This entry was inspired by something that Megan said about why is it the case that in India it is innappropriate to kiss in public but it is fine to pass gas, or burp. My answer to this question is that India has a different way of interpreting public and private space. It is important to recognize that in our American culture there are definite distinctions made in what is proper public space behaviors and what is proper behavior in private space. This is the same for materials. Mary Douglas' theory of pollution is an interesting one to consider at this juncture. She makes the point that dirt is only classified as being dirty when it is matter out of place. In other words when there
is dirt on a freshly cleaned floor then it is considered dirty. However, the dirt in the garden is not seen in the same light. It is considered soil because it is in its right and useful place. When it is out of order, it creates conflict. This is interesting to consider when it comes to the cross-cultural perspectives. When I told many of my friends back home in the US that I was going to India, their response was intriguing. My boss immediately replied that, “India is a dirty filthy country. I would never want to visit that place.” Several other friends mentioned similar concerns that India was dirty, corrupted, and the people smelled bad. In our foreign perspective we see a country that is dirty because to us, matter is out of place to where we think it should be. That's is when we start feeling conflicted and get hostile with our cutlure shock. We think that people should not go to the bathroom in the open where everyone can see them. This is “dirty” because they are not going in what we designate as an appropriate 'private' place. The sewage system should be underground hidden from view, not in the open where we can smell and see it. Again we interpret that as matter out of place. The trash everywhere on the streets should be in a waste basket or sack of some kind. This should be put in its proper place that is separate from what is clean. Conversely, India looks at America and feels we should not be displaying so much public affection, that should be done in a private sphere. Our understanding and perceptions of what is approriate in private and public differ. India has adapted to its resources, population, and values. These men going to the bathroom in the fields (public) really have no where else to go. There are no public bathrooms nearby and even if there were I wouldn't blame them for going in the field (have ya seen those bathrooms). They have adapted to their environment. Outsiders frequently getting involved in conversations is another example of publicly acceptable space. I was shocked to find in gynecology offices where I interviewed that there were two doctors with two separate patients at one desk. There was no privacy with what they were discussing with patients. What we feel should be private has had to adapt here because of the limited space and amount of people. The man bathing in the gutter of the street did so because that is what he must do for survival with his limited resources. The trash on the sides of street is not perceived as being matter out of place to many of the people. There are no other places to put it so its in its proper place which is the gutter. When I spoke with some Hindu friends about how in America most cows and dogs are penned in or tied up, they had a look of horror cross their faces. "This is not good," one exclaimed, "they should be free to roam where they please." Cows being in public space is appropriate from the Indian perspective. Understanding and interpreting space is so fascinating to me especially in the India context. Maybe more Americans should start farting in public and kissing in private :)
is dirt on a freshly cleaned floor then it is considered dirty. However, the dirt in the garden is not seen in the same light. It is considered soil because it is in its right and useful place. When it is out of order, it creates conflict. This is interesting to consider when it comes to the cross-cultural perspectives. When I told many of my friends back home in the US that I was going to India, their response was intriguing. My boss immediately replied that, “India is a dirty filthy country. I would never want to visit that place.” Several other friends mentioned similar concerns that India was dirty, corrupted, and the people smelled bad. In our foreign perspective we see a country that is dirty because to us, matter is out of place to where we think it should be. That's is when we start feeling conflicted and get hostile with our cutlure shock. We think that people should not go to the bathroom in the open where everyone can see them. This is “dirty” because they are not going in what we designate as an appropriate 'private' place. The sewage system should be underground hidden from view, not in the open where we can smell and see it. Again we interpret that as matter out of place. The trash everywhere on the streets should be in a waste basket or sack of some kind. This should be put in its proper place that is separate from what is clean. Conversely, India looks at America and feels we should not be displaying so much public affection, that should be done in a private sphere. Our understanding and perceptions of what is approriate in private and public differ. India has adapted to its resources, population, and values. These men going to the bathroom in the fields (public) really have no where else to go. There are no public bathrooms nearby and even if there were I wouldn't blame them for going in the field (have ya seen those bathrooms). They have adapted to their environment. Outsiders frequently getting involved in conversations is another example of publicly acceptable space. I was shocked to find in gynecology offices where I interviewed that there were two doctors with two separate patients at one desk. There was no privacy with what they were discussing with patients. What we feel should be private has had to adapt here because of the limited space and amount of people. The man bathing in the gutter of the street did so because that is what he must do for survival with his limited resources. The trash on the sides of street is not perceived as being matter out of place to many of the people. There are no other places to put it so its in its proper place which is the gutter. When I spoke with some Hindu friends about how in America most cows and dogs are penned in or tied up, they had a look of horror cross their faces. "This is not good," one exclaimed, "they should be free to roam where they please." Cows being in public space is appropriate from the Indian perspective. Understanding and interpreting space is so fascinating to me especially in the India context. Maybe more Americans should start farting in public and kissing in private :)
So I had a similar realization in Madagascar. Their perceptions of privacy and personal space are completely different from in America. You're probably right that a lot of that is due to circumstance and necessity. In my case, i noticed how I shared a bathroom with my host family. My bedroom was right across from theirs and i often saw them run down the hall in a towel. there were four or five families living in the same compound and each had a radio that could be heard throughout the compound regardless of shut doors and windows. It was impossible to find a space that was purely mine and completely private. One place I stayed at used a open well and a rock on the ground for a bathing spot. the nearest fence was fifty yards away and made of sticks -- not the most private conditions. It's definitely a different world. And if you don't recognize that there are reasons for the differences it's really easy to label it as inferior. While I prefer the privacy and personal space I enjoy here in America, I understand now why some cultures involve much more intimate interactions and living styles.
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