An Egalitarian Inwards A Hierarchical World.

Will Barratt, Ph.D.

Roi Et Rajabhat University

I possess got spent most of my life equally a bulk fellow member of the the States bulk culture.  I learned equality equally a immature somebody too I positively reinforced equality equally an adult.  I comprehend the the States axiom that no 1 gets to go special.  Even academic titles too ranks bothered me when I was a Professor.  I came upwards during the 60s liberty marches that emphasized that equality was a thing of constabulary too of culture.  At to the lowest degree my assumptions virtually equality inward constabulary too civilization is what I believed virtually myself.  Being exterior of my ain civilization I possess got a endangerment to highlight merely about of my ain civilization too my participation inward the rituals of prestige too privilege.

I immediately alive inward Thailand too operate equally a Professor at Roi Et Rajabhat University, a provincial campus inward the due north east.  Being a Professor is both a social whorl too an academic seat hither too inward the US.  My electrical current social role too academic seat are much dissimilar than my life equally a Professor inward the US.  

Thai cultural behaviors, reflecting Thai cultural values, human activity to reify a arrangement of social stratification.  I am old, then younger people must pay me respect.  I am a Professor on my campus then people must pay me respect.  This is all attribution, it is what others intend of me too this is fundamental to most of my relationships.  This is what I possess got referred to equally attributed social class, what others intend of us.  As a resultant of valuing my age, academic rank, equally good equally my national rootage Thais possess got a ready of behaviors to become along amongst these attributes.

The Wai is a greeting amongst raised hands, too ever given from youngest to oldest. It must go returned. This is a cultural imperative.  I possess got seen mothers too fathers heighten a toddlers hands to Wai me.  The formalization of a hierarchy based on historic menses through this gesture is 1 of the fundamental facets of Thai interpersonal interactions.  It is a conditioned reply here.  I occasionally acquire it incorrect too I am the start to Wai others too I oft Wai younger people because I possess got the States ideas of politeness that come upwards from a dissimilar culture.  The Thai people I operate amongst are forgiving of my cultural mistakes, at to the lowest degree for now.  Tolerance for others is likewise a Thai cultural value.

There is a doctoral pupil inward my subdivision who is a serious histrion inward the electrical current Thai government.  In my the States frame of take away heed I request to honour him for his accomplishments too earned prestige.  Here, he is obligated to Wai me because of my age.

The coming together amongst him was a delightful 2nd for me because it highlighted cultures inward conflict.  There was a momentary contrast betwixt what I felt obligated to do based on the States ideas of privilege too hierarchy, too what he felt obligated to do based on Thai ideas of privilege too hierarchy.

A 2nd ready of behaviors related to hierarchies of privilege occurs hither inward professional person settings. When we, my married adult woman is likewise a Professor here, become to conferences or when nosotros give workshops, at lunchtime nosotros are segregated from attendees inward gild to dine amongst presenters too honored guests, similar Deans too campus Presidents. This segregation makes the 2 tiered course of teaching arrangement visible.  Vonnegut referred to people existence given status equally stars too the residual of us equally chip role players. While the segmentation of stars too chip role players tin sack go experienced inward the States civilization these 2 groups are formalized too ritualized inward obvious ways here.  Perhaps I observe this 2 tier arrangement hither because I was never invited to the caput tabular array at meetings inward the US.

Coming from a democratic civilization that celebrated equality this Thai historic menses too prestige hierarchy is a personal challenge. While hierarchies of prestige too privilege dominate the States culture, too I possess got all means of earned too unearned prestige too privilege, the opened upwards recognition, the ritual inward basic behaviors, bothers me here. While I, too nearly everyone I know inward the US, participate inward the rituals of privilege too hierarchy inward the the States seeing these rituals inward merely about other civilization is seeing them anew.  Twain was correct that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, too narrow mindedness”.  This sense amongst hierarchies hither helps me highlight the rituals too assumptions of hierarchies of prestige too privilege inward my cultures of origin.  

I participate inward these rituals hither because this is non my civilization too I elbow grease to award the cultural practices here.  To seek to alter the civilization hither is cultural imperialism.  So, to what extent should I cease to participate inward these cultural rituals of prestige too privilege inward my ain culture?  Affecting my ain civilization is non cultural imperialism.  What tin sack I do equally an ex-pat?  I tin sack assist betoken out how nosotros all participate inward co-evolving inequality.

In the spirit of equality too honour for autonomy, yous become ahead too do what yous want. And delight go mindful of how your life affects others’ lives.