I would like to add a last comment here on politics and the issue of in- and out-groups. A development that took me by surprise was that my friendship with Palestinian Bedouins accentuated my deviation from the accepted social norms in my other groups of friends. What I had seen as an individual choice unrelated to my belonging to other social groups became a collective issue. This is a sign that even in relatively individualistic cultures a collective spirit is aroused when there is a threat of severe deviance to norms. It is something to be aware of in intercultural friendships. Not everyone in one’s social environment will be content when one befriends people from a culture that is significantly different, and negative reactions to such a friendship are to be expected. The level of encountered negativity in one’s environment of course depends on a variety of factors, and particularly on the openness in your social environment and the general attitude toward the specific social group to which one’s friend belongs.
