tagaproject6

Do those traffic and design simulators take into account the cultural differences in people and how they would react to the stimuli?
My experience in Japan is that the people have this culture of putting the collective above the personal. Then you have the culture of "me first".

noglider 

No, probably not, though I would hope you could put them in as variables. You make a good point.

Stadjer

And that's just one cultural difference. City planners are likely to overestimate the influence of infrastructure, sociologists and antropologists will focus on cultural influences. In my experience cycling can be quite different between cities within the same culture.

mtb_addict

I noticed Japan drivers are much slower and more careful.
I was stuck in a 5 mile long traffic jam on a narrow mountain road (road construction)...and no one complained...no road rage...no aggressive driving.

In the States, there would probably be mass shooting, looting, and fisticuffs.

I believe that Japan's legal system is much more severe toward aggressive driving and antisocial behavior. And social stigma: you'd probably get fired from you job, if employer finds out you killed someone (intentional or not).

In the States, you run over a pedestrian/cyclist, you get a slap on the wrist and keep on living like nothing ever happened.

I don't buy the theory that it's Japan's culture. Recent history has shown they can be just as nasty as any other people. They just know they cannot get away with acting badly...because people are always watching and pressuring you to do it right.

Maelochs

i disagree. A lot of cultures value the group over the individual, even while recognizing the importance of an individual.

Stupid example, but look at the concept of "ronin." A samurai without a master was considered the lowest form of renegade. All that power and skill was only considered to be valuable when used for a cause in a concerted effort. A good samurai would gladly give his life for the cause, for the other members of his group, for his leader and his leader's family. The individual was totally pointless without a larger purpose.

At the same time, once in that group, individual prowess and personal competition was taken to a high level. The exploits of an individual were highly rated .... so long as they were not done Just for that individual.

In some Asian countries (I think Korea, ) the first two drivers in a line of cars stopped at a well-lit intersection turn off their headlights so as not to blind oncoming drivers. They are raised to be considerate of others, and to sacrifice (if only a small effort) for others.

In America, the "Me and me Alone" country, we have people who coal-roll to hurt others. if we asked drivers to turn off their lights, you know some folks would mount off-road floodlights and sear the retinae of others just because, "Murika, Heck Yeah!!"

In Americas, doing Anything for others is a sign of weakness and doing anything 'for the good of others is "I ain't no snowflake." The whole idea of "for the greater good" is a phrase mostly derided as nonsense. We are so used to people thinking they have the right to be dicks and over-exercising that right, we forget that in other countries, people have a clue.

Another example: in England, people who are waiting form a line (a "queue.") No one "cuts the line" and people don't all rush forward trying to push others aside because ... well obviously, because that is not how civilized people behave.

In America people get trampled to death trying to get Black Friday deals on X-Boxes.

yes, every human being can behave badly ... and yes, the Japanese, like pretty much every other army and worse than most, abused people in WWII (please don't research America's Indian Wars, you will be both disillusioned and disgusted.) But we are not talking about wartime, or the excesses of a highly racist army (don't research into the civil rights struggles of black Americans and don't look up Emmett Till.)

The fact remains that different countries can and often do have very different cultures---or are you saying Saudi Arabia, Somalia and South Carolina re all exactly the same?

And yes, in a lot of countries, people are taught to cooperate and coexist, and to think of others, while in America the idea of "civic duty" and "cooperation" are seen as signs of weakness.

Daniel4

Sounds like culture to me.


From what I read in social media, Americans would consider the greater good over the individual as socialism (as if that were bad). Year after year, the top ten best countries to live in are those socialistic nordic countries of Europe plus Canada and Australia - again countries criticized by some as socialists.

The recent tragedy in the United States of February 14th again emphasises the good of the greater community against the right of the individual.

mtb_addict

Those places are not as productive as US workers. Their economic is no where as dynamic as ours. They are very weak political, economic and military.

unterhausen

ya'll know there is a forum where you can discuss politics all you want, right?

There is a hard and fast rule here that politics is not allowed outside of the politics & religion forum. Continued violations of that rule may impact your ability to post here.