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From: arora@sunybcs.UUCP (Kulbir S. Arora)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india
Subject: Re: Re: Re: indians in the US
Message-ID: <1329@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Mar-85 19:16:20 EST
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.1329
Posted: Wed Mar 13 19:16:20 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Mar-85 03:18:40 EST
References: <1276@ut-sally.UUCP> <412@crystal.UUCP> <1305@sunybcs.UUCP> <416@crystal.UUCP>
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Organization: State University of New York @ Buffalo,NY
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> > > 
> > > 
> > > It occurs to me that our attitudes may very roughly be grouped into three
> > > categories (or in some cases, even three stages).  These seem manifest most 
> > > clearly in our attitudes to the media coverage of India.
> > 
> >   What good are such categorizations ?  Why are you trying to impose a
> >   structure on a domain where there is none ?  Such meaningless taxonomies
> >   are the basis of rabid generalizations which most of us tend to make.
> >   You have no basis, except your limited exposure to some Indians, to come
> >   up with such theories.  
> 
> I suggest you re-read my earlier message.  The suggestion wasn't that there
> is a "structure" on the Indian domain.  Nor was I propounding a theory of
> "types" for Indians.  To discuss the question of why we feel the media is
> unfair, we must first discuss our own attitudes and feelings.  I went to some
> trouble in my message to explain that this is not a rigid systems of
> categories; they were general impressions meant to serve as a starting point
> for further discussion.

   Nevertheless, you offered a classification.  I believe it is not a
   good starting point for discussions.  The result of such classifications
   is that one starts assuming positions.  If two people happen to make
   a similar statement, even though their attitudes and beliefs are different
   you wont see the difference. Note how you have classified
   me as pro U.S. anti India in your last posting.
   Abstraction is a fine tool.  However, it hardly works when applied to
   people.  You cannot shed individual nuances in the hope of getting
   a few well-defined attitudes.  What you get instead is a huge
   semantic gap.
   Kulbir Arora