Synchronization practices abound in tight cultures. The practice of "precision walking,"also called Shuudan Koudou, which translates to "collective action,"has been perfected by Japanese students walking together in amazingly complex routines that echo marching bands and the military. In China, radio calisthenics—exercises set to music and broadcast on the radio—are mandatory at state-owned companies and are part of the curriculum in many primary and secondary schools, and older women frequently gather in public squares at night to dance in synchrony in forms modeled after Tai Chi. In other cultures, religious practices are used to synchronize people. In the Middle East, the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer, resonates through the streets five times a day, synchronizing individuals throughout the region.
Michele Gelfand, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World
