Generalising

[coventry]

Is it racist to generalise about people, Thais for instance ? I've seen Thais generaised many times on TV without accusations of it being a racial slur. I'm told that to generalise about a race is racism. Do others see it that way ? If I was to generalise about my own race would I still be called a racist ?

[Geekfreaklover]

Is it racist to generalise about people, Thais for instance ? I've seen Thais generaised many times on TV without accusations of it being a racial slur. I'm told that to generalise about a race is racism. Do others see it that way ? If I was to generalise about my own race would I still be called a racist ?

To even start the topic is racist. To discuss the idea of racism is to be racist. Everybody is the same everywhere in the world and we can not generalise people becuase of where they came from and who brought them up and what colour their skin is.

Then we wake up....bump....

Thai people have no idea of the word racism, it's just something they do every day, like breathing. I have never been to a more racist country than thailand. The racism here is at a really high level.

[polecat]

Anyone who generalises is an idiot.

[Geekfreaklover]

Anyone who generalises is an idiot.

Yeah. But the word idiot is a genralisation.

[Jingthing]

Without getting into the R word, I would hope people realize that nationality is only one aspect of a person's characteristics. It is not destiny. If you are a plumber from Wales you have more in common with a Thai plumber from Chiang Mai than a drug pusher from Wales.

Edited March 23, 2009 by Jingthing

[PhilHarries]

So if I say all Thais are wonderful, smart, witty, clever people I am being racist?

But Thai is not a race, it's a nationality. If you said Asian you'd be being racist.

[Tod Daniels]

Generally speaking; generalizing about things is like painting with a broad brush. You cover a lot of ground but not always get good detail.

I generally generalize about things, as do probably the majority of people. Given a person's upbringing and life experience in general, generalizing is bound to happen.

Then again, generally speaking; generalizing can get you on thin ice over deep water with some people. You run into problems if the people you talk to are thin skinned, full of themselves, excessively politically correct, have sock puppet, sheep-like mentalities, and are known to wear color coordinated shirts and snazzy rubber wristbands here in the glorious "Land 'O Thais" while shopping with their gold encrusted, tattooed/pierced, (in)significant other aka their "thai-in-tow".

In the correct context generalizing is the accepted norm of talking about things in general, even about your own 'race'; especially if you fall into the "human race" category.

[barky]

In general I believe it's only whites who openly get labelled racist both by other whites and by all other races. But I'm only generalising.

[PhilHarries]

Without getting into the R word, I would hope people realize that nationality is only one aspect of a person's characteristics. It is not destiny. If you are a plumber from Wales you have more in common with a Thai plumber from Chiang Mai than a drug pusher from Wales.

Actually if you are a plumber from the UK these days you are most likely Romanian.

[Jingthing]

Without getting into the R word, I would hope people realize that nationality is only one aspect of a person's characteristics. It is not destiny. If you are a plumber from Wales you have more in common with a Thai plumber from Chiang Mai than a drug pusher from Wales.

Actually if you are a plumber from the UK these days you are most likely Romanian.

Same difference.

[polecat]

Anyone who generalises is an idiot.

Yeah. But the word idiot is a genralisation.

I've told you a million times not to exaggerate.

[sgunn65]

Unless you speak about a named person you cannot but generalise. And even when you speak about a named person unless you describe the action on a particular date, time and place and describe that action to the nth degree you will generalise. Conversations would last weeks and get nowhere.

In life we generalise, all of us. However there is a thing called the arc of dissonance. What you say maybe not be what a person hears and on the internet a tongue in cheek comment can be misconstrued so easily as we all have differing levels of intelligence, sense of humour, tolerance etc.

But without genralisations how would angry of Chaing Mai or Politically Correct of Thong Lor get their self righteous kicks by exploding in type at the tattooed thugs who disgrace this fair nation or the devious thais who are all out to cheat us.

Life is fun or is that too much of a generalisation?? Perhaps I should say that some parts of life and some times in some place are fun to some people?

[BigSnake]

We are all brothers and sisters under the sun, so for any racist here GET OVER IT!!

[noahvail]

Anyone who generalises is an idiot.

But that sounds very much like a generalization. Which, if we apply it...

[girlx]

it is next to impossible to talk about just about anything in the world without generalizing. as long as you realize your generalizations don't apply across the board it is not racist in the least. many people are analytical by nature. that does not necessarily mean they are judgemental or prejudiced. most generalizations stem from truths.

[fred2007]

We are all brothers and sisters under the sun, so for any racist here GET OVER IT!!

I never ever been a racist all my life I have lived with people from all over the continent

but I must admid the most raciest people in the world are Thai, cruxify me ,complain about me but deep down in your heart you know I am right

[GuestHouse]

One of the 'Golden' subjects bound to get a strong response here on TV is 'Racism' - The predictable denial that racism exists is one thing (well those guys perhaps have their reasons) - Suggesting that Thais have no idea of the concept of Racism is utter garbage - This past week there was an interview on Thai TV with a Thai woman going into great detail about Racist attitudes towards Thais and racist views towards Thai women in particular - The interview was absolutely a topic of discussion amongst Thai in the office I work in.

That's one example, I've come across many others.

It has been my experience that Thais are very aware of racially stereotypical views were they are themselves on the receiving end.

Talk to Thais, especially Thai women, about the way they are treated at various steps along the visa and immigration controls trail when seeking to travel overseas and you'll find a few for yourself.

[coventry]

Up to now we haven't had a Mod post on this thread. Is it possible for a Mod to give their view, and the view on generalising, from TV rules, and does generalising sanction post censorship ?

[GuestHouse]

Up to now we haven't had a Mod post on this thread. Is it possible for a Mod to give their view, and the view on generalising, from TV rules, and does generalising sanction post censorship ?

Well that would be discussing moderation wouldn't it.

Moderation aside are you, as PH suggests, only referring to negative generalizations? Some of those are disguised in the very negative views about Thais, and particularly Thai women, that are part of the reason why many (but not all of course) westerners come to Thailand in the first place.

[coventry]

So if I say all Thais are wonderful, smart, witty, clever people I am being racist?

But Thai is not a race, it's a nationality. If you said Asian you'd be being racist.

So I'm not a racist if I generalise about a nation ? What politically correct name would I then be ?

[Geekfreaklover]

We are all brothers and sisters under the sun, so for any racist here GET OVER IT!!

I never ever been a racist all my life I have lived with people from all over the continent

but I must admid the most raciest people in the world are Thai, cruxify me ,complain about me but deep down in your heart you know I am right

Fred. I for one agree. I have been to over 50 countries and lived in Thailand for almost 10 years. Thai people are VERY racist. So racist they don't know that they are doing it.

Not that it bothers me, one of the reasons I moved here was to get away from all the PC nonsense.

[Ulysses G.]

Anyone who generalises is an idiot.

But that sounds very much like a generalization. Which, if we apply it...

[Mattchu9999]

Anyone who generalises is an idiot.

Idiots such as:

Newton, whom generalized Galileo's discussion of falling objects and projectiles

Einstein, whom generalized the laws concerning electric and magnetic fields, and hence light.

Are those the type of idiots you refer to?

Generalizations can form an import role in the quest for knowledge.

[fred2007]

We are all brothers and sisters under the sun, so for any racist here GET OVER IT!!

I never ever been a racist all my life I have lived with people from all over the continent

but I must admid the most raciest people in the world are Thai, cruxify me ,complain about me but deep down in your heart you know I am right

Fred. I for one agree. I have been to over 50 countries and lived in Thailand for almost 10 years. Thai people are VERY racist. So racist they don't know that they are doing it.

Not that it bothers me, one of the reasons I moved here was to get away from all the PC nonsense.

well I guess I got lucky at least one person thinks or what I think, yes I have been all over the world as well many countries I don't know how many, but a lot I guess, oh never mind, I might get all the ex-pats stirred up now. And complaining about my English

[sanook2me]

At least Thais are honest and openly racist - not closet racists which we have to be in the West for fear of upsetting some yellow belly liberal civil servant type.

[fred2007]

At least Thais are honest and openly racist - not closet racists which we have to be in the West for fear of upsetting some yellow belly liberal civil servant type.

And where is that? If Ia m racist in OZ I go to jail for that get back under your little rock

[Sabum]

We are all brothers and sisters under the sun, so for any racist here GET OVER IT!!

I never ever been a racist all my life I have lived with people from all over the continent

but I must admid the most raciest people in the world are Thai, cruxify me ,complain about me but deep down in your heart you know I am right

I know you're right

[mahtin]

We are all brothers and sisters under the sun, so for any racist here GET OVER IT!!

I never ever been a racist all my life I have lived with people from all over the continent

but I must admid the most raciest people in the world are Thai, cruxify me ,complain about me but deep down in your heart you know I am right

I know you're right

Yep, they sure are racy!

[473geo]

In general a lot of people confuse racist with elitist.....

[livinthailandos]

where to post an answer to a question like this. I think in general if we look at any country really. You see it has its own problems and by combining government and society in general and there attitudes towards things plus when you factor in the environment which people where raised, the ability or chance to get a good education. = life and people are never gonna be perfect and always gonna have some biased thing or something else. Just look at our past history for the last what 2,000 plus years. enough said