Sanity, Culture, and Global Customs and Mores Versus Globalization Theory
Take a man out of his environment and place him somewhere unfamiliar, where he is completely uncomfortable and label him insane.
Is it so hard to understand that different people like different places more than others and don't like certain places as much as other places?
Since people, generally speaking, and individuals with their own minds, perspectives, and preferences in life, would it not be hard to believe that certain locales are more therapeutic to some, but not to all.
For instance, take a Peruvian farmer and place him in downtown Los Angeles, he will surely feel discomfort and dis-ease. But to label him mentally ill, through bipolar disorder, depression, or a number of thousand different psychological disorders, because he doesn't immediately adapt, take off his traditional clothing and replace his style and demeanor with that of a typical business professional, working on a 9 to 5 schedule with overtime, sipping on triple espressos from Starbucks midday, and believing that model is normal is to explain that the current 1950's model of globalization-based success is flawed.
Even, generally speaking again, large corporations that have a client base around the globe are struggling to expand their client base amongst different local cultures. Could it not be that even with the principles that MBA's are taught about supply and demand, just from an understanding of something basic like A Wealth of Nations, that different locations and groups of people, based on geographical history as just one factor, demand and prefer certain goods and services over others?
Again, back to the Peruvian farmer example. Take a young, urban professional from Los Angeles and place him or her in Peruvian farming society and the Peruvian locals will label him or her as insane if he or she fails to immediately adapt, say by insisting that somewhat ironically a starbucks must be placed in the center of the village even though a particular village may grow coffee beans and with complete ignorance of Peruvian customs towards natural medicine and healing, insist that a Walgreens or CVS pharmacy must also be placed in the center of the village. Quickly he would be seen as the village "crazy."
Again, back to my thesis. What is sane and what is "crazy" really all depends on the geography and makeup of where you are currently located compared to your own human geography.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, human geography, unlike geography, is based upon the political, social, and economic factors that one grew up with in life. Geography, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary is:
So the geography of a particular area may conflict with the geography of a particular individual. This concept is also called cultural relativity by sociologists and philosophers in the field of ethics.
image courtesy of : http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2011/11/heidi-lamoreaux---personal-geographies.html
Is it so hard to understand that different people like different places more than others and don't like certain places as much as other places?
Since people, generally speaking, and individuals with their own minds, perspectives, and preferences in life, would it not be hard to believe that certain locales are more therapeutic to some, but not to all.
For instance, take a Peruvian farmer and place him in downtown Los Angeles, he will surely feel discomfort and dis-ease. But to label him mentally ill, through bipolar disorder, depression, or a number of thousand different psychological disorders, because he doesn't immediately adapt, take off his traditional clothing and replace his style and demeanor with that of a typical business professional, working on a 9 to 5 schedule with overtime, sipping on triple espressos from Starbucks midday, and believing that model is normal is to explain that the current 1950's model of globalization-based success is flawed.
Even, generally speaking again, large corporations that have a client base around the globe are struggling to expand their client base amongst different local cultures. Could it not be that even with the principles that MBA's are taught about supply and demand, just from an understanding of something basic like A Wealth of Nations, that different locations and groups of people, based on geographical history as just one factor, demand and prefer certain goods and services over others?
Again, back to the Peruvian farmer example. Take a young, urban professional from Los Angeles and place him or her in Peruvian farming society and the Peruvian locals will label him or her as insane if he or she fails to immediately adapt, say by insisting that somewhat ironically a starbucks must be placed in the center of the village even though a particular village may grow coffee beans and with complete ignorance of Peruvian customs towards natural medicine and healing, insist that a Walgreens or CVS pharmacy must also be placed in the center of the village. Quickly he would be seen as the village "crazy."
Again, back to my thesis. What is sane and what is "crazy" really all depends on the geography and makeup of where you are currently located compared to your own human geography.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, human geography, unlike geography, is based upon the political, social, and economic factors that one grew up with in life. Geography, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary is:
a science that deals with the description, distribution, and interaction of the diverse physical, biological, and cultural features of the earth's surfaceAt the point where geography collides and conflicts with human geography, where there is an inbalance of concepts of politics, society, and economics between what the individual believes and the environment around them, is where the line between sanity or normalcy, and insanity or madness actually lies.
So the geography of a particular area may conflict with the geography of a particular individual. This concept is also called cultural relativity by sociologists and philosophers in the field of ethics.
image courtesy of : http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2011/11/heidi-lamoreaux---personal-geographies.html
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