Public Display of Affection

Public display of affection seems alarmingly non-existent in the East. Many Westerners may have noticed that Asians in general, from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, to the Far East, are rarely seen kissing in public. However, photographers like Kim Anderson has made a name for himself in photographing children showing affection for each other. As an example of cultural differences, this type of photos would hardly find the same adoring public in Asia. In short, Asian culture would find his work cute in the Western context, but uncomfortable if the children were Asian.


kim anderson photo.jpeg

About Author

yvonne.liu.wolf

Yvonne Wolf was born in Taiwan and educated in the U.S. and Europe. She has extensive experience living and working internationally (Denmark and Japan). She is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Danish, and has studied Japanese, Spanish, and Greek. Between work and personal travel, she has visited more than 20 countries and well-traveled within the U.S. and Canada. She has worked with organizations and business executives focusing on communication strategies working with Chinese and East Asian partners. Among her many skills is mediating across cultural misunderstandings.