Now that I am back in the United States, I notice new things about myself. I am more bold with making things work that I would otherwise accept as part of a system. For example, the bus driver said that I didn’t have enough fare for the ride. First I tried to give him some Euros, which was worth more than the fare, then I appealed to his sense of family, “you can give this to your grandson, it is from Europe.” Then I tried appealing to his sense of pity, “please I can’t get the next bus because I would miss my flight.” When I realized that he was not working with me, I just ran off the bus at the stoplight, ran into a dry cleaner I had done business with earlier that day, “please, I am a loyal customer, I need change quick for the bus, that is my bus there, see?” I was able to get change and run back onto the bus, just in time. Upon reflecting on this situation, I wonder if I would have done this had I not spend two months in Africa. You see, if you allow them, different countries train you to operate within them. My experience in Ethiopia taught me that everything is negotiable: Prices, “how much is this traditional Ethiopian Toga? 300? I will offer you 100.” Policies, “The tej bet is now closed” “Please allow me in, I need to try this Ethiopian treasure of yours.” Statuses, “For 200 birr, we will turn this bus into a personal taxi for you if you need it.” Even sides of the road were negotiable. When a wedding was blocking the southbound side of the road, a group of south bound drivers decided on taking the northbound road until we passed the wedding party, essentially negotiating which side of the road could be driven on. Clearly nobody has read the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals where Immanuel Kant declares the categorical imperative which goes something like, “if it is right in one case, it is right in all cases.” This idea of morality is uniquely Western and is not the case in either Asia or as I just learned Africa. Is the rest of the world more willing to negotiate, can they see the systems, processes, interactions, identities as more situation specific? Perhaps in a Western world where systems, infrastructure, mechanics work regularly, it is easier to see things as non negotiable.
The training that countries give you, if you are paying attention are valueable and are useful even when you leave. For example, while sitting here waiting for a flight, I noticed a European accent coming from a mouth of a person sitting next to me. I then realized I had Euros in my pocket that needed trading. I introduced myself to the lady next to me and then traded them at the bank rate. Both of us got a good deal and neither of us had to pay a bank for the transaction fee, which would have been quite steep on a mere 5 Euros. Would I have I thought of this opportunity or been so bold as to take it had I not been trained in negotiation as I had just been in Africa? Would I have thought to myself, “banks are for trading currency, therefore I must find a bank and pay a commission in order to turn my Euros into Dollars.”
One training I received was to save little pieces of rubbish that could be useful later. After a few experiences throwing something away, an empty bottle, a long piece of string, a plastic bag, I realized I could have used them later. I needed to store some liquid while in the village and I wondered why I had thrown away the plastic bottle. I had needed something to tie some clothes together and I wondered why I had thrown it away earlier, ect. So on my way walking to the terminal here now that I am back, just had second thoughts about recycling this little paper bag that contained my bagel. This is a sturdy little plastic bag, it could come in handy. I thought, a split second before I thought, this is what hoarders things. Right, I am throwing this away right now. But the place I was just in had trained me to be resourceful with what I had. This makes me think, is what is termed resourceful in one circumstance, termed a social disability in another circumstance. Maybe all social disabilities are just adaptations to situations that do not exist.
Intercultural Tip: Consider bizarre cultural behavior as an adaptation to situations you have not yet seen.
alex, how do you make the leap from negotiating systems to negotiating morality? does this kind of fluidity or flexibility apply to morals in africa/asia/etc., too? i'm wondering if these cultures do have the same rigidity about some things that we do - but if they just have a different definition of which things are "negotiable."
ReplyDeleteIn the West we see moral behavior as applying a system to all cases. The impartial implementation of the system is what ensures morality. "If you start making exceptions to the system, then everyone will ask for an exception." Goes the logic. But in other countries, the system is a starting point for negotiation. "If you make an exception for one person, then you have judiciously made an exception." Goes the logic.
ReplyDeleteAll jay walkers are law breakers, for example. In America each person who walks during a don't walk light should be given a ticket. However in other countries if a person who jay walks in an empty street is given an exception. This simple example captures the implementation of systematic concepts of justice verses a more situational approach. One may say that police may overlook someone (non suspicious looking) for jaywalking on an empty road. However, their role as ascribed is for the impartial application of enforcing the law, not for making exceptions.
In fact there is a joke that I heard while in Germany (the birthplace of Immanuel Kant). You know you are in Germany when you see a punk (he or she who ascribes to anarchy) in the Krutsberg (a punk area of Berlin) waiting at a don't walk sign on an empty road.
Ok you are right different things are negotiable in different countries, this is correct. While in America social hierarchy is always negotiable. It goes with our American idea of social mobility. However in Japan, hierarchy is always determined by status and space. A customer is always the highest status. A boss is always high status, unless you are in a space that encourages drunkenness. Special rules apply while in this place, however no word of this is spoken of after having left the drinking space. You could say what happens in the bar stays in the bar.
The things that are negotiable in Japan though are contracts. In Asia in general, the contract is the baseline or a starting point. If situations changes, you can ask to make an exception to the contract. However if you are the relationship has not been taken care of, your Asian partner will rely on a strict interpretation to extract the last penny since they do not wish to continue the relationship.
Yea, different things are negotiable in different cultures. While in Japan, I was surprised how rigid hierarchy was.
ReplyDeleteThe leap from systems from systems to morality comes from an idea of justice that can be summed up in these two statements. "Justice is blind" v.s. "To each his due" or this way "If I made an exception in one case, I would have to make it in all cases" and "If I make an exception for you, it is because the context is different"
ah. i would draw a distinction between morality and justice/law. our concept of morality is probably much closer across cultures than our concept of justice or legality. if the categorical imperative is a true concept, it would encapsulate the most basic, most universal, most unavoidable moral laws. theoretically, these things should be shared across all humans, despite culture, etc. so you could argue that while we are separated by our ideas of justice or law, basic morality is shared by all people.
ReplyDelete