Are Our Children Ready To Face New Challenges?: Thai Opinion

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

Are our children ready to face new challenges?

The Nation

Unless there is a radical shift in policy, the upcoming AEC will expose the severe shortcomings of Thailand's education system

BANGKOK: -- Are Thai students ready academically for the advent of the Asean Economic Community in 2015? After all, the formation of a more integrated Asean entity will potentially mean better opportunities both economically and socially for those who are really prepared.

At the same time, those who are not ready could easily be left at a disadvantage amidst the likelihood of much fiercer competition for jobs and resources. The "battlefield" will not only be limited to expanding local and regional markets; it will eventually come to include the whole world.

The important question now is whether Thai students will be fully equipped to thrive in this new environment. Given the current state of education in Thailand, there is the very real danger they will not be adequately prepared. If a majority of Thai youngsters fail to capitalise on the opportunities offered by this new and wider market, then the future of the nation will become a cause for concern.

The Asean Economic Community is designed to encourage the free flow of goods, services and labour. It means that national boundaries between Asean's ten member countries in effect no longer exist, and that there will be fewer limits on economic opportunity for more and more people.

Traditionally, countries tend to have laws that limit the opportunities for foreigners to carry out certain business activities or to directly compete with local people for business or employment. But that will no longer be the case once the AEC becomes fully operational. The question is whether we have sufficiently prepared our younger generations to meet the challenge of closer regional cooperation.

Thai students certainly do not stand out against those from other countries in the region. Singapore is generally regarded as the leader in Asean in terms of education. In fact, the island nation is known to be one of the best in Asia as a whole.

Thai students lag behind in many fields such as mathematics, the sciences and, especially, languages. Thai students in general perform moderately in maths and sciences, with the exception of some gifted students from the best international and private schools in the country.

The level of Thai students' English-language proficiency is lower than most countries in the region. This is not to mention the fact that our students' ability to use the Thai language is not much better. There have been a series of recent complaints over Thai students' inability to write good essays even in their native language.

Language is the most important means for communication. Perhaps English proficiency is less critical than the ability to eloquently express one's thoughts, but youngsters today are becoming familiar with the abbreviations and acronymic language of social media to communicate. These incomplete sentences cannot serve the purpose of building strong arguments and the ability to communicate at an acceptable business level with people from other countries and cultures.

Apart from the traditional academic subjects, there is also the question of what additional knowledge Thai students should be taught to prepare them for the AEC. While the focus is more on the technical side, students should also learn about the different cultures and traditions of our neighbours. The best way to learn about the cultural differences is to start with a good understanding of oneself. Self-understanding will make students appreciate their identity and culture. At the same time, understanding of the other Asean nations will enable them to see the opportunities that can arise from understanding cultural differences.

An analytical mind is better able to apply knowledge to various circumstances, but this is a feature that is sadly absent in the Thai curriculum. Educators cannot tell students all they will have to face in the future, but what they can do is to prepare students for future challenges by focusing on problem-solving skills. The resulting self-esteem and understanding will enable more students to "think outside the box".

Thai students have traditionally been taught simply to pass exams, most of which are in a multiple choice format. But that attitude must change. The objective of schooling must be realigned to prepare students for a changing world. It is inevitable, and the AEC must be a catalyst for us to re-think our entire approach to education.

-- The Nation 2012-03-27

[hgma]

whatever article i read about this Thai subject there is always 1 thing missing.

how to provide ( THAI )children with SELFDISCIPLINE !

[Unkomoncents]

"Thai students have traditionally been taught simply to pass exams, most of which are in a multiple choice format. But that attitude must change."

Let's cut the cr_p and say it like it is: Thai students pass the exams whether they can actually pass the exams or not. If multiple-choice tests is the real problem with Thai education, then my name is Donald Duck. The article is right that attitudes must change. Corruption is, by now, so endemic to Thailand that you see it expressed daily all the way from the very top to the grassroots level. By high school, most Thais have figured out how to survive/thrive by paying their way through the system (and to their credit, they are astute because in this country, at this point, money is the only way to get anyone off their <deleted>). If one could flay open Thai society for the world to see, many would be shocked by the cynicism of contemporary life in the Kingdom. I think Thai society could start by actually caring about something (anything, even). This population is so distracted by the latest overpriced tech, that you could sell them their own property multiple times and no one would be the wiser. I will be fascinated to see how the AEC works out for Thailand.

[Colin Yai]

"Thai students have traditionally been taught simply to pass exams, most of which are in a multiple choice format. But that attitude must change."

Let's cut the cr_p and say it like it is: Thai students pass the exams whether they can actually pass the exams or not. If multiple-choice tests is the real problem with Thai education, then my name is Donald Duck. The article is right that attitudes must change. Corruption is, by now, so endemic to Thailand that you see it expressed daily all the way from the very top to the grassroots level. By high school, most Thais have figured out how to survive/thrive by paying their way through the system (and to their credit, they are astute because in this country, at this point, money is the only way to get anyone off their <deleted>). If one could flay open Thai society for the world to see, many would be shocked by the cynicism of contemporary life in the Kingdom. I think Thai society could start by actually caring about something (anything, even). This population is so distracted by the latest overpriced tech, that you could sell them their own property multiple times and no one would be the wiser. I will be fascinated to see how the AEC works out for Thailand.

Never a truer word written , but writing it so Thai's actually understand the point you are trying to make would be considered highly offensive and so the "merry go round" will never stop.

[jybkk]

Since the youngest age Thai children are put in an environment where knowledge is force fed into them, and "achievement" only measured by a very theoretical test at the end of each year. Nothing is in place to reward curiosity, autonomy and self discipline.

I was amazed to learn that in many Thai kindergartens kids are already taught english, math and given exams and ranking even before they arrive to primary school. This is a very misdirected attempt at making your kids better. I am under the impression that this very high pressure is quite common in Asia, not just Thailand.

Well, I'm not impressed by the results so far. It seems this system is producing drones with very little creativity and ability to decide by themselves. Maybe that's the point though.

As fa as I'm concerned, when I have a kid, I'll be happy if the kindergarten manages to teach him that you're not supposed to poke the other kids eye, that you listen when the teacher speaks and that eating your boogers isn't really polite. I don't care if they can count to a hundred at 4. Let the little ones grow into social and balanced people first, they'll have a lot of time to learn academic subjects later on.

[seaeagle]

Never mind "new challenges", I really don't think they can even cope with current and existing challenges.

[Gillespie]

I have never encountered a society so hostile to genuine intellectual curiosity as I find in Thailand.

[anterian]

You cannot change the Thai education system without first changing the culture, they are "Siamese twins", inseparable since birth.

[sparebox2]

Not very smart, and can't even urtter a word of English.

Bright future ahead i suppose.

[bigbamboo]

In Thailand education is seen as a means to an end, something that has to be endured not enjoyed.

Edited March 27, 2012 by bigbamboo

[easybullet3]

I have never encountered a society so hostile to genuine intellectual curiosity as I find in Thailand.

actually, Japan is extremely similar too. you are ridiculed and feel silly for doing anything individualistic. school is force-fed and parrot learned. Have you ever been treated by a Japanese Doctor? its the same 'text-book' uncreative approach. fear of doing something creative.

though the Japanese society 'thrived' out of creating working drones.

[vincentc]

The world will always need factory workers, farmers, labourers, maids, nannies and cleaning staff.

A nearly limitless supply can and will be found in Thailand.

No need for education to get Thai people a job.

No need worry and stress too much ;-)

[Unkomoncents]

I have never encountered a society so hostile to genuine intellectual curiosity as I find in Thailand.

actually, Japan is extremely similar too. you are ridiculed and feel silly for doing anything individualistic. school is force-fed and parrot learned. Have you ever been treated by a Japanese Doctor? its the same 'text-book' uncreative approach. fear of doing something creative.

though the Japanese society 'thrived' out of creating working drones.

I couldn't disagree more. I cannot claim to know the ins-and-outs of Japanese culture, as I've never lived there; however, I work with a number of Japanese expatriates in Thailand and I can safely say that the difference (in terms of willingness to learn, desire to succeed, and intellectual ability) is night and day. I lived in Korea, which is similar culturally, to Japan and while I agree completely that within the confines of their own society, Koreans and Japanese people are intensely conformist, they have a strong desire for achievement and are often extremely eager to sit down and learn the history of conflicts as well as discuss the consequences. I have lived in Thailand for years and I have yet to meet a Thai person that I can say the same for. Thailand (as well, possibly, as Laos, Cambodia, and Burma) has a one-of-a-kind culture. People are incredibly attached to a dense fog (obscuring much of reality) in their daily existences. Burma, in particular, provides a glimpse at the challenges progressive minds face in this part of the world: they were content to exist in geopolitical oblivion for decades all so that one family could cling to modest power and influence but fantastic wealth. I think Burma is a case in point. The actions and thoughts of people in this part of the world are completely unpredictable (which is why the lack of logic is a common point of complaint for expatriates) and predicated on beliefs and traditions unknown outside this region.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been deleted.

[Daewoo]

Never mind "new challenges", I really don't think they can even cope with current and existing challenges.

While a little tongue in cheek, that pretty much hits the nail on the head...

I think we will find Malaysia will be the powerhouse in the AEC...

Singapore is not the shining example that the article holds it out to be... typically Chinese parents attitude to study to pass exams only, lots of pressure for academic achievement, constant exams and published results, which in the end breeds narrow minded, conformist, worker bees drones, not open minded, entrepreneurial thinkers required for management... when management can be done by numbers it will be done by computers even more cheaply...

Thailand will struggle whilst-ever they stick to Thai as their only real language... luckily they have a large enough domestic economy to support most of their needs, at least in the short term...

Cheers,

Daewoo

[KKK]

the upcoming AEC will expose the severe shortcomings of Thailand's education system

expose severe shortcomings in 3 years!!!...it's already been exposed....everybody knows the Thai education system is rotten to the core

[DeepInTheForest]

The Thai educational system is undoubtedly in need of great improvement. There are fundamental problems in Thai society that are in dire need of attention. And yet...

While acknowledging that there are enormous gaps and frustrations and bewildering behavior throughout the society, are we in this forum painting with too broad a brush? I sometimes feel that posters impute some kind of essence to Thai society that forever dooms it, as if due to some incurable genetic trait. To me that seems to be a curious viewpoint, given the many problems that our own native societies exhibit. Not to mention bigoted and intellectually as indefensible as many of the shortcomings that posters decry.

Then there is this.

http://physics.science.swu.ac.th/en/staff.html

Surely there are some in the society who have curiosity and the intellectual drive to do well in highly-educated fields. So should the question be, why is success not more widespread, and how to achieve it, rather than, why are Thai people so irredeemably inadequate at [fill in the blank from some of the many posts in this forum, or supply your own pet peeve]?

[FriedMyLittleBrain]

For my oppinion Thailanad will be always just satelite & zone of influence in Asia for Uncle Sam ,this way for what to spend moneys for education or try to find sectors where they can be leaders ,this way independence can come )))))& this situation very comfortable for everybody - easy to treat & manipulate people (like promoisses each stud for ipad)))& zombobox (TV) enough ... Thais not lazy,jjust become infantile & really never try to learn smth.about other countrys-only stereotypes .& high education it's not really some special knowledges it's more about how to work with information & to decide problems on another level of thinking...

For examp rereaded Thai writer who nominated in 1990 for nobel prize - Pirs Sudham -People of Esam- cute sad storys BUT soooooooo far from nom for Nobel Prize -very far (IMHO) & by the way in all stories deep infantile mind like to blame everybody but for no one second just to ask maybe smth wrong not with people but with themself??

[Tanaka]

Since the youngest age Thai children are put in an environment where knowledge is force fed into them, and "achievement" only measured by a very theoretical test at the end of each year. Nothing is in place to reward curiosity, autonomy and self discipline.

I was amazed to learn that in many Thai kindergartens kids are already taught english, math and given exams and ranking even before they arrive to primary school. This is a very misdirected attempt at making your kids better. I am under the impression that this very high pressure is quite common in Asia, not just Thailand.

Well, I'm not impressed by the results so far. It seems this system is producing drones with very little creativity and ability to decide by themselves. Maybe that's the point though.

As fa as I'm concerned, when I have a kid, I'll be happy if the kindergarten manages to teach him that you're not supposed to poke the other kids eye, that you listen when the teacher speaks and that eating your boogers isn't really polite. I don't care if they can count to a hundred at 4. Let the little ones grow into social and balanced people first, they'll have a lot of time to learn academic subjects later on.

Yep, you would teach your child to be one of many, to be just like anyone else, not to stand out. The Thai way as it is. Apparently you do not know what ability small children really have. The best time for a child to learn a language is before the age of six and a child between 2 and 5 can easily learn three languages simultaneously. Without being put in a classroom at that age.

You think that teaching young children anything except how to hold a spoon and to be nice to others is overkill? You really have no knowledge of how the human brain works. And there is nothing preventing the children to be just children learning many things at the same time.

[Daewoo]

<snip>

The best time for a child to learn a language is before the age of six and a child between 2 and 5 can easily learn three languages simultaneously. Without being put in a classroom at that age.

Actually, studies have shown that children who are taught to be bi-lingual (not just studying a little of one language) at a young age, become less skilled in either language than those taught only one... but since learning only Thai leaves them at such a huge disdvantage, I would still advocate truly bi-lingual education, or better still, English education with a side focus on Thai...

Cheers,

Daewoo

[sirchai]

Thai students have traditionally been taught simply to pass exams, most of which are in a multiple choice format. But that attitude must change. The objective of schooling must be realigned to prepare students for a changing world. It is inevitable, and the AEC must be a catalyst for us to re-think our entire approach to education.

Thai kids have to make so many tests, while their educators spent so much time to give them the right answers. Many tests, especially in English are very poor. There are questions with more than one possible answers, but do they know that?

But they do not tell them why the other answers are wrong. Start to fail them in Major subjects and rethink the "loosing face attitude now! That would be the first step to realize that not the Thai teachers are loosing face by failing them.

After all it's a cultural problem, not just an educational.

I've just finished my grades and even those who couldn't speak or write one word have passed. Would I fail kids, I'd fail myself. There's only "go with the flow", until they wake up and see their homemade mistakes and the therefor resulting problems.

​But I'm pretty sure that the tablets for P.1 kids in May will change all to the better. I'd start to change those who came up with such nonsense.

Furthermore I'd sent Thai English teachers abroad to study in an English speaking country. They'd cone back with a much different view...

Edited March 29, 2012 by sirchai

[hellodolly]

Lets cut the Thai thrashing.

Thailand has its problems with education but with the exception of Singapore they will be able to hold their own and in some cases out strip some of the other countries involved.

This is by no means a statement that the Thai education system is good but look at the ones it will compete with and they will in most cases hold there own.

It is a chance to have Thailand step up it's education and take the lead. Not going to happen with the current government.

Consider Cambodia all ready has 4 g in some areas where as we in Thailand are just coming int 3 g use. Perhaps the government should look at it's part in the whole scheme.

[Unkomoncents]

The Thai educational system is undoubtedly in need of great improvement. There are fundamental problems in Thai society that are in dire need of attention. And yet...

While acknowledging that there are enormous gaps and frustrations and bewildering behavior throughout the society, are we in this forum painting with too broad a brush? I sometimes feel that posters impute some kind of essence to Thai society that forever dooms it, as if due to some incurable genetic trait. To me that seems to be a curious viewpoint, given the many problems that our own native societies exhibit. Not to mention bigoted and intellectually as indefensible as many of the shortcomings that posters decry.

Then there is this.

http://physics.scien...h/en/staff.html

Surely there are some in the society who have curiosity and the intellectual drive to do well in highly-educated fields. So should the question be, why is success not more widespread, and how to achieve it, rather than, why are Thai people so irredeemably inadequate at [fill in the blank from some of the many posts in this forum, or supply your own pet peeve]?

Your thoughts are legitimate and well expressed. Nevertheless, it feels a bit disappointing, though unsurprising, that the accusations of "bigotry", racism and prejudice have surfaced. As usual, this serves to shut down any debate and therefore spare whole peoples from criticism while the rest have to endure it. It is critical obfuscation at its finest and minority groups in countries like the US have used this technique to prevent debate (in the media) over the power of the Zionist lobby in America and cow concerned citizens into silence in neighborhoods ridden by crime.

The comments that I personally made regarding Thailand and problems with Thai education have nothing to do with genetics or biology. Thai culture encourages one to relax, avoid challenge and have fun. It should come as little surprise then, that there are Nobel-prize winning Thai scientists, astronauts, and authors. To accomplish great things, one must challenge oneself and seek constant self-improvement. I have met brilliant, cosmopolitan Thais with whom I enjoy long intellectual conversations, but they were educated outside Thailand or in Thailand's international schools.

As for the future of Thai society, again, it has nothing to do with genetics. Cultural problems in Thailand are fundamentally preventing the country from making any progress while simultaneously marginalizing it politically and economically in the ASEAN region. The government is currently a puppet-administration that attracts little attention from foreign diplomats, whether they are Singaporean or European. That's because the level of corruption in Thailand has reached a crisis level. These things are readily demonstrated in media and regional studies. This is a cultural problem. Thailand is not "doomed". It will just become poorer and less important in the Southeast Asian region, all of which will only hurt Thai people and continue to prevent their assimilation into the global workforce. Optimism concerning Thailand's future is cute. It doesn't comport at all with the country's general political and economic progress in the last decade, though. We can be optimistic about Yemen too. That doesn't solve the massive cultural problems (tribalism) that are preventing peace, security and prosperity in the country.

Many of the posters on Thai Visa try to blame the government for Thailand's problems. What they fail to recognize (and this has been demonstrated) is that even if a country's government isn't democratically elected, that country's government is a fundamental reflection of its culture. Do you see much hope for the Thai government over the next decade?

Edited March 29, 2012 by Unkomoncents

[sirchai]

"Are our children ready to face new challenges?"

"The kids are. The educators aren't". Thais have to go with the flow.

[sirchai]

The Thai educational system is undoubtedly in need of great improvement. There are fundamental problems in Thai society that are in dire need of attention. And yet...

While acknowledging that there are enormous gaps and frustrations and bewildering behavior throughout the society, are we in this forum painting with too broad a brush? I sometimes feel that posters impute some kind of essence to Thai society that forever dooms it, as if due to some incurable genetic trait. To me that seems to be a curious viewpoint, given the many problems that our own native societies exhibit. Not to mention bigoted and intellectually as indefensible as many of the shortcomings that posters decry.

Then there is this.

http://physics.scien...h/en/staff.html

Surely there are some in the society who have curiosity and the intellectual drive to do well in highly-educated fields. So should the question be, why is success not more widespread, and how to achieve it, rather than, why are Thai people so irredeemably inadequate at [fill in the blank from some of the many posts in this forum, or supply your own pet peeve]?

Your thoughts are legitimate and well expressed. Nevertheless, it feels a bit disappointing, though unsurprising, that the accusations of "bigotry", racism and prejudice have surfaced. As usual, this serves to shut down any debate and therefore spare whole peoples from criticism while the rest have to endure it. It is critical obfuscation at its finest and minority groups in countries like the US have used this technique to prevent debate (in the media) over the power of the Zionist lobby in America and cow concerned citizens into silence in neighborhoods ridden by crime.

The comments that I personally made regarding Thailand and problems with Thai education have nothing to do with genetics or biology. Thai culture encourages one to relax, avoid challenge and have fun. It should come as little surprise then, that there are Nobel-prize winning Thai scientists, astronauts, and authors. To accomplish great things, one must challenge oneself and seek constant self-improvement. I have met brilliant, cosmopolitan Thais with whom I enjoy long intellectual conversations, but they were educated outside Thailand or in Thailand's international schools.

As for the future of Thai society, again, it has nothing to do with genetics. Cultural problems in Thailand are fundamentally preventing the country from making any progress while simultaneously marginalizing it politically and economically in the ASEAN region. The government is currently a puppet-administration that attracts little attention from foreign diplomats, whether they are Singaporean or European. That's because the level of corruption in Thailand has reached a crisis level. These things are readily demonstrated in media and regional studies. This is a cultural problem. Thailand is not "doomed". It will just become poorer and less important in the Southeast Asian region, all of which will only hurt Thai people and continue to prevent their assimilation into the global workforce. Optimism concerning Thailand's future is cute. It doesn't comport at all with the country's general political and economic progress in the last decade, though. We can be optimistic about Yemen too. That doesn't solve the massive cultural problems (tribalism) that are preventing peace, security and prosperity in the country.

Many of the posters on Thai Visa try to blame the government for Thailand's problems. What they fail to recognize (and this has been demonstrated) is that even if a country's government isn't democratically elected, that country's government is a fundamental reflection of its culture. Do you see much hope for the Thai government over the next decade?

This is a cultural problem.

You should write a book about this country.My neighbor will buy one, I promise. But he won't loose face by doing it.....Or not.

[bangon04]

The world will always need factory workers, farmers, labourers, maids, nannies and cleaning staff.

A nearly limitless supply can and will be found in Thailand.

No need for education to get Thai people a job.

No need worry and stress too much ;-)

Yes - with AEC the thais will be able to travel freely to Burma to take up the low paid jobs that the Burmese can't be bothered to do.

[cup-O-coffee]

Too many assumptions!

The article assumes that Thai children are model citizens.

Then it goes on to assume that the society and environment they will inhabit is a model society and environment.

This is all rubbish, and demonstrates how living in "the realm of reason" will never accomplish anything.

The reality seems to point that by 2015 nothing will have changed. This should have been a factor several generations ago. Not even communism is as hopeful in achieving its goals on society as the Thais are in achieving their goals. Five years! ROFL.

[DeepInTheForest]

Many of the posters on Thai Visa try to blame the government for Thailand's problems. What they fail to recognize (and this has been demonstrated) is that even if a country's government isn't democratically elected, that country's government is a fundamental reflection of its culture. Do you see much hope for the Thai government over the next decade?

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I am glad that we agree that genetics has nothing to do with Thai society’s difficulties. I continue to have a difficulty with the cultural explanation, at least as being the main or sole agent of difficulty. Let me try to explain.

Culture is of course one of the most important influences on our behavior. How we eat, the language we speak, how we relate to others, how we work and play, all our human stuff—can be said to be the product of culture. So it is natural to blame it when something goes wrong, or when we find society lacking in its response to crisis.

When we identify ourselves with a culture (and we all do), we engage in the process of creative Othering. We define ourselves in contrast to others, and our identity requires the constant identification (or creation) of differences between ourselves and the outside. Are there dangers in this? One might well suspect so. If we say, for example, that we are virtuous, the obvious question is, compared to who? Good can’t exist without evil; it needs a foil to define it. If we want to consider ourselves virtuous, or fair, this requires that we compare ourselves to someone else who is by definition less virtuous. This becomes a slippery slope in terms of how we view other cultures: because, since we want to have a positive opinion of ourselves (who wouldn’t?)—this implies that someone else has to embody the opposite attribute. Not only that, but we project the most unsavory traits of our own society onto others, in order to eliminate them from our own makeup. To some extent, every culture does this.

I have myself in the past leaned heavily on culture to explain Why Things Are This Way. When we make culture our primary vehicle of causation, we can easily overlook other factors. This can hinder our understanding. I’m sure you agree with this at least to some extent, and can point to other factors influencing events; like, for instance: political economy, class, historical development, the effects of globalized trade, availability of natural resources, simple agency by individuals, failure of the political class, other events providing distraction—there are many. Why could these not be part of the reason for the failure of Thai schools? Why is culture our convenient handle on so many things?

I think this is because culture can be a convenient box to put people in. We use it as a border, to separate others from ourselves, and to order, both in the sense of making our existence more orderly, and in ordering others around. Notions of culture lend themselves to stereotyping. There can be elements of truth in stereotypes. But they fail to render the full dimensions of human reality. Just what constitutes German culture, for example? Is there a single type of German? The same could be asked of any nationality. I’ve met many people from other countries, as have we all, and it can be very difficult to generalize about them, because of individual differences due to personal history, class, circumstance, etc. Not only that, but many of us are busily exploring other cultures and adapting things we like to our own style and outlook. We are becoming a cultural hash ourselves; the same must be true of most other people, even Thais. When we categorize, we tend to deny people the possibility of agency, of being individuals in their own right, of creating their own destiny.

We also, generally speaking, fail to "look in our own backyard" when it comes to examining "cultural deficiencies". More on this later.

Edited April 1, 2012 by DeepInTheForest

[Unkomoncents]

Many of the posters on Thai Visa try to blame the government for Thailand's problems. What they fail to recognize (and this has been demonstrated) is that even if a country's government isn't democratically elected, that country's government is a fundamental reflection of its culture. Do you see much hope for the Thai government over the next decade?

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I am glad that we agree that genetics has nothing to do with Thai society’s difficulties. I continue to have a difficulty with the cultural explanation, at least as being the main or sole agent of difficulty. Let me try to explain.

Culture is of course one of the most important influences on our behavior. How we eat, the language we speak, how we relate to others, how we work and play, all our human stuff—can be said to be the product of culture. So it is natural to blame it when something goes wrong, or when we find society lacking in its response to crisis.

When we identify ourselves with a culture (and we all do), we engage in the process of creative Othering. We define ourselves in contrast to others, and our identity requires the constant identification (or creation) of differences between ourselves and the outside. Are there dangers in this? One might well suspect so. If we say, for example, that we are virtuous, the obvious question is, compared to who? Good can’t exist without evil; it needs a foil to define it. If we want to consider ourselves virtuous, or fair, this requires that we compare ourselves to someone else who is by definition less virtuous. This becomes a slippery slope in terms of how we view other cultures: because, since we want to have a positive opinion of ourselves (who wouldn’t?)—this implies that someone else has to embody the opposite attribute. Not only that, but we project the most unsavory traits of our own society onto others, in order to eliminate them from our own makeup. To some extent, every culture does this.

I have myself in the past leaned heavily on culture to explain Why Things Are This Way. When we make culture our primary vehicle of causation, we can easily overlook other factors. This can hinder our understanding. I’m sure you agree with this at least to some extent, and can point to other factors influencing events; like, for instance: political economy, class, historical development, the effects of globalized trade, availability of natural resources, simple agency by individuals, failure of the political class, other events providing distraction—there are many. Why could these not be part of the reason for the failure of Thai schools? Why is culture our convenient handle on so many things?

I think this is because culture can be a convenient box to put people in. We use it as a border, to separate others from ourselves, and to order, both in the sense of making our existence more orderly, and in ordering others around. Notions of culture lend themselves to stereotyping. There can be elements of truth in stereotypes. But they fail to render the full dimensions of human reality. Just what constitutes German culture, for example? Is there a single type of German? The same could be asked of any nationality. I’ve met many people from other countries, as have we all, and it can be very difficult to generalize about them, because of individual differences due to personal history, class, circumstance, etc. Not only that, but many of us are busily exploring other cultures and adapting things we like to our own style and outlook. We are becoming a cultural hash ourselves; the same must be true of most other people, even Thais. When we categorize, we tend to deny people the possibility of agency, of being individuals in their own right, of creating their own destiny.

We also, generally speaking, fail to "look in our own backyard" when it comes to examining "cultural deficiencies". More on this later.

What you are saying is that, because we use culture as a means of conceptually filtering sensory data in to convenient "stereotypes", our respective understandings of our environments are overly simplified. Perhaps, but then what do you suggest we do to understand our world? Isn't every act of the human mind some sort of simplification of what we perceive? Do you believe in accurate perceptions of the world? Are there some perceptions that are more valid than others? I'm not accusing, but what it appears you are doing is rendering observations meaningless through high-minded relativism (obscurantism). If I continue on with your logic, truth and morality become meaningless. Because we cannot accurately perceive the world around us, we should make no comment? If everyone's method is equally valid, why shouldn't I just murder who I please for money? That certainly makes logical sense. Most people immediately fall back on moral and cultural relativism to explain/justify their behaviors and the current nature of political correctness. "This is our culture," said he, "we believe that it protects the purity of women to circumcise them..." Before you know it, everything is acceptable, because "to each his own". Humans can't live that way, with one another. Society requires that people abide by rules in order to co-exist. These rules are RULES. That means they cannot be subject to cultural interpretation. Under Shari'a law, murder is acceptable if a variety of circumstances are met. If I met you out in the field and we were talking about stoning adulterers, I can guarantee you would be singing a different tune.

On the subject of stereotypes: they wouldn't exist if there wasn't some truth to them (a point you make). That's the current order's dirty little secret. It's just like when US police officers "guarantee" that they aren't profiling. If police officers didn't profile people, they wouldn't be doing their jobs. All of the tolerance and acceptance you speak of sounds wonderful in a college classroom, but it's only when one is compelled to consume animal genitals in Guangdong in order to be polite that suddenly, the cultural conundrum becomes significantly more real. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems more like you want to try to make positive statements look infirm more than you actually want to try to understand and improve the current system. Most of the things you describe (class systems, historical development, etc.) are all a function of culture. Please explain to me how you see "class" structures as NOT a part of the local culture.

Also, I am enjoying this conversation, so no offense intended at all. Cheers. Ultimately, I agree with you wholeheartedly; however, I refuse to exist in a moral purgatory, so I will comment on what I presume to be problems with said order. I have lived in US, Europe, Korea, and Ecuador (all for at least six months), and I can tell you I've never seen a country closer to brilliance and yet so far away as Thailand.

Edited April 1, 2012 by Unkomoncents

[Unkomoncents]

No answer? C'mon DeepInTheForest...I'm waiting for you...you can't win this argument. I've done this hundreds of times. I want to hear how your obscurantist argument is going to allow you to make ANY positive statements.