To prepare for this blog post I read several news stories summarizing the events of, and the repercussions following "Nannygate", the case of the Indian diplomat arrested on charges of visa fraud and under-paying her house help. The "-gate" nomenclature was assigned as a response to the uproar surrounding the State Department's handling of both the situation and the individual. Reports accusing law enforcement of less than tasteful behavior swirled with bulletins declaring the justice and professionalism of the law in action (For the Daily Mail's timeline of events, click here).
What really happened? Some, and probably many, of the truths will not be known in the news, but what is sometimes as important as the reality is the first collective perception of the event. That a well-educated, high-powered woman, an Indian diplomat and a guest in the United States, should not only be arrested but also strip-searched (other more unsavory rumors circled as well), enraged both government officials and ordinary citizens.
Power Distance--the acceptance of hierarchy in a culture (Interplay, page 46-47). Did police officers offend that hierarchy when they arrested a diplomat?
Gender--does the fact that the accused was a woman play a role in how her home country felt about her arrest? Are women accorded a type of cultural chivalry in mainstream Indian culture that would be offended?
Collectivism--If India in general is a more collectivist culture, would individual Indian citizens feel personally more offended that "one of ours" is in disgrace? Or am I conflating nationalism and collectivism?
Guest--Even though Khobragade did not have a certain level of diplomatic immunity in this case (source), does the fact that she was serving as a guest in the United States call for more sensitive treatment?
To watch
A European student project explaining the theory around cultural stereotypes. I found this especially effective at the point when the non-US vantage point became very clear, and the US student is pushed off the hegemonic pedestal.
To listen
This song reminded me of a a discussion in another communication course about how if immigrants (especially those from strong story-telling cultures and co-cultures) involved in court cases on American soil could have a chance to tell their complete background story in a court statement, we might make judicial decisions that are more culturally understanding.
While this song is meant for children, it illuminates some important concepts in cross-cultural communication, like not assuming the background of a person based on their skin tone or accent and being open to hearing about 'different' experiences. I like how it encourages us to think of cultural differences as something to celebrate and to learn about, not to be afraid of or block.
To read
An introduction to elements of
communication across cultures.
Principles and practices in
the field of international
relations.
A discussion of India's
historic and present international
relations with various countries,
regions, and powers around the
world.
I thought the song you chose perfectly represented this case! It shows the importance of understanding the whole story before we react, which is what happened with the Khobragade case. I also thought it was great that it was for children because sometimes these issues need to be plainly described to show how simple intercultural issues can be solved if we just sit back and try to understand the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought up gender. I think that is really an interesting point and topic in this case. How would it have changed if Khobragade was a man. Would there even be a case to discuss? Interesting perspective.
ReplyDeleteI was also wondering to what extent gender played a role in this issue. I don't know how women stand in Indian society compared to our own. However, if they have women diplomats, that says something. I also agree that the power distance was a big factor in this communication malfunction. At the same time, would we like it if one of our foreign diplomats had the same thing happen to her? I doubt it. But maybe we wouldn't react in the same way because we are used to lower power distance...
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