All this is that Alex's fault! He brought up Hans Brinker, he did!!
I extrapolated that to Faldage's thought and look where we are now!
I think it has more to do with education, Bingley; I don't know that travelling has much to do with it. Unless one has travelled a lot as a child and has therefore been exposed to different educational systems.
Folklore, mythology, short stories from here and there, are mandatory reading for all school going children. The question was, do children read enough about cultures from other lands? Faldage said something about some races doing the considering for others (not wrt scholastic learnings). That is true and only because in recent history, these same races have colonised more lands and have therefore spread their stories and culture far and wide.
I agreed largely with everything Alex said too. Hans Brinker as an example, however provoked a smile and a very tongue in cheek comment, because I personally don't believe that there is a lot of difference between these two groups. Certainly, comparatively, it is somewhat on the lower rungs of the scale of cultural difference. The Dutch were colonisers too and automatically fell into the group that was doing the considering.
I have a strong cross cultural experience. I used to say that I am a Brit by every standard except race (Indian). I dont know that I can say that anymore. But obviously, there is nothing wrong with reading about one's own culture and folklore. There is certainly nothing wrong with knowing more about it either. I was saying quite the opposite.
It is one of my beliefs that, it will help us to understand one another more, if, as children, we were exposed to other cultures and traditions in a broader sense. There is a tremendous exposure to the culture, ideology, folklore, mythologies of other civilizations in Indian schools. It never fails to amaze me, how much those children are exposed to. Certainly, this is yet another Raj hangover. How many (and I do so hope that there are many)on this board know about the Mahabharatha or the Panchatantra, or the Arabian nights? That, was what I was refering to. Currently, the cultural exchange is rather unidirectional (W-E). But this is all history in the making and the wheel constantly spins and turns. And, so, while it is important to make reparations for some of the gross errors of history, it is practically impossible to iron all the wrinkles out. Rather than language police (who will and should inevitably fail) it might be more prudent to have policy police, eh?
I heartily agree too, with your earlier comment on the mising word 'only', wrt the article.
