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Marty, hi!

I wish I knew of good cross-cultural studies.  I don't.

I suspect that children of any culture react pretty similarly to science
center exhibits.  But, the adults don't, and the planners of science
centers in some cultures have difficulty with the formats of N. American,
European Australian and New Zealand centers (and others that I apologize
for omitting.)

An example:

I was part of a team laying out exhibits for a project in southern China. 
The client was very uncomfortable with a visitor-controlled experience,
feeling that the visitors should learn so-and so first, then the next
thing, and the next etc. in proper order.  The free access idea was very
difficult for them.  What has been called the Confucian culture requires
respect for authority, orderliness, loyalty to the family and unremitting
hard work.  The odd thing is, that a major reason why science centers are
being built in those parts, is because they realise that, brilliant though
they are at manufacturing and incremental improvements, they seem always to
be making things that were first invented in the west.  They see science
centers as potential parts of a remedy to this situation.  They believe
(correctly, I think) that they are no less blessed with potential
creativity than we, and have long ancient histories of invention.  But,
what we attribute creativity to - a lot of freedom of thought, conduct and
activity - can be really objectionable there, expecially to institutional
planners.

There are many members of this listserv who belong to more than one
culture, and could comment far better than I.  I hope they will join in
this thread.

Peter Anderson

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