CULTURE SHOCK

An expression that I’ve heard a lot over the past few months and use often myself is “its cultural” It is used as a statement of fact, but also, as sort of an excuse I think. When something happens that is different or unexplainable to us “mazungus” we simply shrug our shoulders as if to say “its Kenya, what can you do?”

As the youth director at New Life Church I always did my best to expose my students to other cultures and teach them to be accepting, tolerant and loving of people who did things differently than we did. After all, “its not bad, its just different” and although I still want the students that I come in contact with to experience different cultures and broaden their world view, I’m not sure anymore if “its not bad, just different” is completely accurate or usable in all situations.

Yes, I have no right to come to another country and try to force or impose my beliefs and values on its residents just because I may believe that my point of view is the right one. And I understand that I can not change a culture and really have no right to. So here is my question:

Does a belief or value being cultural, make it right or OK?

And where do you draw the line?

Exhibit A: in the U.S. we are on time. We make appointments and keep them. Our schedules are set and we follow them sometimes down to the second. They are important to us. We would never dream of being late to an interview and in fact doing so would be seen by the prospective employer as a lack of commitment, and work ethic. If we have friends or know people that are always late they are looked on as flaky or unreliable. Here, it is not so. Its perfectly acceptable and normal to be an hour and a half late to a meeting or show up with an appointment at all. Nothing starts on time and no one expects it to. Its not bad, its just different.

Exhibit B: In Kenya if you walk into your office to find a stranger with his hands in your purse, it is perfectly acceptable to beat him. When you call the police to report it you might hear something like “just kill him and we’ll come and get the body later” Not bad, just different??

Exhibit C: Washing the dishes the other day, I asked some of the boys to help. The response that I got was not a happy one. I was told that washing dishes is “woman's work”. A test that I was grading not too long ago asked the question, ‘Eve was created for Adam as a _______’ the possible answers were friend, slave, helpmate. The majority of boys marked ‘slave’ as their answer. Boys are not taught to respect women, and women are not taught to expect respect from men. They each have their respective roles and they fill them without complaint. I am not arguing for against specific gender roles. I am, however, arguing for a woman's right to be treated like a human being whose values, opinions, and talents are valuable, not as a work horse. Most don't seem to mind or care that they are treated like they are. Is that because they accept and believe in the system in which they are brought up? Or is it simply because they know no other way?

Not bad? Just different?