Am I In Your Bubble?

         For each person, personal space is a different distance. Different societies have different social norms in regards to what the right amount of space between people are. Passing this arbitrary distance would be awkward and it may also deem you as a social outcast. This distance is almost entirely based on the environment in which you were raised. In the busy city of Cairo, where 16 million people reside, there is almost no sense of personal space. People are crowded together in every situation. However, that kind of closeness does not apply to America. Here we have a bigger personal bubble then people from other countries. In other countries a kiss on the cheek is a greeting or a show of affection, but in America it is highly unusual to do that between friends.  If you kiss your friend's cheek it will probably freak them out. To people in America that is a shocking invasion of their personal space. This personal space expands even further at night. When walking down a street people will usually walk on the opposite side of the street from you. If you both happen to be on the same sidewalk then they will walk on the furthest end of the sidewalk from you. Some people will even go to the trouble of walking through the grass to keep the optimal amount of space between them. This is considered the acceptable social rule in America. In interacting with people that are not from the same region as you; attention to personal space is very important. 


Resources:
 Maskil, Arona. "Understanding American CultureTips for Acclimating to US Daily Life." Understanding    American Culture. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
Staff, NPR, Leila Fadel, and Lourdes Garcia-Navarro. "How Different Cultures Handle Personal                  Space." NPR. NPR, 5 May 2013. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.