Reply to What do your kids call their friends parents

Forum Index » Elementary School-Aged Kids

Reply to "What do your kids call their friends parents"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]For many of us, it's a cultural issue. I'm Korean, and we would never call a grownup (or a teacher, boss, anyone of a superior status, someone you don't know very well) by their first name. There are people whom I've known for decades, including close friends of my parents, whose first names I don't know because I call them by the honorific.

Not saying this way is better or worse, but in most Asian cultures, it would be considered extremely rude for a child to call a grownup by their first name.[/quote]

I think it’s a white culture thing to call adults by their first name... I’ve had friends of all cultures and only my white friends called adults by their first name... I’ve also worked at 2 area universities 1 Historically Black College and Univeristy (HBCU) and one non HBCU... The black students at the HBCU called professsors and administrators by their title while some of the white students had to be corrected and told to do so.... at the non HBCU white students called professors by their first name while black students would address them by title....

And I believe one way is better than the other.... we are not peers so you do not address me as such![/quote]

I grew up in rural New England in the 70s and almost all adults (aside from teachers when at school and doctors when at the office) by first names.  My parents elderly friends all insisted on first names. It was definitely specific white subculture thing of people (lots of Quakers) who prided themselves on being very egalitarian and wanted to downplay social hierarchies. It was a big transition to live and work in Black communities. I strongly believe in calling people what they want to be called. As a professor I prefer to be called by my first name, am fine with Dr or Professor, but dislike Ms or Miss Last Name (I have the "you may call me..." talk with my students at the beginning of each semester.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics