Max , foxy everyone

Max my eyebrows aren't bushy enough for me to suffer from hubris.:-)

At the risk of increasing Max's concern about me being unduly semantic.
to me Phobias are extreme irrational fears....spiders, snakes, strangers, others cultures Crossing ravines on moss covered fallen logs Some huge some as little as 20 cm carrying livestock babies, provisions etc..

The PNG native children/adults I ran with weren't phobic about any of the above...they had not been taught to be. The whole culture was about understanding and surviving with their environment and did all of the above as a matter prosaic course.

They feared the spirits hence they had Taboos. They were fearful of upsetting the Duk Duk (medicine man, conduit to the spirits etc.)
I saw the odd crazy (dementia in various forms) and even they weren't prejudiced against. By and large phobias and stress are white men's problems. (culturally induced)
They used the lower brain/DNA fear is used constructively for what it evolved for defence.

Indigenous cultures tend to have explanations for their environments natural and social and accept that which they can't change. Simplistic it may be but they were content in their structures.
Most of their 'wars' had practical prosaic driving forces yes there were some elements of fear. The only creed wars I/my father encountered were instigated by whitey's church bigotry. i.e. a Catholic converted tribe V Adventist converted tribe....over which day to worship in their minds determining authenticity of their God.

Clearly this isn't noble savage stuff in some way their cultures were often crude, brutal nor should we adopt them en toto.

I am suggesting:

Adapt better to our realities

Adopt what is good and works from all cultures and reject the rest.

Indigenous cultures prize higher brain 'free will' over acting on lower brain functions albeit in a context.
I reject the too hard file of endless prejudices in favour of solution to attack the problem at its base fear etc.

Max/Foxy that's the best I can do in the space if you want more trawl through my posts or contact me.

Every day lazy, dirty, cheap people humiliate migrants in their workplaces, victimize migrants, brake mentaly migrants.
Every day many migrants crying return to their home , crying leave their job, bringing their families, their children in horible conditions.
I promised to Italian Jowane, to German Renato, to Jews Pawl, to Scandinavian Ann, to Asian Sheng and Muslim Aisha (I am atheist) that I will fight for their rights...
I have tried ... I contacted the local media but they do not publish this kind of stories.
I wrote to authorities, I contacted politicians, I wrote in many places.
I use in the forums my real name because I want to tell every one that I write real stories, I am real interested for migrants rights. That I want the creation of a national committee which will fight for migrants rights.
I will continue my fight.
If close to my END I will see that I did not do for migrants enouph,MAY BE I HAVE TO CALL JURNALISTS AND CORESPONDENS FROM INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AND BURN MY SELF, A LAST TRY FOR A SERIOUS DISCUSSION FOR MIGRANTS PROBLEMS IN WORKPLACES.
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide.

Fractelle:”The thing they all have in common is that they think they can get away with their behaviour. Antonius' fear of losing his job is what gives the bullies their power over him in his job. And his story, unfortunately, is not uncommon - management is often either indifferent to the behaviour of staff or actually in collusion with it - the culture of a workplace is often a reflection of its leaders.”

I know, I am only a volunteer but stuck with the most bizarre management problems. Of course I did complain and have done nothing but suffer for it the last three months. I even had it confirmed recently that a punishment for me is in place. It matters not that by punishing me little children are included. I am new here but before I complained I was told by other volunteers that this punishment would happen as it is very common and that is why others do not complain.

Having not stuck this attitude before I am spewing that this internal culture exists in an organization that should be fully focused on helping children. But Fractelle they do always get away with this behavior.

Antonios, you do what you feel you need to but maybe anything too extreme will make people think you might be a little crazy so wont listen to what what made you act this way.

Exam, very good post, thank you.
Here’s a simple test..Take any baby under six months and put it on a glass table.
That’s not taught, it’s instinctual, genetic. Chuck the same baby into a pool, it will hold it’s breath, open its eyes, and swim, also NOT taught, genetic. This applies to any human baby from any part of the world, and is well documented. The basic survival instincts are there, and xenophobia is one of these. Those PNG natives have been taught, but taught to ignore the basic fear instinct, just as we can easily be taught to ignore our instinctive xenophobia.. What’s the easiest way to de-sensitise a phobia? Exposure, and rationality. It works, and is applicable to any of our instincts.
Oh, and don’t worry, the Hubris referred to was in the approach, not the person, I value your posts and enjoy far more than I respond to.
There is altogether too much interpretation of native cultures and history in terms of the new PC view of the world, and claiming that a culture of billions of people can use simple village ways to solve problems on a multi-national scale is patently impossible, that’s the source of most of our modern problems, the fact that we we’re never “designed” to exist in these numbers, our success will be our downfall, sort of thing.
Try this, imagine that xenophobia IS genetic, and try to see the world in terms of it being a survival-trait, you’ll be surprised how well the glove fits. It is NOT written in stone, merely chemicals, and hence is an influence, a drive, not over-ruling, our conscious minds rule!

Put together in a play-pen an Asian, European, Anglo-Saxon and African baby and they will play.

They will continue to play together until they are taught by others to exclude.

A phobia is an irrational fear - it is not instinctive, it is learned.

It is normal to be fearful of the unknown, but it is IRRATIONAL when that fear is taken to extremes, such as not being able to get in lifts (claustrophobia) or hating everyone who is not Asian (xenophobia). And here's the good news, phobias can be cured. Many people get treatment for their fear of flying, spiders, open spaces, different people through familiarity.

Suggest you do some research, please. Just starting here is enough:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobia

You will find the definition for xenophobia in the above link:

"Xenophobia - fear or dislike of strangers or the unknown, sometimes used to describe nationalistic political beliefs and movements."

Foxy

Terms like "nationalistic pride" are the surface of the issue. At the core of these terms is irrational fear/hatred. The Cronulla riots are an example of this. The thugs who draped themselves in Australian flags have no more in common with me than the fact they were born here. I have more in common with friends I have made from around the world - nationality has nothing to do with any of it - hatred is the motivating factor, patriotism the excuse.

Jewely

It is near impossible to change workplace culture unless it starts at the top. Some reading for you:

http://www.reachout.com.au/default.asp?ti=1666

Max and others

My approach hasn't got bushy eyebrows either :-)

Jokes asides you raise an interesting cultural point . While English is my native tongue one can't shake the Jesuit boast “give me the boy and I'll give you the man” (indoctrination). During those 'formative years” I lived in comparative white isolation .
Most of the PNG cultures languages are literal. Hence I was raised with this mind set.

Even (mumble mumble ) years later I still need to do translations on phrases/meanings that have phatic (social) connotations .
e.g. ''how are you” is not a request for information.

Often when I say “I have concerns with.... and here's why” I mean exactly that nothing more. However in Aussie speak some interpret that as “You're wrong and here's why.”

Two corollaries here.
1.I am often misinterpreted in the way you did. Such is my life. :-\

2.Much of my thinking is on the bridge between cultures not really in either. Hence the lack of affinity with either bias. My thinking/communication are clear examples of what I mean when I point out cultural learning.

I still question Max's use of the word Xenophobia (extreme irrational fear of difference).

There is an important difference between wary, fear and phobia.
Your example of the baby...That infant will pick up a spider and mouth it (no fear/phobia) this is their genetic way of sensing learning.
My mum reminds me of when very young I was hungry so the dog and I shared 4 day old rissoles from her feed bowl. I hadn't learned yet the cultural implications or germ phobia.
The dog saw me as a hungry pup.

I would therefore dispute that PNG children are 'trained to overcome phobias(fears)' and substitute they were never taught to have unreasonable fears in those areas by as you say exposure and education. A nuance but an important one in anthropology/sociology.

PC to me implies subjectivity in the interpretation the above is accepted science and demonstrable.This is a whole other topic.
I hope this helps explain.