I know a lot of Asian Americans are pushing back on the notion that Asian culture accounts for much of the difference in coronavirus response, because they're pushing against the chauvinist idea that Asian culture is less concerned with freedom, more hivemind... / https://twitter.com/bopinion/status/1322938814386577411

But I think it's undeniable, that what accounts for a failure in the American response, are the deep levels of suspicion and personal animosity in our society. There are so many examples of strangers openly confronting each other in America. /

This is pretty unique I think. In Asia it's much less acceptable to confront people like you see between strangers in public in America. There definitely is a stronger cultural context -- what's been called 'high context vs low context' culture. /

In high context cultures -- East Asia is very high context -- there is a tightly defined notion of behavioral norms. We would call them manners, or you might call it respect. /

Because mask-wearing, as an example, is framed as something YOU DO to protect OTHERS, and that is a cultural norm, there's a huge amount of pressure to comply. Failure to wear a mask is not about being cavalier with your own health, but blatant disregard for everyone else. /

Whereas in America, a low context culture, we are mostly concerned about how to manage interpersonal conflicts. So it seems that mask wearing presents a problem where we worry we are sending a message to others that they should also be wearing a mask, too. /

The overriding fear in America I believe is this sense that imposing our views about masks onto others is a violation of personal autonomy. It's an insult, a judgement. And I think a lot of Americans don't wear the mask as a matter of principle. /

So absolutely I think culture plays into the mass social acceptance of mask wearing (and social distancing). In a high context culture, there can be a notion of a social agreement around masks. In a low context culture, we're just navigating conflict, like a frontier town.

Liberals would do well to think more about culture, and how we can hack it so people wear masks. Rather than screaming at non-maskers for being anti-science. That doesn't work.

OH -- movie rec! Watch the new Netflix horror film 1 Bdrm. It is a great way to understand how Americans feel at a deep, instinctual level about responsibility towards a group, versus personal autonomy. Very well done, shows how we just don't have the social/cultural buy-in.