A cross-cultural study on noise problems: Comparison of the results obtained in Japan, West Germany, the U.S.A., China and Turkey

Abstract

Neighborhood noise has become a serious problem in many countries, and it is difficult to regulate by physical means alone. A cross-cultural survey was conducted in five countries, Japan, West Germany, the United States, China and Turkey, among residents of apartment houses in order to examine the cultural differences involved. Interesting differences were found in preferred countermeasures, highly annoying sounds, attitudes against noise, expectations for laws, etc. The use of loudspeakers in public places was accepted in all five countries, provided that they were used for conveying necessary information. The results suggest that it is important to take cultural or social backgrounds into consideration in order to find suitable countermeasures.