CHILE

Interpersonal Behavior

By Mariana Vera -Fierro

When I came to The United States, five years ago, one of the cultural differences that surprised me was the interpersonal behavior. The way we interact as a society in different contexts made me constantly compare both realities, not with a negative intention, perhaps trying to find an explanation. The way of greeting, the social distance in the streets, in the supermarkets, and on the beach, and how and where affection is demonstrated, are some of the examples that show these differences that I’m going to focus on.

In Chile, the country where I come from, when we are introduced to someone we greet by shaking hands and a kiss on the cheek, while in the United States people greet with a light handshake accompanied by a smile and eye contact. However, I should point out that in formal situations in Chile it is done in the same way as in United States.

It is also natural to see couples hugging and kissing in the streets, in parks and public places. Expressions of care and affection can be expressed almost anywhere, by young couples, unlike in the United States where these demonstrations are considered private and therefore are relegated to the privacy of their home. I imagine this is to not make others uncomfortable.

In addition, in the United States it is not appropriate to get very close to people in public places such as in the supermarket, in the store or in public transport, unlike Chile where people get very close as there is no concept of “personal space.” The same goes for driving a car. Usually the streets in Chile are narrower therefore the cars drive very close to one another.

In conclusion, we have different ways of developing our lives in a given country. The countries of Latin origin like Chile are more spontaneous and perhaps that is where lack of social distance come from and contrasts with the formality of the social organization in the United States perhaps comes from European influences.