Monday, June 29, 2015

Cultural Sensitivity 101

There are so many cultural practices and taboos here that some days, I really wish I had a rule book. I never really thought too much if my behavior was offensive to another person, because I believe that I am conditioned to behave within the bounds of the culture I grew up in. I know the do's and the don't s, and the appropriate and inappropriate and it is second nature to me... but when you travel to another country you can pretty much throw many of your own rules and norms out the window.

I will give you one big example, as I found myself making some cultural faux paus when it comes to this subject. Luckily, I am living with quite a wonderful, amazing, understanding and PATIENT host family. The subject is the birth of a new child. My host brother's girlfriend had a baby and she has moved in with us for a few weeks. At home, as with anywhere in the world, I assume, the birth of a new baby is a special and happy time. This is naturally also the case here in Guyana. However, at home, at least in my family, as I can't speak for every religion or ethnic group in the US as there is so much diversity... I can only speak to my own experiences, and in my own experience, there really aren't many rules when it comes to introducing the new baby to the world... maybe good etiquette is to bring a gift if you weren't at the shower, to use hand sanitizer and to make sure you are not sick around the baby for obvious reasons, but that is really all I can come up with. Here in Guyana, there are many rules that deal with the health of the baby and the health of the baby's soul. I will tell you eleven of them that my host family told me, many of which, out of complete ignorance, I have accidentally broken. Again, I have a wonderful and understanding host family and am hoping that the spirits here will forgive me and not take it out on this poor child! These rules are in effect for the first NINE days of the child's life, as it is believed that in the first nine days, the child is the most vulnerable... I (and many doctors) would probably agree with this sentiment in connection to its physical well being. After nine days, the rules are no longer in effect. So here goes... disclaimer: note that this is an abridged version and simply what I have picked up from conversation or observation of just a handful of families, Guyana is extremely diverse with Christianity, Hinduism, Muslim, Rastafarian etc. There is definitely more explanation and tradition, and probably more rules across religions, that I can not even begin to understand as I have only been here for a few months:

  1. If you are menstruating: no holding the baby or sitting on the bed the baby sleeps on, otherwise, the baby will get crusty eyes that are glued shut.
  2. A broom must be placed by the entrance to the house.
  3. No one is to see the baby who is not immediate family [I am considered family, so I can see and hold the baby whenever I want!]... but my friend came over to bring me a Popsicle (a super special treat in this climate) and she saw the baby... rule broken...
  4. No one is to come in the house after 6PM, otherwise spirits who follow you home can hurt the baby as its soul is still vulnerable... I wasn't aware of this rule, so I came home the other night at 9PM... I had to walk through the door backwards to face the spirits that followed me and to tell the spirits to go away...
  5. The baby isn't named for nine days – I kept asking the baby's name when I first saw him...
  6. A dot (eye) is placed on the baby's brow to protect it from bad mouth (gossip and evil)... I asked why he had a dot and for about one second before it was explained, considered trying to wipe it off. Oops.
  7. Something about the fridge... standing right next to the fridge, the mother called me over and asked me to open the fridge for her because she couldn't – still trying to figure this one out... maybe it has to do with the cold. Guyana is HOT and sudden cold may do something.
  8. The baby needs to spend a few minutes in direct sunlight each day. The immediate thing that popped in my mind was the baby sun cages that stuck out of the windows from the olden days... Google it. I was given the baby to stand in the direct sunlight and he cried... we lasted about 20 seconds.
  9. Baby needs to be burped... wait, I knew this rule!!!!! score one for me!
  10. You can not go to a wake or funeral when there is a baby in your house, as the spirit of the dead will follow you home... which is very bad, again because the baby's soul is vulnerable.
  11. After nine days, there is a baby shower end the baby is named. It is a huge celebration and you can bring a gift or money for the baby.

So some of you may laugh at these baby rules as they seem silly and foreign. As I am trying to be honest in these blog posts, I will tell you that, I did at first giggle in awe; they were simply so different from anything I have ever heard that I thought they were a joke. But they are not. I realized that when I hear these stories and rules (remember I mentioned the Baccu in an earlier post... many people have told me they have legit had one), I needed to keep in mind that they are legitimate to my host country and taken very seriously. It would be pure disrespect to know the rules and willingly break them, or to make fun of them (and I don't just mean the baby rules, there are so many other customs and superstitions). Going back to my own culture and beliefs, respect is one of the most important values to Americans, so while I may or may not believe in these “rules”, it is out of respect that I will adhere to them and not judge.

To put it another way, Guyanese have a rich and beautiful blend of superstition, folklore, religious beliefs and tradition. In Guyana, folklore, superstition and traditions explain every day occurrences and history. We Americans also have many superstitions, traditions and beliefs to explain things that a Guyanese, or person from another culture may find strange or silly... 11:11 make a wish... rain on wedding days... blowing out candles and making a wish that you don't tell to anyone! Groundhogs day, rabbit rabbit day. Another example, Halloween... We dress up scary, silly or... gulp, slutty... and send our children parading down the street IN THE DARK asking our neighbors for candy. Mind you that all too often, with our busy lives, we often don't even know many of our neighbors that we are sending our children to, oftentimes alone... THIS IS CRAZY. But we do it... it has been a tradition for decades and we love it and believe our children should experience it.

I will leave you with this thought when thinking about cultural sensitivity, values and norms... Imagine this: a 31 year old unmarried and childless woman left her family home at 18. She went to college, traveled to Chile at 21, got a job that paid money, lived on her own for 13 years (with female AND male roommates), and then one day, she up and left her family, friends and country for two years. To you, some aspect of this story may be your own in some way or another, and you won't even blink twice when you hear this story, and may be wondering why I am even mentioning it. But to some people in the country she is now living in, or for that matter, in the majority of countries around the world, they may see her story as crazy, completely foreign and silly. However, despite these sentiments, she and many like her are still welcomed with open arms and love all over the world. Peace Corps. 




 

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