‘POLITENESS’ AS CATEGORY OF SOCIAL CONTROL

Mukesh Devrari

Politeness functions as a controlling category in the Western World, it discourages antagonistic positions and wishes compliance without seeking any retaliatory or opposing perspective. This is a fundamental cultural difference between western and eastern societies. Excessive use of politeness as a preferred category limits the opportunities for the culture of expressing free opinion and dissent to flourish. It stunts the creation of an argumentative society that could contribute immensely in creating a truly democratic society.

Politeness is also essentially a method of manifesting the class differences. Imagine a work environment where people who belong to different classes constantly work together in a group, not only in virtual proximity but also in physical proximity. Let’s take the example of hospitals. How a doctor, pharmacist, nurse, cleaner and security guard can be different from each other if all of them can speak only one language, eat similar food, belong to the same Judeo-Christian culture and also belong to the same racial category.

People generally decide how much respect should be given to an individual by asking and knowing how one earns his or her living? But apart from that how people of different classes in western societies reflect and differentiate their class category from their fellow citizens of other classes. The answer to this question is ‘Politeness’, which is much better than its eastern counterpart of ‘arrogance’.  

At least in the hospitals ‘politeness’ is a category of human behavior deployed by doctors to differentiate themselves with others involved in patient care? It does not mean nurses are not polite, they are doing their jobs perfectly, but doctors have to manifest their classes and in their conversation with patients it is reflected the most. It is impossible to be more polite than people you are interacting with.   

Apart from the institutional tools like physical separation of staff rooms for doctors and other staff, different pay for their work and different colour of their dress inside the hospital among other things, politeness is the powerful behavioural cultural category invented by us. It is remarkably visible and was deployed to manifest the class differences by doctors while interacting with patients and others working in close physical proximity with them.

It is easier to locate ways of methods of differentiation among others in the group. If you belong to non-white racial or non-white cultural-linguistic category, then it is fairly easy to create in-groups and out-groups by maintaining a social separation within the circle of doctors, within the circle of nurses, security guards or cleaners.

All this drama is also remotely linked with the notion of political correctness and can be described as an imposed form of suppressive mental events, which curb our ability to live with freedom. It insists on abiding by the rules and cultural codes created by society. In other words, it is a controlled category and snatches your freedom from you, puts you in chains and enslaves you. You lose your individuality.

This politeness regime percolates into all sections of society. It must not be confused with the civic culture. It is just of opposite of what can be described as a civic. In fact, it is a visible chain. At times it is alright to argue and ask for changes in the functioning of the official apparatus. Not necessarily all existing structure is perfect and serves the interest of people in the best possible manner.

It becomes more dangerous in troubled times as things are not in abundance for all. People are struggling with limited available opportunities and resources. Within the hospital, it appears fine, but the implementation of the same high culture regime in all situations is a perfect recipe for disaster. It is an attempt to create a closed, enslaved and pliable society at the cost of freedom to express your true opinions.

End.