Etiquette
Manners in the modern world and in the past.
‘Always pass the salt and pepper together, even if your fellow diner has asked just for one of them’. That’s the standard advice given by countless dining etiquette manuals. But why? It’s one of the many rules regarding proper manners that have been passed down generations, regardless of the rules being sensible or just plain silly. And while some things that our grandparents would have considered impolite are accepted today, new rules constantly spring up: email etiquette is a recent example. Iszi Lawrence follows the story of etiquette across time and over several continents with the help of Annick Paternoster from the University of Lugano, Daniel Kadar from the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Centre, and Forum listeners from around the world.
