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A Moshenik Approaches. (Module #6)

My first week in Yerevan, I was approached by a young man speaking English. While I normally try to avoid strangers approaching me in foreign cities, his English caught my attention and I stopped. I evidently underestimated the amount of English I thought I would hear in Yerevan. He asked if I spoke English. I answered that I did and presumed that he was a tourist asking for directions. He proceeded to tell me his (sob) story about being stuck in the city with no money and asked for cash. It seemed I encountered a “Moshenik” –- a scammer! I declined to give him any and quickly cut off the conversation. Some of my classmates encountered this guy in the same spot, and I even saw him multiple times in the same spot (asking tourists if they knew English) over my two months in Yerevan. He must have been lost in the city with no money for months!😉

While my story is uneventful and could have happened in any city, I found using the DIVE method to analyze it interesting. It is interesting to see how quickly our brains attach significance to the raw inputs we receive through our senses. I am very confident my reading on this situation was accurate, but I could see how this method could help clear up ambiguity or clarify situations where one’s interpretation of the situation was off.

I think D.I.V.E. could be useful when recalling uncomfortable or strange interactions in my daily life. Like most students, I’ve had plenty of awkward interactions with professors and students over my four semesters. I usually find them humorous, but it is easy to read into those encounters and start to believe that there is static between yourself and the other person. Nine out of ten times it just comes down to poor communication. Most of the time one can just forget about their awkward interactions, but for those circumstances one feels like they need to process, D.I.V.E might be useful.

My Scenario:

D: A thin, decently dressed young man wearing converse approached me and asked if I spoke English.

I: He might be another American tourist in the city asking for directions. After her gave me his story, I thought he was a “Moshenik.”

V: Other friends were approached by the same man on the same street and asked similar questions. I saw him in the same location doing the same thing around 2-3 weeks later.

E: I evaluated that he probably was a scammer or panhandler. His story was unbelievable, and we were near many tourist locations.

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Sie/Usted and du/tu

One thing about the German language that struck me from the time I began learning it is that, like Spanish, the language contains within itself and grammatical structure, the capacity to differentiate the level of respect for the person you are speaking to. In Spanish, “usted” is formal and “tú” is informal. In German, it is “du” and “Sie.” However, what is most surprising about this to me is that, unlike Spanish, the “Sie” is almost never used. Our German teachers have always made that clear to us. While perhaps in extremely formal settings, there is the need, in the classroom or even amongst family members, the formal will not be used. The formal is retained, really, as a way of speaking to God (or the Divine) as well as in settings where there are strangers or the person being spoken about is unknown. This lines up with the category of Power Distance, which Germany ranks a 37 on, while Mexico an 81. Mexico is an extremely hierarchical country and respect for elders is of utmost importance.

When comparing this to the category labeled “Indulgence,” I also feel there is fruitful analysis. Mexico ranks high here (97), the USA (68), and Germany (40.) Taken in congruence with understandings of hierarchy, between Spanish/Mexico and Germany/Germany, the German people seem to be much more self-regulated. The idea of discipline is passed on not through hierarchical systems, but cultural norms and understandings of what it means to be a member of society. That is fascinating to me and especially in that my first introduction to German culture has been Berlin, which is a city known for its indulgence, but more than that, an indulgence that is “underground,” away from the scene of the more mainstream German. From techno clubs to sex clubs where (I have been told) folks dance completely naked, Berlin is what I might call a “crack” in the system of low indulgence and low “respect” for hierarchy.

Something I have been impressed and intrigued by is the way that the German people remember their history in the architecture of this city. From the parliament building to an exhibit called the “Topography of Terror,” which sits on the old grounds of the Nazi’s Secret Police (Gestapo), Berlin remembers the horrors of fascism and the subsequent Cold War. The parts of the wall that still stand are now painted by artists from many different countries with images of peace. Even in my host family, whose father was a Nazi and had to flee from what is today Poland to West Germany, the imprints of the rise of the Nazi’s to 1989 when the wall fell are clear on these people’s minds. This analysis of a culture which is lower in Power Difference and on Indulgence further complexifies the narrative of the German people and their relationship to their own history. They know the horrors of overly hierarchical structures of government, which results in a decentralized system. Yet, it is clear that it is still in the “cultural water” sort of speak, that there might be control and order.

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Reflections on a Surprising Stereotype (Module #5)

I have serious allergies, so I am a bit neurotic (justifiably) about what I eat and drink. I was offered a home-made liquor and was hesitant to try it until I knew everything in it. I didn’t want to be rude and refuse the drink, and I wanted to try it, but only once I was one-hundred percent sure it wouldn’t make me sick. After trying it. I apologized for my neuroticism with a joke and my hosts laughed. They didn’t take offense and responded saying this was typical for Americans. They shared some (admittedly) funny stories of tourists acting like menaces to service workers. My hesitancy to try their home-brew was nothing in comparison to what they’ve seen before.

In hindsight, these miscommunications and confrontations with tourists likely stemmed from differing expectations. In America, and I would argue touristy locations in Western Europe, we have expectations when we dine out. The customer is king! I found the cafes in Yerevan, while still full-service, were much more low-key and slow-moving. I consider myself patient and polite, but I sometimes found myself frustrated with “the quality of service.” I digress. I was surprised that American tourists had the reputation for being particular. I was expecting to hear other common stereotypes of Americans. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the best reputation abroad. I was told by my hosts the English are worse!

The autostereotype I hold of American students is that they are idealistic and overconfident. Loud too. This I think fits under the generally stereotype of American tourists being obtuse and acting like rubes abroad. I was pleasantly surprised that this stereotype didn’t surface much in Armenia. I was surprised that we had the reputation for being particular and neurotic. Especially since we as Americans often pride ourselves on our rough-and-tumble “can do anything” attitude and adventurous spirit.  

Reflecting on this heterostereotype doesn’t bother me, although I do get frustrated with the “allergies are a lifestyle not an illness” approach. Admittedly, I agree that’s the case with some, but that’s another topic for my future crackpot blog.  As someone with real, serious, allergies, the lack of understanding puts me in uncomfortable situations. Emphasizing a heterostereotype can overlook real differences or nuances of a group of people. Yes, some Americans have strange psychosomatic allergies or intolerances, but many have medical conditions like celiac disease or food allergies which require caution. I’m sure others have similar experiences when others emphasize a partially true stereotype to the detriment of grasping the nuances of a belief, behavior, or attitude of a group.

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Jordanian Social Structure: The Good and the Bad

It was very interesting looking at Hofstede’s insights and comparing Jordanian culture with American culture. A lot of things I saw in Jordan were confirmed and anchored to a cultural dimension with this exercise. Jordan is a very religious state and a monarchy and it is interesting to see how this impacts its culture when comparing it to the United States. Jordan and the US have very different scores in the individualism category, with the US ranking 91% and Jordan 30%. Thus, Jordan is considered a collective society and I witnessed this firsthand. The Islamic religion is the central factor that unites most Jordanians. They go to the mosque several times a day to pray and this catalyzes this collective culture. It is normal for several generations of a family and extended family to live under the same roof. I asked many people why I did not see homeless people on the streets of Jordan. They all responded: “It is because Jordanian families look out for each other.” In the US individual autonomy is encouraged, however, in Jordan each person has a role in the family unit and this helps them achieve the status quo. The men work to make money, the women raise the children and do work around the house, and the children get an education. In the US these strict roles are not as prevalent. This is the way that things went in Jordan, so when I asked if there was flexibility in these roles and if women could do other things, the overwhelming answer was no. Even with little things like sitting in a taxi women were always expected to be quiet and sit in the back, and a man was to sit in the front seat. It was very interesting to see how people from the Jordanian orientation view looked down on those from the Western orientation view and saw it as disorderly. 

I had to adjust my attitude and expectations slightly to conform to this collective society. I had to wear modest clothing and be mindful of the customs in this society. I refrained from sharing my Western views and learned to appreciate the harmony of this collective society.  I was shocked to see that the US was ranked high on the masculinity index and Jordan was ranked as a feminine society. I disagree with this because the foundation of Jordanian society was family, and the foundation of the family was a man. Especially because Jordan is a monarchy, people value the King and Prince overall. Many of the females in my program stated that they would not like to be a woman in Jordanian society because of the lack of autonomy. My professor ( a woman) even said, “If a woman has a choice between university and a husband, she should choose to get married and have a family.” So, because of these experiences, I would say that Jordan is absolutely not a feminine society. 

While I was shocked by some of these customs and rigid beliefs, I was not upset or angry. Many Jordanians were not upset with this hierarchical structure and thought that it was the right way of doing things. They found peace and harmony in this, so for them I was happy. Additionally, there are laws in place that protect this hierarchal structure. So, even if they tried to move away from it, it would be very difficult. This is how they maintain peace and order in their society and for them it works. I found the streets of Jordan to be free from violent crime and very safe. It seems that how they organized their society kept them peaceful and free from conflict. I think big conflicts stayed and were resolved within families. It was an amazing experience getting to live and learn about this culture. It helped me learn that there are different ways of organizing society, and each comes with its own strengths and weaknesses.