(QCOSTARICA BLOG) The recent “take-down” of some very high profile FIFA Directors by the U.S. Authorities in Switzerland, on bribery, corruption, and money laundering charges, is actually an interesting study in socialization and culture.
The bulk of the accused are from either Latin American Countries, including Mr. Eduardo Li, a Director of FIFA from Costa Rica, or some Caribbean Countries, with the U.S. and Britain having one of the accused each.
This analysis leads to my opinion, that there is a distinct difference in the socialization and culture of those countries having Latin based, rather than British based colonial roots.
In a British based society, the people are socialized to feel remorse and/or guilt for the committing of the socially unacceptable, or criminal act, in the conduct of the act itself. In a Latin based society, the aspect of feeling remorse and/or guilt only arises if one has been caught committing the socially unacceptable, or criminal act. In other words, it is not the act, but the fact of being caught, that one feels remorse and/or guilt for in a Latin based society. Otherwise, the act merely constitutes, “business as usual”.
In my blog of August 29, 2014, titled, “Corruption And Promotion of Chaos In Government By Costa Rica’s Ruling Class”, I stated that there exists a segment of Costa Rican Society, which I refer to as the “Ruling Class”, which generally don’t adhere to the ordinary “rules of play” and regulation, tending to make decisions only for their own benefit, and the benefit of their family and friends, giving little regard to the well-being of the Society, or Country in which they live.
This “Ruling Class” group is socialized into believing that such behavior is a right of entitlement. In my opinion, Mr. Li is likely to be another member of this “Ruling Class” group. Although he has only been charged at this point following a twelve year investigation of FIFA by the U.S. Authorities, and the possibility exists that the U.S. may lose jurisdiction over him without specific evidence of his having committed a crime within their jurisdiction, it would seem unlikely that he has not been involved in some criminal activity as alleged, within the FIFA structure.
Of course, Mr. Li is in good company with other such notables in Costa Rican Society, including some ex-presidents. Unfortunately for Mr. Li, these other notables all had to “face the music” in some varying degrees for such behavior.
The irony of this behavior, is that the members of this “Ruling Class” who commit these money-related crimes, really don’t, in my opinion, commit the crimes for the money, but more for the “sport” and of being in a position of power and privilege, providing them with a feeling of entitlement to behave in such a manner. In my view, these members of the “Ruling Class” are all victims of their own warped socialization and culture.
I don’t know if there is a lesson to be learned here, or not; time will tell.
Your last comment brings to mind the fable of the scorpion and the frog. A scorpion asks a frog to carry him over a river. The frog is afraid of being stung, but the scorpion argues that if it did so, both would sink and the scorpion would drown. The frog then agrees, but midway across the river the scorpion does indeed sting the frog, dooming them both. When asked why, the scorpion points out that this is its nature. Is this what we’re seeing unfold before our eyes?
It’s just “business as usual”, unless you get caught.
The initial distinction you may be looking for is between guilt and shame. Although not a major topic, anthropologists have distinguished between guilt and shame cultures, including the different socialization practices that contribute to each. Since I have been in Latin America, I too have conjectured that it is more of a shame culture than those with British heritage, and while I won’t go into it here, I think I have identified a number of the different childrearing practices that contribute to the differences.
BTW, as any anthropologist will insist, differences like these are not necessarily better or worse. Shame cultures do permit more misdeeds, but they also tend to be happier and more socially cohesive.
As for your separate conjectures about the ruling class, I think that their sense of entitlement explains their corruption more so than sport. Of course, in a shame culture everybody feels entitled, and elites everywhere always believe they are better than others, but it seems to me that Latin America’s heritage of hierarchical rule causes elites here to feel especially entitled.