Re: straw man?
Francoise Herrmann (fherrmann who-is-at igc.apc.org)
Fri, 26 Apr 1996 09:37:50 -0700 (PDT)
> Francoise wrote:
> >cruelty is never justifiable or escusable. When it is perceived,
> >then responsible and caring actionbehooves us to change that situation.
>
> I agree with this in principle, but remain doubtful in practice. I
> think there are many occasions where two different people have quite
> discrepant perceptions of an event or interaction, with one person
> viewing it as either benign or justifiable, and the other person
> viewing it as malevolent or cruel. Moreover, there are occasions when
> it is not possible to take an alternative action or to reach an
> understanding. I'm afraid I don't understand Jao's statement, which
> has been quoted twice now.
>
> Robin
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Hi Robin, I udnerstand that two people may indeed have really different
perceptions of an event. But, I don't knwo that I believe in the impossibility
of communication. To take an example from your study (risky, I haven't read
it! ) of Puerto Rican and White Middle Class moms of the US and their
different conceptions of shame, I wonder whether these two conceptions
are in-communcable. Perhaps before you articulated the difference
that these differnt conceptions were beyond communication, but once
articulated and identified, wouldn't that change the situtation? Wouldn't
enlightening the culturally circumscribed different conceptions
change the occasion for communication and mutual understanding?
Francoise
Francoise Herrmann
fherrmann who-is-at igc.org