In most non-Western cultures, automatic respect plays an important part. In the Western cultures, this automatic respect has largely been lost and respect is something that has to be earned. This makes it less necessary to lower the eyes. Looking at someone in the eyes is, in fact, conducive to examining whether respect is merited; the eyes are examined, among other things, for sincerity."
-Martine F. Delfos & Tony Attwood

I have read elsewhere that one difficulty that some African American children have in school is that they don't look their teachers in the eye when the teachers are talking to them or reprimanding them. The teachers consider this to be rude and a sign of evasion, but the children are following the rules of etiquette that they have learned at home-that it's impolite to look into the eyes of their elders.

I've also read that not looking your "betters" in the eye was [is?] a key part of the White/non-White dynamics in the USA.

I emphasized the word "some" in my comment about African Americans children being taught to hold their head down and not look directly at adults during conversations, because I'm African American and wasn't taught that. Nor, do I believe, were other African Americans I knew during my childhood in New Jersey in the 1950s. We were expected to adhere to the American custom of looking persons in the eye when talking to them-race didn't factor into this at all.

But I do believe that this was and probably still is a factor in the upbringing of some African Americans-and perhaps other folks who are non-White or who are White.

And I believe that that the actions of those people who have been taught to not look adults or "their betters" in the eye, are often misinterpreted by persons in authority, from teachers, principals, police officers as well as members of a jury.

I'd be interested to "hear" whether any Mudcat members and guests were taught not to look adults in the eye during a conversation.