Are some cultures more tolerant of people with AS?

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I was thinking that "Western" cultures have the concept of "cool" behaviour and that this attitude disadvantages people with AS. Then I started wondering if anyone had experience of other cultures or lived in other countries which they thought more tolerant of aspies' behaviour.

I don't know about living in other cultures, but with BOTH of my sons, their friendships have leaned very obviously to asian or east indian friends. It would just appear that both cultures often value smarts and interests over "coolness". Thank heavens . . .

Kris

I lived in Taiwan for a while, where being what would be considered a "nerd" in the USA is pretty much what the Taiwanese strive for.

On the other hand, Taiwanese culture is not an individualistic culture. You have to be able to follow the unwritten rules, and be a part of the "team."

I have heard that the Japanese are very tolerant to AS people.

I've always found it easier to befriend people across cultural divides, I suppose being an aspie or a foreigner is a good lesson in tolerance for anyone....

I was thinking along the lines of pandabear. The group culture that eastern cultures have could be just as hard to fit into. The group is number one. Being part of the group and knowing and doing things to promote the group, despite what you want, might be hard for some Aspies. Those who are viewed as different might be even more outcast as they don't fit in the group as the group expects. However if you managed to get into a group that accepts you it could be a great supportive and inclusive experience.

I wonder what the expectation of a relationship/friendship is to a foreigner in a eastern group style culture. I would expect that they are prepared to be extremely lenient on the expected group social behavior as they know that a foreigner isn't going to be able to grasp the normal group behaviors. Even for a NT, the difference in culture could mean that many of the social rules would have to be learned in a more intellectual way as they would be different that the intuitive thing learned in their native culture. In that way an Aspie would probably be able to fit in a group as a foreigner fairly respectably.
But I would expect that if it is the Aspies native culture that the group would expect the Aspie to fit in and grok the expected group social behaviors. When the Aspie fails to do so I would expect the group to view them as outcasts much the same way the western culture does, but perhaps even more so.

I don't know what people mean by "culture" but from my experiences and experiences I've read about online, the Gay culture and the Catholic culture {two cultures that shouldn't be used in the same sentence} are very tolerant of those with Aspergers.

Gay cultures are more welcoming of AS people because of the oppression aspect and other aspects of both the AS culture and their culture.

The French are known for being quite... frank,
so the bluntness of an aspie might fit in there.

I think that Japanese schools are notorious for bullies. I think that you wouldn't want to be an Aspie there.

I think that Thai culture is fairly free and easy-going. You would probably be okay in Thailand.

Germans appear to be very Aspie, but they don't seem too tolerant.

All I know is that in Europe the common people have a much greater understanding of what it is than the people on the other side of the Atlantic. So do the doctors.

How much greater? I've actually pondered that before.

Well Ill put it this way. European doctors found out about it around (8 I think?) years before Americans did. American doctors found out about it just recently too, and its sad because not all of them even know what it is. Americans are very behind when it comes to mental science, in comparison to Europeans anyway.

All societies are held together by subconscious imprinting. The cultural matrix may differ, but the general process of forming a common set of beliefs is the same. Individuals who do not imprint or who are imprinted differently are left out and it will be difficult regardless of which society you are part of. Within the larger community, those individuals who do not conform or who belong to a different cultural community have a natural tendency to form a “community of outcasts”. Hence, Aspies will find it easier to form relationships with individuals who are also left out.

Asian cultures do not make it any easier for the Aspie. Like in any functional society, there are implicit rules that almost everyone understands and obeys and violating the norm will invite retaliation from the group. Having lived in the United States for a number of years, I do not think that Americans are any less groupish than Asians. The groups are different, but the need for group identification to form individual identities is similar. The true individual is rare in any society and the lives of such people are invariably difficult.