At 01:12 PM 2/19/00 -0500, you wrote:
>
> It might be possible to look at this situation as an example of a failure to
> understand cultural customs if indeed it were a "cultural custom" for
> Granny to pull down a six-year-old's pants and "check" his genitals.
> However Cubans interviewed after the incident was described
> (including Cuban grandmothers) denied that this was a custom in Cuba.
I would not describe the incident as a Cuban "custom". However, the playful
pulling down (or, as is more commonly done, just the attempt at doing so) of a
little kid's pants by an adult to "see" or "check" his genitals is _not uncommon_
in Cuba. I still remember being the subject of such "attempts" and witnessing
this
type of playfulness with my childhood friends. The "checking" is usually done in
the context of getting the child to demonstrate and be proud of his manliness
(penis size). This type of behavior is never construed as malicious in any way.
Note that the revelation was made in Cuban television and no one raised an eyebrow
there. On the other hand, I can understand how North Americans, even
Cuban-Americans who have only spent just a few years in North American Culture,
would now view such behavior as totally unacceptable.
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Miguel Roig, Ph.D. Voice: (718) 390-4513
Assoc. Prof. of Psychology Fax: (718) 442-3612
Dept. of Psychology [EMAIL PROTECTED]
St. John's University [EMAIL PROTECTED]
300 Howard Avenue http://area51.stjohns.edu/~roig
Staten Island, NY 10301
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