I’ve learned a lot in my TEFL time abroad, such as some neat local legends, how TEFL can be like psychotherapy, and that some places serve imposter Mexican food. I’ve learned some crazy facts about, you know, defining and non-defining relative clauses, diacritical marks in Slavic languages, and a special rule connected solely to the verb patterns for “regret”. But even more interesting to me is when I realize that the way I looked at something before was some kind of culturally subjective…thingy…
(I know. Bear with me and keep reading)
For example, in guidebooks about Bosnia, I’ve read: “It’s a Muslim tradition to take off your shoes inside.” I can accept that this is done in many or maybe even all countries considered Muslim. But does it really have to be attributed to people’s nominal religion, or some deep-rooted historical tradition? I think people do this in Bosnia because, along with nearly everyone else in Eastern Europe, they realize shoes are dirty and tracking street juice onto your pretty carpet is not desirable.
Yes, some people may also happen to be Muslim. It has also occurred to me that people in Japan and, I presume, at least a few other Asian countries take off their shoes inside too. Given all this, it just makes sense to me that the reason is more along the lines of “keeping your home clean” than “keeping alive an ancient tradition.”
I can certainly understand the value of informing visitors to a country that taking off your shoes inside is the thing to…but I’ve reached a personal conclusion that it’s just kind of the normal, clean thing to do, following my experience gained through TEFL. I now wonder why there is no cultural explanation for why people keep their shoes on inside!
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Countries so cold that you will freeze if you take your shoes off?
People wear such big boots etc. during the winter that socks get very smelly, so you don’t want to reveal them??
Due to being built on hills etc, Western European houses did not have to be built with the floor several feet off the ground like Japanese ones, so there was no clear distinction between the outside and the inside earth floor???
The real answer is: I don’t know. But you see how fun it is to ask “Why?”
I think explanations for cultural things are interesting and even useful, even when wrong, if they help you accept and remember other people’s customs. If the explanation makes you more disparaging of others’ way of life (possible!), then it is best avoided.
TEFLtastic blog- http://www.tefl.net/alexcase
Oh – it gets pretty cold in Sarajevo and still, no shoes! Granted, highrise blocks of flats are kind of popular, so I suppose I can’t fully rule out your “earth floor explanation”…
But people’s feet smell everywhere…that’s what slippers are for!
Really though, I feel like it doesn’t need to be singled out as a tradition of just one religion, when so many people around the world do it. My strong feelings on this may be specific to current event, this case and this country…
I do see your point, but I guess I wonder if people really need to be attributing different customs to religion when the real answer is something like “habit” and “common hygienic sense”.
I do take my shoes off inside now…it seems gross not to! As far as I know, I have not taken on any religion
I think the reason why religion is used as an explanation more than others is: if you ask why? why? why? to each explanation like a 4 year old who has just learn the power of the word, sooner or later one of the explanations that will come up will be religion. Unlike other explanations, people might not be winning to analyse this reason further (“Why is it part of the religion?”) so as not to offend anyone. And so the explanation sticks.
Islam was started in the desert, and you could analyse many of its laws with that in mind- if you had a taste for danger…
TEFLtastic with Alex Case- All the truth that’s fit to teach
Hate to be contrary (well, I love it really, but I don’t think I am being so this time…), but the more I think about it the more I am coming to the opinion that just in this case religion is probably the best explanation. Just like Islam, Shinto in Japan is a religion with a tradition of ritual cleansing.
Must send it back to you for a final decider, Katie. Do the Croats and Serbs walk into their flats wearing shoes?
TEFLtastic blog- http://www.tefl.net/tefltastic
Oh, man, Alex, you and your DELTA-holding kind really are a group of trouble makers. But, I like the look of my own comments and I can’t pass up the chance to be the final decider.
Basically…my point in mentioning that most of Eastern Europe takes off its collective shoe(? -s?) was to make the point that I don’t think this habit is unique to people of a certain religion – or who had ancestors of a certain religion. Wikipedia mentions at least Croatians de-shoeing.
I realize I probably sound kind a wacko going to such lengths to explain my views on the shoe situation…but I think it’s unfortunate when people’s religion or ethnicity is singled out as a reason for something when a practical explanation would suffice…or would apply to others from a different religion or ethnicity doing the same thing.
And hey – I think this comment may just unofficially earn me that Japanese word for “crazy, possible stalker person”?
Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I won’t stalk you, but … I think the tefl logue archives might provide proof of the crazy factor…
Aha, you had a joker up your sleeve all along. If the Croats show their socks off indoors too, then there must be another explanation.
You win this time, TEFLlogue, but I will be back…
TEFLtastic blog- http://www.tefl.net/alexcase
Haha…victory. Gotta love that!
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