person. For example, if you have a business executive who comes from a historically working class family, he will have more 'working class' mannerisms.

[Bloodeagle]

That's because we think the speed limit is for pussies.

And old people. :D

I wonder how many dumb Americans have died in Canada trying to do 100mph instead of the posted 100kmh?
I do know that Canadians do not drive as fast as I do and I will not pull over for those random RCMP safety checks along the highway - and I was politely asked never to return. :D

Yes, I can spot a foreigner from a local, because foreigners dress so much nicer than we do. :D

[Grumpy Cat]

I wonder how many dumb Americans have died in Canada trying to do 100mph instead of the posted 100kmh?
I do know that Canadians do not drive as fast as I do and I will not pull over for those random RCMP safety checks along the highway - and I was politely asked never to return. :D


Actually I did the opposite in the US. When I touched down in Dallas and got the car that was waiting for me, and merged onto the highway, I buried the pedal until the speedometer needle reached 110, forgetting it was an American car built for American roads. Instinct for me. Merge = bury the gas pedal until the needle reaches 110.

[Peerkons]

Loud, all the time "eating women with eyes" - Southerners
Drunkards - Brits

[Curtis24]

I think it has more to do with the family background than the actual educational level or profession of the person. For example, if you have a business executive who comes from a historically working class family, he will have more 'working class' mannerisms.

That is a good point. Background is what determines it; but, as you point, background is heavily influenced by profession of the parents, and social-economic-educational status.

[Grumpy Cat]

The way I can pick out Americans usually is that they speak slower and walk in a more aggressive manner.

And then the different parts of Europe have different mannerisms.

[Austin]

-Obsessed with their universities sports teams and their clothing product line: middle-upper class

-obsessed with national sports teams and their clothing product line: lower class

-buys/believes in domestic cars: lower-middle class

-buys/believes in foreign cars: middle-upper class

-drinks imported beer: middle-upper class

-drinks domestic beer: lower class

-has latest overpriced ipod: lower+upper class (oh the irony)

-general belief that government intervention is good: European, non-white American

-general belief that government intervention is bad and will negatively affect them: white American

-drinks Starbucks coffee: middle-upper class

-pretends to drink beer for the taste: middle class

-pretends to drink wine for the taste: upper class, rising middle class

-super religious fervor out of nowhere: newly arrived upper class

I don't see actually all that much difference in actual people once they merge into the society they move into. I notice differences based on class more than anything else having to with how one was raised to desire what they want in life.

[The Lawspeaker]

Actually I did the opposite in the US. When I touched down in Dallas and got the car that was waiting for me, and merged onto the highway, I buried the pedal until the speedometer needle reached 110, forgetting it was an American car built for American roads. Instinct for me. Merge = bury the gas pedal until the needle reaches 110.
Sounds like something that could happen to me if I would have a driving license since we use kilometres too. I constantly had to remind my buddy to converse the tables when we were in England. I think that 70 m/p.h is 112 but he was always on the 120 (Dutch style). Luckily no copper caught us.

[Turkophagos]

Greeks:


http://grhomeboy.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/greeks_dancing.jpg?w=460


Would you spot them?

[Bloodeagle]

As you might imagine, we get a few tourists up here, most of which are Americans.
I can usually tell foreigners by the size of their group.
I don't think that I could distinguish a Canadian from a local, unless we where to start a conversation.
Ancient Americans and Asians travel by the busload. Russians travel in groups of 5-12 young men, never any women. Germans travel in small groups, and have the coolest mountaineering equipment.

[The Lawspeaker]

Hmm for a European (at least here in the Netherlands and surrounding countries.. but I trust that it's the same for our friends in Greece, Italy or Spain although they too are much more out-going then we are) it is always very easy to distinguish between Canadians and Americans by one simple rule alone: presence.

The American always up the volume and are outgoing and boisterous compared to the Canadian and manages to pull off one faux-pas after the other. We can't keep the accents apart though unless you really know Canadians and know how they speak.

French Canadians are rare here and I think that they would (at least here) add to some confusion (apart from when they are in France, Wallonia, Luxembourg or Switzerland) as they clearly aren't French but we wouldn't know what they were as a lot of people think that Canada is principally English-speaking.

[jerney]

We can't keep the accents apart though unless you really know Canadians and know how they speak.


I often can't tell the difference, but of course that depends on the region they're from. To me people from British Columbia sound the same as Americans from the west coast for example

[The Lawspeaker]

I often can't tell the difference, but of course that depends on the region they're from. To me people from British Columbia sound the same as Americans from the west coast for example
To us it sounds (in general) all the same too. But it would be just as difficult for a new worlder to tell a Dutchman apart from a German. Let alone the German from the Austrian.. so..

[Bloodeagle]

I often can't tell the difference, but of course that depends on the region they're from. To me people from British Columbia sound the same as Americans from the west coast for example

No way, BC Canadians talk (aboot) things and end their questions with eh. :D

[The Lawspeaker]

Makes me wonder about jerney. She is living in Europe (having lived in Germany and now in Greece for what I know). How were you perceived at first ?

[Riki]

Some more than others,but yes.
Can you tell the difference between Portuguese and Spanish?

[Humanophage]

It is seemingly a lot easier to determine foreigners by superficial things like mannerisms and facial expression than their sub-race. It is, in fact, a little annoying when you discuss the sub-race of a person, and someone claims they look very 'German' or 'Russian' simply because of unrelated things like their expression. As if all this transience is somehow genetically ingrained.

Yet, so long as a person racially fits into a nation, they can drift between nations with relative ease. Their mannerisms may change many times, unlike their ethnicity. While many Russians would claim to easily spot a foreigner by mannerisms and clothing style, their 'xeno radars' seem to fail quite often when certain strands of people are concerned. For instance, young Russian businessmen or hipsters are easily mistaken for foreigners by Russians.

[Bridie]

Some more than others,but yes.
Can you tell the difference between Portuguese and Spanish?Not always, but often the Portuguese tend to carry a more serious, even melancholy, and sometimes aggressive expression on their faces. The Spanish, in general, tend to smile more and seem more openly friendly, relaxed and warm. Oh yeah, and the Spanish are relatively louder than the Portuguese.

[Bridie]

I forgot to answer the OP. :p

Although they stand out as very foreign in Australia, I find that I can't really distinguish well between what we tend to call "continentals", but in reality are Northern and Central Europeans. They all stand out as looking anal, reserved, too serious, too formal, very arrogant and sticklers for the rules. This is expressed, usually, in their facial expressions, mannerisms and dress.

We don't get enough Eastern Europeans for me to say. I can't say I've ever noticed or met any Eastern Euros in Western Australia actually (not including the South East).

[poiuytrewq0987]

I forgot to answer the OP. :p

Although they stand out as very foreign in Australia, I find that I can't really distinguish well between what we tend to call "continentals", but in reality are Northern and Central Europeans. They all stand out as looking anal, reserved, too serious, too formal, very arrogant and sticklers for the rules. This is expressed, usually, in their facial expressions, mannerisms and dress.

We don't get enough Eastern Europeans for me to say. I can't say I've ever noticed or met any Eastern Euros in Western Australia actually (not including the South East).

Hm, we'll have to fix that.

[Comte Arnau]

Mannerisms certainly help, if you know them. Even the way of laughing or moving your head can reveal it sometimes. Everybody has his own typical gestures, but general cultural ones exist, even if we may not realize about that. From the way we react to even the way we look at somebody.

[Breedingvariety]

I forgot to answer the OP. :p

Although they stand out as very foreign in Australia, I find that I can't really distinguish well between what we tend to call "continentals", but in reality are Northern and Central Europeans. They all stand out as looking anal, reserved, too serious, too formal, very arrogant and sticklers for the rules. This is expressed, usually, in their facial expressions, mannerisms and dress.

We don't get enough Eastern Europeans for me to say. I can't say I've ever noticed or met any Eastern Euros in Western Australia actually (not including the South East).
It's the West- East trend. So you know.