People are not “politically correct” in my village in Lesotho. This may shock you.
In America we try to be “politically correct” so as not to offend someone. There are certain things we would never say, however in Lesotho, being “politically correct” seems to be different.
As a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, I’ve been quite surprised to hear how some of my students describe their friends, and how people I’ve met in my village, describe one another.
When my students wrote an essay about a person they admire, they all wrote about a relative or a friend. Some of them described their friend as follows:
“She has a big nose, dark complexion, and her body is like a big cow.”
I don’t think a teacher in the U.S would let a teenager get away with this description in the U.S. The funny thing is this does not offend the Basotho. In fact it seems to be a compliment as I’ve been told by many women that Basotho men prefer large women. It’s a sign of being healthy when a woman is big. Lesotho and South Africa are countries where being obese is beautiful according to a survey, the reason being:
“Due to the prevalence of AIDS, the association between weight loss and illness has contributed to South Africa’s negative view of thinness.” Read article.
I remember watching a show on “Oprah” many years ago about what is considered beautiful in different parts of the world, and in Mauritania, West Africa.
“In this drought-ridden west African nation, female obesity is synonymous with beauty and wealth. Though less common, “gavage” (borrowed from the French to describe fattening a goose’s liver destined for foie gras) is still practiced, with young girls imbibing vast qualities of fatty camel milk daily.” Read article.
Another situation I encountered regarding this topic of being “politically correct” was in a public taxi on my way to Maseru.
A woman asked me if I knew “so-and-so” in my village, and I said, “No.”
She then tried to describe her as, “The one with the monkey face.”
I was stunned.
I was even more shocked when I heard a Basotho radio host talking about his co-host in English and said, “You have a monkey face,” and started howling with laughter.
So I guess, we have to be open to different ways of viewing what is politically correct in our society.
Political correctness can be a “strange business” in any country. Perhaps the best guide is, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
Integrate into your community, which is what Peace Corps wants us to do.
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Not Being Politically Correct May Shock You
Does this mean you have now started walking around your village calling people Monkey Face and saying the look like big fat cows? 🙂
No Ian. I wouldn’t know how to say that in Sesotho.
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Not Being Politically Correct May Shock You
According to a Setswana friend of mine you could say: “U sheba e le litaba e le khōlō khomo mafura.”
This, he tells me is quite polite and even complimentary!
Ask Mary!
OK. I shall ask Mary. litaba means mountains, and is usually used for “breasts.”
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Not Being Politically Correct May Shock You
This must be another dilemna for you; do you then teach your students to describe people differently, using new words, or would it be too difficult for them?
As others have said, they don’t consider this offensive. Teaching the children here is so difficult. This morning they told me they were hungry. They came to school, and it’s a holiday, so no food.
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Not Being Politically Correct May Shock You
You’ve expanded my view of how different cultures deal w/common
social behavior. I’m glad these students have you for guidance
in learning to respect others.
Dlaura
Glad you have enjoyed learning a few things about cultural differences from my posts. Thank you.
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Not Being Politically Correct May Shock You
Strange! The women are fat, and the children are starving, what’s really going on?
The children are starving precisely because the women are fat! There’s no such thing as equality in most African societies and children usually get last dibs at the food.
Just look at Sonia’s headmistress. She looks after her own interests first and those of the children under her care later. And she’s a Nun who is supposed to have dedicated her life to the service of others.
Do’t be under any illusions, self-interest is a number one priority almost anywhere in Africa in the modern age.
Thanks for your reply. Or is the nun receiving orders from higher up the ecclesiastical hierachy? Let’s say something in her defense: maybe that’s how they think children should be educated! You can find similar attitudes from parents in Europe, unfortunately. But I agree, it is utterly shocking.
If she thinks she’s following instructions from further up the ecclesiastical ladder, Carol, she needs to start asking questions and disobeying bad orders, or at least protesting. Her job as Head is to fight for those children, not exploit them for her own comfort and prestige.
Why is that Ian? It’s almost as if the entitlement attitude of the affluent teenagers in the western world is the same as the entitlement attitude of poor people in developing countries.
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Not Being Politically Correct May Shock You
Good Observation Carol. I’ve heard that sometimes the children are fed last. Not sure if this is true or not.
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Not Being Politically Correct May Shock You
Reminds me of visiting a student’s family in a small village and my student telling me that a particular lady had come to see me because she wanted to make sure that she was fatter than I was. And I remember that Chinese in those days complimented fat babies because it meant they had enough to eat.
Very funny Suellen. Was she happy when she met you?
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Not Being Politically Correct May Shock You
I think she claimed herself the “winner.” That was okay with me.
The admiration of women for being ‘traditionally built’ predates the emergence of AIDS by many centuries. Whilst AIDS may now have some relevance in countries where it is rife, most African men right across the continent prefer their women to be built for comfort, not for speed. Apart from anything it is seen as a reflection on he man, who will be recoghnised as wealthy enough to have a well fed wife. In mist societies the women also feel that big is beautiful.
The African metabolism is a bit different from white Europeans so there is no need to slim down to avoid western ailments. At the same time they are far more fatalistic about life, and the thought of having to lose weight just to live a bit longer seems unnatural. All this ‘healthy eating, exercise and trying to remain slim has no purpose in their lives. It is hardly surprising that a society which measures its wealth by the number of cattle one owns should find being described as a big fat cow a compliment.
Thanks foor clarifying this. All the Basotho women I have met don’t have any complexes about themselves. They all think they are beautiful, especially when they see their own photos.We could learn from they, as we are usually critical of ourselves.
Sonia Marsh recently posted..Not Being Politically Correct May Shock You
There’s a good side to being critical of oneself, we become interested in others, and wouldn’t feed the children last!