SympathyTop of Mind with Julie Rose • Season 1, Episode 41, Segment 3
Apr 13, 2015 • 12m
Guest: Birgit Koopmann-Holm, lecturer at Santa Clara University. Co-author of a series of studies on the differences between American expressions of sympathy and German expressions of sympathy.
When someone passes, we often hear typical responses like: "So sorry for your loss." "My prayers are with you and your family." "Be strong." Pretty standard stuff as far as sympathy goes. But maybe it’s not so standard from a global perspective. Apparently, sympathy is culturally-specific. Santa Clara University researcher Birgit Koopman-Holm has found Americans sympathize differently than other cultures—specifically Germany, where Dr. Koopmann-Holm comes from.