Re: CHAT: cultural interpretation [was Re: THEORY: language and the brain]
| From: | Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...> |
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| Date: | Thursday, July 3, 2003, 21:55 |
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MJR> For instance, compare the Scandinavian practice
MJR> of requiring that babies be given first names chosen from a church-approved
MJR> list with the U.S.'s mandatory separation of church and state and complete
MJR> governmental apathy toward what and how people are named.
AJ> Not that it matters alot, but at least Sweden does not have a such practice.
Well, it does matter. I made a sweeping generalization and got called on it.
Sorry. What I said is, or recently was, reportedly true in Norway,
according to a friend of mine who grew up there and still lives in Oslo.
But, having been to Sweden, I should have known that it isn't a very Swede-like
policy. For two countries and peoples that are so alike, y'all sure are
different. :)
AJ> That said, secular authorities can and do stop
AJ> parents from giving names that they can argue would be demetrial to the
AJ> child's social life - a while ago they stop a couple naming their
AJ> daughter 'Tequila'.
Well, I'm not 100% convinced that wouldn't be a good idea over here;
I have firsthand knowledge of children named after venereal diseases.
AJ> Spain under Franco had a law similar to what you describe, IIRC.
Yeah, but that's a slightly different political situation than modern
Sweden. :)
-Mark
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