mandag 28. september 2009
Vamos a la playa
I wanted to response to the "bikiniissue" brought up on college meeting. Not that this in itself is an issue of huge concern to me, it doesnt really make a difference. What I want to discuss is the underlying assumtions brought up by it. First of all, the point Jana made about this being our home. I have to agree with her, considering the fact that we spend two years of our lives here most of us call this home. I know that people have strong oppinions about this, and I don`t wish to step on anyones toes but doesn`t the notion of "home" contain some amount of freedom which you cannot excersice elsewhere? Regarding the RKHS, the guards and everyone else working on campus, I think we have to keep in mind that this is their job. We are not asking to bring our own culture down to the villages and walk around in bikinies in their houses. Quite the opposite, when going down to THEIR homes, we adapt to their culture by dressing culturally sensitive and learn to live with their custums which at least in my country is seen as offensive like burping, spitting, beating of kids in schools etc. I think that in a job, you`re bound to adapt to certain situations where you don`t feel completly comfortable, situations that you don`t experince at home because home is your sphere of freedom to continue your custums and habits. And MUWCI is our home. Though, I do see issue with this argument and I think that the way of looking at is is much influenced by how we define MUWCI. Because fact is that we have chosen to live in India which is in a larger context, the home of people working on campus. But if we talk about MUWCI as "the bubble" so many people refer to then it`s maybe more justified as our home. Can we take the freedom to refer to MUWCI as an independant bubble or a mini-world separate from our environment here in India?
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Hey Line :) I think you have some very good arguments here.. if you look at the issue in that sense, maybe the more philosophical sense, I guess you are right - this is our home and a restriction of our freedom, and for them it is only a job.
SvarSlettI just feel that if we know it is offensive or uncomfortable for them - it is not such a big deal not to wear a bikini... at least not for me. But that might vary with different people I guess...
Well and also I think we can still make this temporal home very home-y, maybe without making other people who spend a lot of time here to feel uncomfortable.
I know what you mean, I think, and I also think I agree, but I feel that even at home, we make allowances for people that dont believe the same things as us. For example, my parents might not believe in loud music, therefore, I tone it down. My grandparents might not believe in meat eating, therefore I dont bring meat home even though everybody knows I eat it when I am out with friends.
SvarSlettI think this sort of falls into that category. Even if its our home, we share it with people that dont have the same beliefs as us. Home does not necessarily mean we are allowed to exercise every one of our beliefs because that would mean we have exactly the same beliefs as everyone we live with and I dont think thats true...