Knowledge of a country..native vs foreign (neighborhood, live)

[k374]

What is your take on knowing a country, native vs foreign. What I mean by this is... do you think it's reasonable to assume that a native will always know a country (customs, cultural intricacies etc.) better than a foreigner?

[GoodHombre]

In general, yes.

But there are always some blind spots that are more visible to foreigners.

I mean, what a foreigner knows isn't necessarily a proper subset of what a native knows.

[Milky Way Resident]

Foreigners tend to pick up on flaws that often get overlooked by natives. Among patriotic people there is a tendency to self-aggrandize one’s own nation.

[Bakery Hill]

Few foreigners will ever understand a country or culture as well as a native. "Outsiders" will always have a tendency to interpret a country through the cultural norms, historical perspectives, sensitivities, prejudices and expectations of their own culture, and sometimes get it very, very wrong....

[Greysholic]

Often times I find foreigners who've lived here for a certain amount of time a lot more spot on when it comes to pointing out bull**** as many of the locals tend to be such blind morons.

[Anhityk]

I agree that there are always some blind spots that are more visible to foreigners and i am interested in foreigners' opinions as i think those are valuable. Locals for instance in the country i live have often pretty narrow understanding of life, they are too much influenced by stereotypes and do not see the shortcomings of their own. Way too often typical reaction to critical remarks expressed by foreigners here is:" Those foreigners don't know anything about us!"

[Tim Randal Walker]

I came across a comment posted to a blog-that for an outsider to know another nation, that person must be proficient in the local language.

I would think that fluency would be a prerequisite; you would also need to know the history, outlook, customs....etc.

[GoodHombre]

Originally Posted by Tim Randal Walker

I came across a comment posted to a blog-that for an outsider to know another nation, that person must be proficient in the local language.

I would think that fluency would be a prerequisite; you would also need to know the history, outlook, customs....etc.

Sure.

I was referring to foreigners who have lived in the host country for many year, proficient in local language, well traveled, etc.

[DTL3000]

It really depends. I think a native may always beat an outsider on the "ground level" or how day-to-day life is carried on. However, I think it's more of a class thing than local/foreigner. A poor working class stiff with a marginal education who barely leaves his neighborhood might not have the same grasp of the big picture as say a foreign diplomat who conducts business in all of the country's major cities and has, as a job requirement, the responsibility to know the political system and the customs and culture of their host nation.

[whogoesthere]

From a "book" learning perspective, it is quite easy for a foreigner to know more about a country than a native...from a "street" or "on the ground' perspective, the native usually knows more.
Example, a foreigner might be able to do a lecture on the beginnings of hip hop. A Bronx native would be able to tell you what was hot on the street at the time and how people really reacted to this new music.