Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour
In different countries, there are different practices and cultures. This is what makes every country unique from each other. Within each country, many different kinds of ethnic groups can also be found. For my post today, I will evaluate on a culture that is practiced in by one of the ethnic groups in Southern China.
Well, so much for the introduction, the ethnic group that I am going to talk about is 女儿国 (Daughter of the country), which is found in Yun Nan. Like the name of the group suggests, only women live in their society there are some people that hailed this place "the mysterious daughter of the East country," The interesting practice that women in this ethnic group do is that they will spend seven nights with seven different men on the bed and all they do is chit-chat for the night. They believe this is a good way to know a man.
This culture practice is something totally different from Singapore. In Singapore, we have a different mode of meeting the opposite gender. There are a high percentage of women that are working and sometimes their only way that get to interact with men are during work or even going on blind dates (though not common) that might have been arranged by match-making agencies or even parents.
This culture was what I find very interesting and totally different from the culture in Singapore and they also have a special dance that both men and women will dance together to express their love for the opposite gender. Women in Singapore do not have difficulty knowing people from the opposite gender considering the fact that they are more independent, out-spoken and given the fact that they have more opportunity to meet the opposite gender. Perhaps, the women in女儿国 will have this practice as they might have difficulty getting to know men or they may be generally shy since they are constantly in the company of women.
However, I feel that a culture is what makes the group or a country unique from one another. Therefore, even if I may feel that such a practice in女儿国 is not necessary because I feel that they are a lot better ways to know a guy, nevertheless, I must still respect the culture that they have.
posted by Zoelyn Teo @ 8:00 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Hi Zoelyn,
Every culture has its unique and interesting characteristics. Some culture's strength might be another culture's weakness. Nevertheless we can learn different lessons from the differences. So perhaps the Singapore women should meet the women from 女儿国 and vice versa! It would sharpen and improve each other's perspective about getting to know men which should be quite interesting.
You relate a very interesting cultural "courting" practice, Zoelyn. I wonder if it is still practiced, and if it is, to what degree? In other words, is this manner of meeting men disappearing in Yunnan now that these woman go to school, work jobs away from their ancestral villages and watch Hong Kong soap operas? I also wonder what the topics of conversation would be (there on the bed). Do you think one girl talks about the same thing with ten different guys?
When I first taught in Japan 21 years ago, I asked my students how many of their parents had met via a matchmaker and then had arranged marriages. Nearly everyone raised their hand. Just a few years ago, I asked the same question, and almost no one raised their hand. It's amazing what difference 20 years will make in a society.
Back to Yunnan: Did you travel there, do you have relatives from there, or did you watch a TV program about it, or what? (You're not a daughter from the East, are you?) I'd be interested to know the source of your info.
Thank you for this interesting post!
To: Kenneth
I totally agree with you that it will be an interesting scene to have Singapore women and the women from女儿国 to sit down as all of us have such different values and beliefs!!!!! It will definitely be a totally new experience for both sides.
However, I somehow feel that it will be hard for a Singapore women and a women from女儿国 to co-exist as they are so different. However, one thing that I can generally say about them is that both women are independent and do not rely a lot on men.
--Zoelyn--
This comment has been removed by the author.
To: Brad
I have not actually travelled to Yunnan or have any relatives there and I got to know of this interesting culture of女儿国 through one of the recent TV programme in channel 8; On The Road II, shown every Sunday from 9pm-9.30pm. (I think the show is still on-going) I believed that it is still practiced in China as in the programme, the host Leung Gigi made a short stay there to understand the culture of these women. Women in 女儿国 do not have any men in the community and women in 女儿国 does all the domestic work as well as field work like men. However, I believed that the number of women in 女儿国 should be smaller as compared to the past as many would have gotten married and left the ethnic groups.
I believe the main objective of wanting the woman to chit chat with the men on bed is to know them better as all these men are people that they have never met before so it resembles blind date in Singapore. So I feel that the topics that the woman talks about to all the different men should be around the same since the foundation that they start from is the same. I think the topics should be topics like the job or position of the men, the place they live as well as the sharing of common interest.
--Zoelyn--
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