I think Peace Corps actually gives perspective host families a training on this.
Guatemalans have a very communal culture. Generally, at least out in the rural communities where we live and work, three generations live under the same roof. In two of the host families that I have lived with, all of the women are in charge of caring for the younger members of the family. They do this so much so that the kids call their mom, their aunts, and grandmother "mami." I think that most American families would cringe and the thought of living with their relatives, but it seems to work here.
Guatemalans also tend to spend a lot more of their time in communal areas rather than alone in their respective rooms. I think this might also partially be due to the lack of many material things that I have found in a lot of Guatemalan houses. There is generally one TV and with such large families, sharing rooms is common. I spend a good number of hours alone in my room, listening to music, doing things on my computer such as working on this blog, reading, watching movies, etc. It's not because I'm angry or sad, it's just nice to be by myself sometimes and not worry about what grammatical mistake I just made in Spanish. In addition, my host family doesn't have a living room so either I am in the kitchen with them, or I am in one of their rooms sitting on one of their beds. Another difference that I have noticed is a lack of reading for fun. Whenever I read in common areas in my host family's house they ask me what I am studying. I can count on one hand the number of Guatemalans who I have seen reading for fun. These are just two of the cultural differences that I have noticed in my almost two years living in Guatemala.
Your observations would have fit American culture perfectly and likely most cultures historically up until the second half of the 20th century, The communal life is not particularly Mayan--it is also based on economics. In poorer society families need the income and work efforts of the extended multi-generational family to get by and share expenses. Without assisted living facilities and the like, grandparents and great grandparents lived with their children and grandchildren caregivers, as was true early in my life.
ReplyDeleteYour need and expectation for solitude at times reflects the luxury (at least by historical standards) that many of us in the developed world have to come expect. It's a modern phenomenon.
In my generation, when TVs were new and expensive, the whole family sat together in the living room to watch and share the limited programming on the one box. Before that, families gathered together around the radio. Prior to the Industrial Age, there was little time for leisure reading--even if people were at all literate and their eye sight permitted reading as they got older. (Another observation you have made about your Guatemalan experience.)
Certainly the Mayan culture that you have observed has some unique qualities. But much of what you have seen is also a time capsule of the way life was in agricultural America and elsewhere for most of history.
I can relate - I very much appreciate alone time
ReplyDeleteThere's something refreshing about the Guatemalan communal culture. I'm sorry that there's very little leisure reading - especially for the children. But I like the idea of family together without each person on their individual electronic device.
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