When is it OK to generalize about Thai women?

[SandyFeet]

Hey TVF friends, I'm fairly new here but trying to post where I can and add to the discussions. Generally enjoying it here. There is one thing that's somewhat dismaying to me and that's how easily people hurl around generalizations about Thai people and especially about Thai women. Sometimes this is even done in the same paragraph where the poster complains about Thais generalizing about all farang - with no apparent irony. Anyway, obviously generalizations have their usefulness but there are limits. I found a pretty good article outlining some rules for when it's ok to generalize. They make sense and it seems like if people tried to follow these there would a lot less bickering over nothing here on TV. Curious about what others think about these rules. (Mods: I read the rules for links and I'm pretty sure I followed them, but let me know if not )

Edited May 20, 2014 by Rimmer
Blog link removed

[wprime]

Generalisation comes from ignorance about variety, this is a normal part of the human learning process.

If a kid is robbed by black people frequently, and the kid has little exposure to other black people, he will grow up assuming black people are thieves and be branded a racist.

Likewise if a farang hangs around lady bars all day and never meets non-sex working Thai girls, he is going to assume that Thai girls just want money, he doesn't get branded a racist though for some reason.

[CharlieH]

Good way to promote a blog, buts its all common sense to any reasonably intelligent balanced individual, of which this forum has many....generally.

[thaibeachlovers]

At the same time as it's OK to generalise about women in your country .

[David48]

It's OK if she is not here and you don't get caught.

It's not OK if she knows.

[SandyFeet]

Generalisation comes from ignorance about variety, this is a normal part of the human learning process.

If a kid is robbed by black people frequently, and the kid has little exposure to other black people, he will grow up assuming black people are thieves and be branded a racist.

Likewise if a farang hangs around lady bars all day and never meets non-sex working Thai girls, he is going to assume that Thai girls just want money, he doesn't get branded a racist though for some reason.

Good point, but surely sometimes it's useful. Telling someone new to Thailand, "Thai people are offended if you insult their King or country" is a generalization, but a useful one.

[gray42]

The fact that there's the word "farang" makes me not feel so bad about generalizing Thais.

[isanbirder]

Answer to OP: never.

The same goes with generalisations about farangs.

[Berkshire]

Generalisation comes from ignorance about variety, this is a normal part of the human learning process.

If a kid is robbed by black people frequently, and the kid has little exposure to other black people, he will grow up assuming black people are thieves and be branded a racist.

Likewise if a farang hangs around lady bars all day and never meets non-sex working Thai girls, he is going to assume that Thai girls just want money, he doesn't get branded a racist though for some reason.

Good point, but surely sometimes it's useful. Telling someone new to Thailand, "Thai people are offended if you insult their King or country" is a generalization, but a useful one.

Good points, both. Unfortunately, when farangs generalize about Thais, it almost always slants towards the negative. Especially from the usual suspects.

Thai women are a special case. There's such a huge difference between Thai women who date farangs (let's say roughly 10% of Thai females) and Thai women who don't (the other 90%). So typically, farangs on TV (or farangs in general) are talking about this 10%. How this 10% can then morph into 100% is the sociological question of the century.

Edited May 20, 2014 by Berkshire

[SandyFeet]

Answer to OP: never.

The same goes with generalisations about farangs.

Sorry to quote myself from another post, but just to play devil's advocate, surely sometimes it's useful. Telling someone new to Thailand, "Thai people are offended if you insult their King or country" is a generalization, but a useful one. Obviously that one is not what we're talking when we talk about TVF posters generalizing, but how about something like "Thai women like a man to be playful, and are put off by someone overly serious."

Thoughts???

[pinkpanther99]

It's never really ok to generalise about anyone.

Some Thai women are bad. Some Thai women are good.

Guess what, some farang men are bad and some farang men good.

Good and bad all over the place. Get over it.

[mancub]

Generalisation comes from ignorance about variety, this is a normal part of the human learning process.

If a kid is robbed by black people frequently, and the kid has little exposure to other black people, he will grow up assuming black people are thieves and be branded a racist.

Likewise if a farang hangs around lady bars all day and never meets non-sex working Thai girls, he is going to assume that Thai girls just want money, he doesn't get branded a racist though for some reason.

Good point, but surely sometimes it's useful. Telling someone new to Thailand, "Thai people are offended if you insult their King or country" is a generalization, but a useful one.

Good points, both. Unfortunately, when farangs generalize about Thais, it almost always slants towards the negative. Especially from the usual suspects.

Thai women are a special case. There's such a huge difference between Thai women who date farangs (let's say roughly 10% of Thai females) and Thai women who don't (the other 90%). So typically, farangs on TV (or farangs in general) are talking about this 10%. How this 10% can then morph into 100% is the sociological question of the century.

So you're effectively saying that 10% of Thai women are of the bar girl sex-worker type ? How do you know so much about the other 90%, that other Farang don't ? Why are Thai women a special case ? Seems to be that you are making a lot of generalisations, especially about Farang in general .

[casualposter]

Thai women are a special case. There's such a huge difference between Thai women who date farangs (let's say roughly 10% of Thai females) and Thai women who don't (the other 90%). So typically, farangs on TV (or farangs in general) are talking about this 10%. How this 10% can then morph into 100% is the sociological question of the century.

The 10% who date and marry farangs cover a similar spectrum to the 90% who don't.

The King, for example, has three daughters: one has never married, the youngest married a Thai, the eldest married a farang.

PS. Do you have sources for your figures. I bet you don't!

[marko kok prong]

One thing i could generalise about is motorsai drivers,female and male never looking right,when turning left onto a main road.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

You generalized by calling foreigners farang, so why isn't everyone else allowed to generalize.

[duanebigsby]

The "generalization" that Thais love the King isn't one. It is statistically provable. If you take a poll the result will show it.

Other generalizations often come across as accusations and opinion. Those are dangerous. We also forget that sometimes there are reasons for situations. "Thais are bad drivers", a generalization, but lack of law enforcement, motor vehicle training, and licensing, lead to a problem.

Those of you throwing the "faraang" word out there, it really isn't the insult you think it appears to be. It isn't always polite, but it isn't always the racial slur of your perception. Think of the words the west has for people of colour, etc.

[chrisinth]

100% of Thai women are female could be used as a generalization.

However, if kraytoys also believe they are female then the percentages wouldn't equal up.

Welcome to Thailand, try not to generalize.........................

[gandalf12]

Short answer is never. Everyone is different

[Old Stud]

There are roughly 34,000,000 Thai women in Thailand. Good luck.

If there is anything a farang man should know if you wish to generalize - most Thai women are "practically" speaking much much smarter than farang men give them credit for. (it usually take a while to figure that out)

[AnotherOneAmerican]

The "generalization" that Thais love the King isn't one. It is statistically provable. If you take a poll the result will show it.

Other generalizations often come across as accusations and opinion. Those are dangerous. We also forget that sometimes there are reasons for situations. "Thais are bad drivers", a generalization, but lack of law enforcement, motor vehicle training, and licensing, lead to a problem.

Those of you throwing the "faraang" word out there, it really isn't the insult you think it appears to be. It isn't always polite, but it isn't always the racial slur of your perception. Think of the words the west has for people of colour, etc.

Hmmmmmm,

I'm also certain that in Nazi Germany, a poll would have proven every one loved AH.

Same in Communist Russia for Joe Stalin, everyone loved him.

Want to try the same poll in North Korea?

Any poll you take where a negative answer can land you in jail (or worse) isn't all that valid IMHO.

[Gandtee]

NEVER!!!

[BudRight]

So...this is the generalization about generalization thread. It's turtles all the way down I suppose...

[mangolover]

An educated, 40-year old Thai woman, who is not and never has been a "lady of the night" but in her work comes in contact with a variety of different types of Thai women, tells me, "Fifteen, twenty years ago I would have said 'Pattaya girls…' or 'Bar girls…' …care about money more than anything else when it comes to a man, but now I would have to say 'Thai women, in general, do.'" She doesn't mean every single Thai woman; she just means it's no less true of…what is it?…the 90%…than it is of the 10%. Is that a useful generalization? My friend might be right or wrong, but without the generalization is there even a conversation? Maybe generalizing is not the problem, but it's a matter of avoiding over-generalizing, or generalizing based on stereotypes and not empirical evidence, or generalizing in a way that insults or even just impersonalizes the people we're talking about. Just thinking out loud…

[sirchai]

Let's start a new thread about overweight American women.-

[khrab]

100% of Thai women are female could be used as a generalization.

I cannot agree!

Where I live there are males and something else which cannot be associated with the female gender. At least not with a human gender.

So this must be the crowd of the 90% I guess.....

[SandyFeet]

An educated, 40-year old Thai woman, who is not and never has been a "lady of the night" but in her work comes in contact with a variety of different types of Thai women, tells me, "Fifteen, twenty years ago I would have said 'Pattaya girls…' or 'Bar girls…' …care about money more than anything else when it comes to a man, but now I would have to say 'Thai women, in general, do.'" She doesn't mean every single Thai woman; she just means it's no less true of…what is it?…the 90%…than it is of the 10%. Is that a useful generalization? My friend might be right or wrong, but without the generalization is there even a conversation? Maybe generalizing is not the problem, but it's a matter of avoiding over-generalizing, or generalizing based on stereotypes and not empirical evidence, or generalizing in a way that insults or even just impersonalizes the people we're talking about. Just thinking out loud…

Very well put

[khrab]

Let's start a new thread about overweight American women.-

No need.

Too many overweighted "women" here.

[Jackson86]

there was a farang who generalised that all thai women are prostitutes, ended up he got whacked by 3 ladies.

[smotherb]

The problem, it seems to me, is that many TV posters are not generalizing; they know no other Thais.

[Thai at Heart]

Generalisation is pointless.

That said, Thailand does have a lot of hookers. And that is a simple truth. After that, the rest I just surmising.