To Carol Ogdin, Lilly Evans, and those following the
discussion of why Americans (and others) don't get
invited into the homes of host nationals.
By way of introduction, I am president of a small (15 person)
organization the mission of which is to provide materials to
the ever-increasing population who do business with people
from cultures (both national and cocultural) different from
their own. Established in 1980, we now have around 80 titles
directed toward the aim of developing "materials that contribute
to conceptual development in the field of intercultural relations
and that enable intercultural practitioners to function more
effectively in other cultures." (from the mission statement.)
It is our experience that different culture groups have wholly
different perceptions of the home, sometimes resulting from
logistical issues (i.e. the Japanese live in much smaller
homes than, for instance, the Americans), or deep cultural
values (i.e. the home is the place for the extended family)
wherein the hosts will entertain guests, but outside the home.
Other cultures, Latin most notably, bring relative strangers into
their homes with great openness ("mi casa es su casa" or "my house
is your house").
Not being "invited home" should rarely be taken personally, but
rather should be a cue for an individual to observe carefully
and, when appropriate, ask questions of his or her hosts about
values and perceptions related to entertaining at home.
We would be happy to provide a catalogue of our books and
materials to any interested subscriber.
-- Toby Frank interculturalpress@mcimail.coms-mail: Intercultural Press PO Box 700 Yarmouth, ME 04096