Culture - Some say that it is the lens through which we view the world around us, while others deem it to be the behavior, beliefs and characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group. There are so many definitions for Culture that Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn, two American anthropologists, compiled about 164 definitions of "culture" in their book” Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions”.
With so many cultures around the world it is common to see many practices by certain cultures being misinterpreted by others. I would like quote an example where a particular culture has been misunderstood.
Example:
It is a common sight to see Indian workers holding hands when they walk along Little 
osexuals at heart there is nothing wrong with holding hands. Personally I find their argument valid. If we were to categorize physical contact between people of the same gender as homosexual behavior then hugging one another should also be deemed homosexual behavior. It is a common sight around
I believe that from this example we can draw two very important lessons. Firstly, before we judge any culture it is very important to familiarize ourselves with the culture and judge objectively. Secondly, the other subtle lesson is that we shouldn’t always generalize that every one from a certain culture would practice all the behaviors ,beliefs and characteristics attributed to that culture(just like how my friends expected me to know about the holding hands incident) because there is always that element of individual choice and preference.
-The End-
*Little
Hi Anand,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I would like to say that it was a good idea to use an example to clearly illustrate how people view the same behaviour in different cultures. If it were not for your post, I would still be left in the dark on this topic. I was certain that the holding of hands was not an act of homosexuality but I never knew the reason behind it. It just goes to show how not having the knowledge could lead to a wrong judgement. Similarly, a simple kiss on the cheek could be a greeting in Western countries, but would be very intrusive in Asian countries where the people are much more reserved. I agree that we must not use our social norms and behaviour to judge others of different cultural background. Otherwise, we would have a lot of misunderstandings with foreigners.
I also agree that we cannot overly generalise people. We may be of the same race but we come from different backgrounds. Just like how you said you were expected to know the reason behind their actions. As a Chinese, I am also not fully informed about the different practices in China.
Nicholas
Hi Anand!
ReplyDeleteYour blog posting is really sharp and concise. I have similar ideas and thinkings.Naturally, I agree with your points as well.Your example of Indians holding hands in Little Indian or elsewhere is something new to me. I have not seen this gesture of Indians before. Still, it is good to know. I would understand the significance of the action now. Different gestures have different interpretation by others. Hence, I agree with you that we all need to familiarize with each other cultures first before judging objectively.
With Regards,
Weilong
I too had the same question in my head when I see indian men holding hands and walking about. I too was perplexed but was enlightened by my indian friend back in secondary school.
ReplyDeleteBring respectful of other peoples' culture doesn't necessarily mean following it, but that we respectfully hold back our immediate opinions and thoughts about it, and refraim from being critical about it.
Even thou I would still be unnerved to see adult indian men holding pinkies and strolling along the mall(despite knowing of their culture), I refraim from commenting on it and to me that is where common respect for each others' culture first begin.
HI Anand,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your example, I cannot agree more. Actually, I always hold my sisters' hands while window shopping, which shows our good relationship, until we were told not to do so since it seems like lesbians.
This is because of the difference between Singaporean culture and Chinese culture. So sometimes we find as a foereigner we are easily misunderstood by doing a variety of things. To solve this probem, we need to know well about different culture and behave interculturally.
-Qidan