Quote:
Originally Posted by catcherintherye
minerva_feliz, I think that you might be mistaken in your assumptions regarding American etiquette.
I'm sure there are more than a few Americans who do not invite friends into their homes, or do not offer food to others, or commit social faux pas on a daily basis. However, that is a far cry from saying that those behaviors are the norm in American culture. That simply isn't true.
Impolite behavior can be observed anywhere, including in the US, and in the DR. But it unwise to make sweeping assumptions based upon isolated observations.
While American might be somewhat less formal, they are no more impolite than any other culture, and perhaps less so than many.
The point is, the basic rules of social interaction are essentially the same throughout the world, and those rules are not so dramatically different in the DR.
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My observations are not isolated, and I am not the type to make sweeping generalizations. I haven't been on dr1 for long but sincerely try to post helpful, accurate information. I agree with you that impolite behavior exists everywhere, Americans for the most part aren't rude and dirty, and my recommendations apply perhaps universally.
But so what if my suggestions are't exclusive to the DR? They are still inclusive, not completely irrelevant and could be extremely useful to some people. It's not like I said "don't call people a pirate hooker to their face"
, which is clearly offensive and irrelevant. I did base them on my understanding, like you said, that "American [culture] might be somewhat less formal," and for some people the things I mentioned really aren't so obvious. They weren't for me, as I came from a rural, midwest, working class background with little travel experience. No, I am not generalizing that people with those characteristics aren't well mannered, but it is more likely that they had a different upbringing, educational level or perspective of people in developing countries.
Also, some people assume that because they are poor, Dominicans are dirty and dress badly. Even rich, well-educated people can think that based on the images of the DR projected by some non-profits. So then they believe that their level of casual is better than anything the Dominicans have/do, and that's not true. They pack stuff they don't need to come here like they are going to a remote outpost in Senegal and are surprised when they find the conchos wearing polo shirts and women's nicely done nails.
Knowing otherwise helps the average person who comes to this site looking for information who may have no idea what to expect. Some of the questions people post on this site and others asking for info about the DR seem stupid to people who have been here for a while, but there is no reason to assume that they should already know even some basic things that seem universal/obvious.
I think we should just leave it there and hopefully someone else can think of some different/better tips.
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