the indian head wobble

Does wikipedia have an entry for Indian Head Shake? What’s that? No? Well, that isinteresting

Because calling it the Indian head shake instead of wobble makes it entirely different……

This one?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_bobble

Does wikipedia have an entry for Indian Head Shake? What’s that? No? Well, that isinteresting

Erm.. it does. It has an entry for Head bobble and lists “Indian head shake” as a synonym. That’s why googling for it brings up that page.

Perhaps we should call it The Indian “Yes” Head Gesture ?

(As the book ”Speaking of India: Bridging the Communication Gap When Working with Indians” refers to it)

No, that one is for head bobble

I can confirm it exists. Generally the smarter more internationally savvy don’t tend to do it. It goes up a notch when the conversation is Indian to Indian.

I believe it’s just a habit, a little like Italians being very animated with their hands when they talk

quite a bit of hatred going on between indians and Pakistanis

the partition at independence, the skirmishes and kshmir were the big clues for me.

I do like those who get offended by those who get offended by proxy….apart from the stew man oh the ironing

by your own hand younhave saidit is a local trait, not national, hence to ascribe it to all the people of that nation is generalisation and stereotyping.

So basically, this boils down to the trait being the “Southern Indian head wobble” rather than “Indian…”.

I’d hazard that what you’re claiming as stereotyping is more likely to be ignorance of that fact (or indifference), so if you’re looking to enlighten us all that the scope of wobbly-headedness is limited to a subset of Indians then your work here is done. Next time I order an Italian pizza I shall first ensure that it’s available throughout Italy so that I don’t unfairly stereotype baked flatbread products.

Christ, was that really worth arguing about for four pages?

Christ, was that really worth arguing about for four pages?

You have just called the entire existence of STW into question, it will all vanish in a puff of logic.

edited. Can’t be arsed.

Some Bulgarians do “the head wobble” and it means yes or agreeing with you.

Christ, was that really worth arguing about for four pages?

Not really, but my position was clear very early on. It would have been a lot easier if the arguers had agreed in the first place.

Not really, but my position was clear very early on. It would have been a lot easier if the arguers had agreed in the first place.

Yeah, but you call it the Indian Head Wobble. So unless you have seen more than just your colleagues, and many many more Indians and no non-Indians do it, then yes it is stereotyping

I called it the Indian Head Wobble because, as repeatedly shown here, that is what it is called*. I didn’t ascribe the name to it. I didn’t think ‘ah, that head wobble thing is peculiar to Indians, I will call it the Indian Head Wobble’, as you seem to repeatedly and mistakenly insist.

*bobble seems an acceptable alternative.

You accused me of stereotyping. I’m arguing that.

So what if calling it “Indian Head wobble” is stereotyping? In this context, it being used as a generalisation in order to facilitate communication.

It might not have been entirely accurate, but it was short enough to stick in the title and for plenty of people to recognise it, know exactly what he was talking about and give him the information he needed.

That’s pretty much it, isn’t it?

It meets Einstein’s plea for people to “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

You’re not going to get very far very quickly discussing much if you refuse to generalise.

It isn’t stereotyping though. If i’d said “you know that head bobble thing that Indians do?” that would be stereotyping. But I didn’t. I simply referred to the gesture by it’s accepted name.

It would have been a lot easier if the arguers had agreed in the first place.

It would have been a lot easier if you realised that your opinion is just that.

And easier still if I’d given you a couple of days off for trolling and being generally disruptive four pages ago. (-:

It would have been a lot easier if you realised that your opinion is just that.

Now now, You agree too that those who called it Indian Head Wobble were probably ignorant.

I simply referred to the gesture by it’s accepted name.

Just because that is it’s ‘accepted name’ doesn’t mean that it is not a stereotype.

I didn’t think ‘ah, that head wobble thing is peculiar to Indians, I will call it the Indian Head Wobble’, as you seem to repeatedly and mistakenly insist.

I don’t think you invented the name, I’m surprised it came out that way. I merely said that the characterisation of a group by ascribing an action to them is stereotyping.

So what if calling it “Indian Head wobble” is stereotyping?

See! ned agrees with me.

As to what is wrong with it? well, that is a separate issue, but I don’t like it.

And easier still if I’d given you a couple of days off for trolling and being generally disruptive four pages ago. (-:

How is it disruptive, beyond the early answers along the lines of it means the person is listening to you and others answering the OP, the discussion was the main part of the thread. I was staying on task, not disrupting.

I’ve just read all this thread and now want to pull the legs off kittens.

FWIW, my dad lived in India for quite a while and used to tell me that it was a southern Indian thing.

He said the British equivalent was nodding your head whilst listening to someone – didn’t necessarily signify agreement, but usually just meant ‘yep, I’m listening, please carry on’.

Sorry if this post is a bit too sensible.

I can be a bit more controversial if you like, but I’m trying to cut down.

I don’t think he was characterising a group by ascribing things to them, he was characterising a thing by talking about the people that you see doing it.

That fact that it’s not universally convertible is irrelevant to the question the OP was asking.

How is it disruptive,

It’s disruptive because it’s dragged the thread off in an entirely different, largely pointless direction.

Thread drift can be a good thing sometimes, but when you’ve got an irrelevant argument vying for contention with another subject it gets old fast.

<mod>
Anyway. I now officially have arseache with the whole thing, so here’s what’s happened so far and what’s going to happen.

CM, you’ve made your point quite conclusively. Most people disagreed, and both parties have been allowed to state their case. I think everyone’s had a fair crack of the whip here, and I don’t see as there’s anything further to add beyond beating the same drum until everyone dies of tedium.

So, we’re going to draw a line under it here and attempt to go back to the original topic, if anyone knows or still cares. I don’t want to have to resort to thread closures and bans, but I’m bored shirtless of needless bickering.
</mod>

OK.

That two handed jesture that Vale did after his crash yesterday, when the camera went to him in the pits, what does that mean??

soz.

So, we’re going to draw a line under it here and attempt to go back to the original topic, if anyone knows or still cares

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

There’s your answer.

Can we get back to the needless bickering now?

Well I’m not reading 4 pages of you stink, no you stink more. So I thought the head wobble was just to say I’m listening to what you are saying and that was all. Came across it a lot in North India when travelling there. By the time I left I was a happy wobbler myself and now feel free to shoot me down in flames.

So north and south India you say?

Oh I do indeed.

Oh dear! If we accept this anecdote as evidence, then Cougar’s name for it would be wrong as well!

STW at its most pointless

pointing is a very german gesture IMHO.

;o)

Just sent the link to an Indian friend of mine and he’s shocked & insulted

All these white men arguing wether it’s racist or not. He thinks it is and that’s all that counts IMO

do i need to report myself then?

It’s racist to ask what the distinctive head movement seen in ( various IME) parts of India means? Well, that is a very broad definition of racism IMO?

Is your friend truly representative or are you stereotyping? 😉

All these white men arguing wether it’s racist or not

Can you tell them that it is racist to assume we are all white.

No, I think that’s stereotyping.

Only with statistics can we decide.

Anyone know the global proportion of white racists to non-white racists?

Why do black American women move their heads sideways when they’re arguing and why don’t black American men do it ?

And why can’t I do it ?

And why can’t I do it ?

Aim for the moon ernie, if you miss, you’ll hit the stars.

Oh no, I’ve incurred the wrath of the stw click by posting my Indian friends opinion.

And why can’t I do it ?

Political correctness gone mad and the thought police stops you blacking up and dressing as a woman ….the bastards