Actually what Americans consider as 'private space' has changed greatly over the last say, 100 years-and the change happened with increasing affluence. And not just in America. 100 years ago most families(and most people as it follows) were basically poor-not middle class-urban centers were crowded-with many people sharing just a few rooms in many cities. The idea of 'personal space' was almost non-existent for most Americans then-in or out of the home. Also consider that in Paris and London, nearly half of all households consisted of only 1 or 2 rooms-in places like Glasgow, it was at 70%. Rural households were full of kids, relatives, roomers, etc. and there was just as much crowding.
You can even see the changes in what is considered 'personal' space in the last 50 years..look at the houses being built in the 50's..many with only 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom-yet for a whole family of 4, 5, or 6 people. What families would tolerate that today? Even when it came to eating out many could not afford it and if they did it was in fairly crowded places such as diners and such..generally pretty crowded. And given that people did not tend to eat out so much individually, but as families, and given that families were larger, they pretty much took up a whole table-no real ability to share tables. And of course 100 years ago, unless traveling or such, the VAST majority of Americans did not eat out at all.
The real difference? The US got richer, families grew smaller, lifestyles became more compartmentalized and speeded up-the same things happening to other cultures. Let's just see what Indians think of 'personal space' in 50 years..I bet the macro economic changes will have a much greater impact on the 'cultural' sense of private space than many there would expect. Who would have thought 50 or 100 years ago in the US that we would be living like we do now?
Thsi article is pretty ignorant of any historical or material perspective,-there is alot more to it than just 'cultural differences'.
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