Cultural differences in interaction distance cause mutual misreadings

Evidence

In Latin America the interaction distance is much less than it is in the United States. Indeed, people cannot talk comfortably with one another unless they are very close to the distance that evokes either sexual or hostile feelings in the North American. The result is that when they move close, we withdraw and back away. As a consequence, they think we are distant or cold, withdrawn and unfriendly. We, on the other hand, are constantly accusing them of breathing down our necks, crowding us, and spraying our faces. — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 613

Categorization

• XREF: Empirical handle on how invisible proxemic norms patrol public interaction—useful comparison point for Cole’s Brussels/New York characters misreading local space.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 613