���Re the article on the Inuit that Beth Benoit cited: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2009/12/21/through_inuit_eyes/
I'm sure some of the mores of the Inuit are very strange to Americans or Europeans, but with several of the examples in the article I find it strange that the author should think them strange. >And why the cumbersome etiquette around eating, >the obsession with utensils like the "fork and dull knife >known by Inuit as nuvuittuq (without point)." I'm sure one could say something similar about the well-known Japanese tea rituals. >At the home where I was staying someone rang the >doorbell one day and surprised my hostess by dropping >off a dead baby seal. He’d bagged it on a hunting trip. I'd be surprised if this wasn't quite a common occurrence in the past in rural England, with a rabbit for a gift, and for all I know it might well be the case now. >Why, he wonders, do Qallunaat always plan some ritual or >activity when they have visitors over, such as a bridge game? At least in some parts of English society in the past, this would have been a common occurrence, with card games or musical performances arranged for the guests. Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London http://www.esterson.org -------------------------------------------------- [tips] multicultural thoughts Beth Benoit Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:12:52 -0800 And an article that might worthwhile sharing with our social psychology students when we cover outgroup homogeneity bias: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2009/12/21/through_inuit_eyes/ Beth Benoit Granite State College Plymouth State University New Hampshire --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
