Post by Abbot » Fri Mar 24, 2017 10:54 am

Cultural sensitivity is de rigueur at the moment, and probably should be (notwithstanding its being taken to ridiculous extremes, e.g. "cultural appropriation" -- whatever that means). I appreciate entirely the sentiment behind this policy: 1) you have your culture(s), i have mine, and so we will naturally disagree on how best to go about doing some things; 2) yet we (often) have to live side-by-side culturally different people(s); 3) therefore, a policy of respect for others' cultural differences will reduce friction between cultural groups, help mitigate in-group/out-group thinking, and make living together generally more pleasant and productive. This is just good sense.



But I'm far from the first to realize that, on occasion, a practice considered "cultural" by one group is considered morally abhorrent by another. Any one of us could adduce a long list of practices considered cultural by others but abhorrent by us, in which would (I expect) be included: infant circumcision; gender inequality; racism; heteronormativity; capital punishment; and may other practices. But let's not forget that other peoples' lists of morally abhorrent practices will include: sex positivity; atheism; profit-seeking; etc. Conflicts like these pose a real problem for those of us who are interested in promoting cultural sensitivity, and I am aware of no satisfactory solution to this problem. At present, best practice seems to be to try to ignore the fact that these conflicts even exist.



The problem becomes especially thorny when we identify "abhorrent practices" within a culture that has been historically marginalized or suppressed. Case in point, and the inspiration for this post: there is currently in Canada a very large, concerted and well-meaning movement to repair decades worth of damage done by 'white settler colonial culture' (a term I'm not entirely comfortable with, but that's beside the point) to the lives and cultures of indigenous groups. This movement includes an earnest effort on the part of the dominant culture ('settler culture') to promote the voices of indigenous peoples in the media and in the arts, and to raise awareness among all Canadians of the difficulties (esp. socio-economic) these peoples continue to experience as a direct result of their cultures being systematically damaged or destroyed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The groundswell of support this movement is enjoying truly is a wonderful turn of events, and long overdue.



Here's my dilemma: certain aspects of certain indigenous cultures are morally abhorrent to me. So what, you might say. After all, there are many cultural practices around the world that I consider morally abhorrent, but these don't (currently) trouble me enough to write a forum post about. And I don't (currently) go running around handwringing and worrying about what to do about them. Well, the difference here is a subtle but real one. As I say, Canadians on the whole have generally decided it's high time to help these peoples heal and redress the wrongs done to them and their ancestors. And indigenous groups (known as First Nations up here) are really taking advantage of this development. My twitter and news feeds now regularly include notices about legal/institutional barriers that still hurt First Nations communities, and suggestions about ways to fix them. They also include notices about rallies, or awareness-oriented events, or funds drives, or traditional celebrations happening locally -- replete with ceremonial dress, song, and ritual. This is all fantastic. But there are also calls for the public to support certain initiatives that are supposed to promote First Nations cultural practices that have long laid dormant, and are in danger of going extinct. Not infrequently these calls are for the public to endorse traditional practices of animal hunting, traditional forms of cooking animal bodies, and traditional methods of preparing clothing made from animal skin. Such practices are disgusting to me (as they will be, I expect, to all vegans). But how to respond to such calls? With silence? That certainly cannot be the correct response. Would any of us be expected to keep silent if my neighbour, as a part of her religious practice, was ritually slaughtering german shepherds? Or humans? How can I be silent about the killing, eating and wearing of non-human animals? My overwhelming inclination is to criticize these practices vociferously when I see them being promoted. Of course, you can see the problem here. To do so would be to invite a truly torrential and negative response from others who consider it far *far* less important to support non-human animals' right to life than to support the repairing and healing of First Nations' lifeways. And I do not want, or even be seen, to work against the repairing and healing of those lifeways, except insofar as those lifeways promote murder and butchery. I am at a loss: silence is not an option, but neither does speaking out seem to be. And I do not think that my fear of speaking out stems merely from my own timidity (indeed, I love a good fight). Rather, it comes from sincerely not wanting to be perceived as roadblocking what is in general a very good and healthy movement in my country. Worse, I do not want to appear to suggest that the dichotomy is between supporting historically marginalized culture groups, or supporting veganism -- if nothing else, I know how that dichotomy would play out in the current political climate up here.



Any help?