Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Spring Quarter Book Report

Introduction

Nicki Grihault’s Essential Guide to Customs and Culture is comprehensive, lucid, and encouraging. The book gives an over view of many major aspects of the Indian way of life. After reading it I feel confident and at ease about visiting this foreign and exotic land. I also feel excited and ready to explore all the cultural diversity that India has to offer.

Karma


Most Americans seem to have a misunderstanding of Karma. Many people believe that Karma means, “What goes around, comes around.” They believe that Karma states that if you do something good, something good will come back to you. I was taught in my yoga practice that Karma isn’t so selfish. I always thought it to mean that if you do something good, then there is positive energy in the universe, and that positive energy will find someone. What goes around comes around – to the global community. So while a person may do good things and despite this still have bad things happen to them, their good deeds get to someone in the world.

Grihault describes Karma according to India as something different from both of these theories. According to the Guide, the Indian belief in Karma has to do with reincarnation. Reincarnation states that when a person dies, there soul is reborn in another. Their Karma and actions from the past life carry into their present and future lives. If a person was evil in past life, they will be born poor or destitute. If a person comes back as a price, or wealthy, they must have great karma from their past life. It is in this belief in Karma that the caste system makes perfect sense.

According to Wikipedia, Karma, "in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist philosophies.” This is a much broader view of Karma and factors in all the religions and the general concept that what goes around comes around. Wikipedia also states that, “Some traditions (i.e., the Vedanta), believe that a Supreme Being plays some kind of role, for example, as the dispenser of the 'fruits' of karma or as exercising the option to change one's karma in rare instances. In general, followers of the Buddhism and many followers of Hinduism traditions consider the natural laws of causation sufficient to explain the effects of karma. Another view holds that a Sadguru, acting on a god's behalf, can mitigate or work out some of the karma of the disciple. And according to the Jainism perspective, neither a god nor a guru have any role in a person's karma - the individual is considered to be the sole doer and enjoyer of his karmas and their 'fruits'.”

It appears that Karma goes much deeper than Grihault discusses. Though the book cannot be solely on one topic, I believe Grihault should have touched on the different beliefs and applications of Karma. It is a huge part of many different religions and applies differently to many people in India.

Women in India


Grihault discusses some of the plights of women in India. The two aspects that jumped out at me are the tragic traditions of “dowry death” and the attitudes toward widows. I researched dowry death for my spring blog post and CNN stated that 2500 women per year are killed via bride burning. Grihault states the even more offensive number of one woman every one hundred minutes. This calculates to over five thousand-two hundred women per year.

Grihault also discusses the attitudes toward widows. They are seen as bad omens and husband killers. Even child brides are punished for their husband’s deaths. Many places still require the widowed women to shave their heads and stay unmarried for the rest of their lives.

The reason I address the issue of women’s role in India, is not to criticize the culture or focus on human rights. I bring it up because the role/hardships of women in India illustrates the point that India is a place full of contradictions. Women can work and get MBA’s and they are also murdered for not being “worth” enough. As is true in many developing countries, and even so here in America, city life varies greatly from rural areas. Though in America, I believe the variance isn’t as high.

Grihault does an excellent job of describing sensitive issues and illustrating the cultural differences in India.

Business Briefing


I found the Business Briefing section of Customs and Culture particularly helpful. Since we will be attending India formally in the Business setting, a background on Indian business practices will be necessary to fully embrace and learn from our experience.

Grihault describes the Indian business culture as relationship-based. This means that questions about personal life and family are applicable and appropriate in a business setting. Contrarily, it is possible to have a very meaningful and prolonged business relationship in America and know very little about the person you are dealing with. Of course, there is small talk and pleasantries, but unless forming a personal friendship, American business conversation is generally kept sterile and formal.

One thing that is of particular interest to me is the notion that people in India, “would rather tell you a lie than upset you or disagree with you” (Grihault, page 144). This is fascinating to me. Rather than end a negotiation or say something difficult to hear, Indians will attempt to save face for themselves and those around them by lying. I am glad that this was brought to my attention before I went to India. I always believe in business, that while certain things should be delivered lightly, it is better to be brutally honest and straightforward than to be allusive.

Conclusion


Our trip is India is based on business and exposing us to the business practices of different countries. However, what interests me most about India is the culture, the languages, the history, and the food. These are the reasons I love to travel. Grihault’s Essential Guide to Customs and Culture was the first real knowledge I have gained about these things in this course. I am happy to have a general background on these topics before entering the country. I am also going to bring the book with me to reference along the way. Grihault’s book was informative, easy to read, and useful.

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