Respect for Institutions in China
By Adolfo Laborde
Professor, Law and International Relations Department, Tec de Monterrey, Santa Fe Campus. Visiting researcher at the Institute of Development, Funda University, China.
Abstract
It’s complicated to explain a society’s conduct, how it’s organized, its behavior codes, and even its body language, especially when you’re new to it or have just arrived. For four weeks, I’ve watched patiently and discreetly. I haven’t asked too much or too little. I’ve respected the privacy of the people I’ve spoken with, and I keep from being influenced by what seems obvious, like some colleagues who, with their localized outlook, get carried away by generalities and myths. On this trip, I’m proving that common sense is not common to people. When I don’t know something, I don’t want a distorted outlook on it, so I ask. It happened with something I see every day: respect for authority. Not a day goes by that I don’t see some traffic situation that I inevitably compare to my point of reference, Mexico. Comparisons are bothersome and tedious, but if they help us improve, I welcome them. I’ll try to give an example of the police in this country by discussing 4 cases.