About strange myths that permeate MN about other countries and cultures

[Wetsummers]

Does anyone else know what I mean - in particular about ‘Africa.’ I’m not claiming to be an expert on African culture or social norms but I’m pretty sure the ‘African tribes’ often referred to on here are a myth.

See also the insistence that we start children at school too early. Pretty sure most 4/5 year olds are in some form of education / kindergarten or whatever.

And you can’t open a thread on sleep without someone confidently stating the Japanese all co sleep.

The UK civil service online application process doesn’t have Scottish qualifications in the drop down options. People have to either pretend they have GCSEs/Alevels or pick other and specify SQA highest etc. I’ve been sifting job applications this week - it’s clear that all the Scottish applicants have to try to make adjustments to put their totally standard UK qualifications on the form in exactly the same way I did in applying for my job. It’s beyond ridiculous. And, yet, not actually that surprising.

Let’s not pretend that there isn’t an issue with the fact that most of the UK - including the sodding cabinet office - doesn’t care about the differences within it.

I think people don't say which African tribes because they don't remember the name or don't think it will be relevant to the people listening.

I read a really interesting article once about a South American tribe, I've occasionally mentioned them, but I don't mention the name usually because 1) I have to look it up, and 2) No one would know anything about them anyway.

The British (and increasingly other English speaking countries) do start school early. Childcare is not the same as school.

There are some myths about the US that I notice on MN. I particularly get the impression that many here think anyone who votes Republican is some backwoods hick with his wife chained in the kitchen, or a real estate mogul with a socialite wife.

back in the 60s and 70s it was often easier (and meant you weren’t subjected to racism) to use my my mums maiden name, which I have as one of my forenames, as is common in Scotland.

it’s a three letter surname. It’s not at all unusual. And we would still be asked “how do you spell that?”

Sometimes you can’t win

Ah, having a Slavic name, I have found that English speakers are generally ok if I just tell them my name.

however, once they have seen it written down, they then mangle it.

the letter combination “gow” is said as “goff” (to rhyme with doff) English speakers say “gow” to rhyme with cow.

it’s very annoying. My P3 teacher insisted on using the wrong pronunciation, so I stopped answering. When she pulled me up for it, I told her “that’s not my name. My daddy told me that if you tell people how to say your name, they should get it right”.

funnily enough, she was able to say it correctly after that.

just to clarify - I have no issue with folk seeing my name written down and not knowing how to pronounce it. It’s only when they ignore what I’ve told them and mangle it that it pisses me off.

I found one thread mentioning ‘tribes’ and putting babies in cots (trying to be helpful 😬)

www.mumsnet.com/talk/parenting/1041524-Cot-cage

Yes but there aren't any on my Google search about parenting in African tribes which apparently occur all the time.

Yes but here you are saying that the laws are pro gun and anti abortion. That is lumping all 330 million people into one bucket.

63 million women live in States that have protected their abortion rights with State law. I wish it were more, but please dont overlook this fact as it weakens your very valid argument that more States should be doing this.

As for guns, again I believe that gun ownership should be properly regulated and, for example, in Massachusetts, those who wish to purchase a firearm must obtain a permit to purchase from their local police department. This process alone can take weeks and requires paperwork, an interview, and a background check. After all of that, the police chief still has the discretion to deny the license. After obtaining a license, the purchaser must present the license at the gun store and pass additional background checks. An argument that Arizona (7.1 million people) which has very few gun regulation should copy Massachusetts (population 6.8 million) regulation is far more sensible than just saying that ‘America has pro gun laws’

We dont talk about Europe and throw Germans into the same bucket as Ukrainians when discussing laws. We shouldnt talk about Africa and assume all Africans live in (or identify with) a tribe; or Asia and group Pakistanis and Indians when talking about wedding traditions etc etc.

And I'm Scottish and have observed anti English xenophobia many many times.

I have too.

Often contradictory as well - either “African tribes” leave their kids with granny/Aunty/whoever is at home that day while the mothers work in the fields/get on with housework. Or they have their child strapped to their back 24/7 until the child is 7, doing full-on attachment parenting and the child is potty trained by six weeks.

There’s also the implication that whatever “African tribes” do, represents the original untouched state of humanity, which we have lost with our modern western ways. Like societies in Africa haven’t changed in any way since homo erectus, and represent some kind of noble savage. One quick trip to any country in Africa would disabuse you of that.

That’s exactly what it is @Changechangychange

And I'm Scottish and have observed anti English xenophobia many many times.

Genuine question if you are English in Scotland how would anyone know you're English unless you announce it given many Scots have names like 'James Smith' and speak with an English accent?

There’s a difference between that and some of the venom you see on threads about the US though. There was one poster recently who just would not drop it, telling @mathanxiety that she was wrong about where she lived, and generally came across as completely unhinged over multiple pages of posts.

I agree with you that there are aspects of life in the US that mean that I, personally, wouldn’t choose to live there (I work in healthcare, I don’t want to work in the US system for multiple reasons not all of which are related to insurance). DH would live there if we were in California and had a high income. We’d both prefer Canada (having lived there before, we know we like it there). That is a world away from the “all Americans are fat” posts.

'That anyone with a non English name will be utterly tormented by having to spell it for the rest of their lives'

I have a non English surname, I wouldn't say I'm tormented exactly but I do have to spell it EVERY single time I pronounce it for someone. In fact I say it then just immediately spell it.

Scots usually speak with a Scottish accent not an English one.
There is a very small percentage of the the Scots population who have English accents due to their educational background but they are the exception not the rule.

I assume an "english accent" that is also spoken by some Scots is RP, which 99% of English people don't speak. So that's how's the Scots know.

(99% is a made-up statistic, replace with your own number if you know better.)

'The anti USA sentiment on here is massive. Like everyone has a gun & is a crazed anti-abortionist'

Married to a yank, lots of US family so always been tuned into anti-USA sentiment and to be fair to MN there's a lot of anti- American sentiment everywhere at the moment as the US does seem to be on the verge of an actual civil war, the government seems unable and unwilling to do anything about the endless mass shootings, and the Roe vs Wade overturn makes the country look like it's heading for a real-life Handmaid's Tale.

I've googled, and I wasn't too far off with my made-up statistic. 97% of UK population do not speak using RP.

'Genuine question if you are English in Scotland how would anyone know you're English unless you announce it given many Scots have names like 'James Smith' and speak with an English accent?'

When's the last time you went to Scotland?? The only people with English accents living there that I've ever meet were actually English... go to somewhere like St Andrews and the town is over-run with posh English twats...

Who are the Scots that speak with an English accent? Even posh Scots tend to still have a recognisable lilt to their accent.

The local aristocrats had English accents, I went to University with two Scots whose public school education really had given them English accents.
But I'd agree usually there is a Scots burr that is recognizable.
But the overwhelming majority of Scots sound clearly Scottish it is odd to suggest otherwise.

Rose Leslie the actress (Game of Thrones etc) is Scottish with an English accent, I believe she comes from a very grand family, like aristocracy?

@NotDavidTennant I asked because I don't know. One of my parents is from an African country yet speaks English with an RP accent. I just wondered what xenophobia looks like from a white perspective because I've only ever experienced it based on skin colour so I genuinely didn't know.

in Massachusetts, those who wish to purchase a firearm must obtain a permit to purchase from their local police department

Out of interest, is that also necessary to buy online or at gun shows?
There was a recent thread where much was made of permits, but this detail was conveniently (?) left out

There are people in the US with equally ridiculous views about the NHS

Very much agree with this, WomanStanleyWoman

@VladmirsPoutine my DH is English when we visit my home area in Scotland he sometimes gets groups of neds walking behind him mimicking the way he talks.
Or he can get abuse thrown at him as we walk past people in the street.
Or people on public transport talking about English people very loudly and rudely for us to hear.
Obviously most people don't behave like that but it is there.

I sat in a bar in Paris at 7 and a half months pregnant drinking red wine (2 large glasses) no one batted an eye, it was great 😁 no soft cheese though 🤔