It was Camus who observed in his Notebooks that foreigners in a country inevitably end up being critical about its ways. With my recent postings, I ruffled more feathers, and strengthened my already strong reputation for being one of these. So if not an apology, at least a (further) clarification.
First, one should not generalise by ethnicities, nationalities, race … etc. Of course I agree. Indeed I am bugged most by this personally when people start typecasting me with traits they claim are Indian. My response is an agitated: “Hey! Whether or not x may be an Indian trait, you have to judge me by what I say or do!”. So obviously I shouldn’t be accusing anyone of going this or that based on the fact that they’re Swedes! Individuals are different, and they are responsible for their own thoughts and actions, not those of others.
Second, I am often incensed at comments made about India (for example in recent meetings in the new fever of Indo-Swedish samarbete) by people who have no clue. Obviously, it takes a while to understand the norms and mores of a country, and to pass judgements without doing so is the height of ignorant condescension. So, by the same token, I shouldn’t go around spouting wisdom on Swedish ways without having understood them correctly.
That said, I do believe some stereotypes are true! Or, at least have a grain of truth about them. And, second, it sometimes requires a foreigner’s eyes to spot something that is invisible to the locals.
In my offending blogs I made two related claims: first that Swedes have a tendency to be defer-rant to authority, that of the Government say, or to that conferred by a position or status. Second, that Swedes are infected by “coursophilia” – to attach too high an importance to formal courses and points as a way of judging competence.
Now, following (very briefly and superficially), David Sloan Wilson’s adage to view everything in the light of Evolution for Everyone, there may be good reasons fo these memes to have set in. After all, Swedish Governments, for eaxmple, have long been models of unsurpassed integrity and honesty, and the Swedish education system has similarly worked marvels in creating the present state of society. So there may be very good reasons for the deference to authority and coursophilia.
But, there is also the danger that it can be misused and exploited …
August 28, 2008 at 5:13 pm
It is controversial when one denies own background, due to the delusion of being special from own societal/racial/national background. Such feelings are often associated with having good position in life which gives rise to euphria. I am also an Indian, so I can better understand your condition. After more than 700 years of slavery under Islamic rule and 250 years of slavery under British rule, we Indians have lost the taste of being recognised as an “Indian” anyway ! We are now slaves of our own weaknesses.
India has given birth to several great personalities and those personalities have never faced any hesitations of “Indian identiy” at international level. Since their own bright persona was more than sufficient to overcome the dark of Indian background.
I am not saying whether you lack something, but I would say that you are responsible for your own perceptions, experiences and feelings, not those who refer you as an “Indian” while being in Swedish society. So best advise that you should first place yourself under microscope to find out your “indian” limitations to try to get the rid of them.