Lerner’s “The Grocer and the Chief: A Parable” is an extremely interesting piece, for it offers insight into not only the power dynamic of the Balgat, but also into the interviews’ perceptions of the people of the village. The initial interviewer, Tosun B., sought to ask questions of the poorest man in the village, the shepherd. It is heavily implied that whilst trying to set up this interview, the chief of the village made him incredibly nervous. Following his interview with a grocer, Tosun, with all his marvelous insightfulness, declares the grocer was nervous around him, and proud to have been selected for the interview. This sets up an interesting power dynamic in the village: why is the outsider feared by the grocer, yet fears the chief? I believe the answer lies in the desires of the three individuals. The grocer is nervous around Tosun because the interviewer represents the live he wishes to live but cannot experience for himself. The grocer simply wants to impress upon Tosun that he is different than the villagers in Balgat. Tosun, however, fears the chief, because he is in his village, interviewing his people. The dynamic between these unique people supports the notion that power is entirely dependent upon the perception of the individual; one only holds power when others decide that he or she should have said power.
On a separate note, I would like to comment on the subtle arrogance of Tosun which could discount everything I mentioned above. Tosun’s assumption that the grocer was nervous around him and proud to be interviewed implies the former implies he is above the latter. If Tosun’s comments are accurate, however, the notion that power is dependent upon perception is further supported.
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I like your final point about the interviewer’s arrogance and assumptions about deeper motivations and frame of mind. I think this speaks to the difference between a thick and thin description of behavior that Geerzt talked about, and the difficulty in getting to final and telling truth. This seems to be a reoccurring issue in this more subjective analytical approach to social science.
I also agree that there is an arrogance to the way Tosun conducts his interview. While the Chief holds the power in the town in question. Tosun seems to resent this in his description of him, presenting him as “mean” and a “dictator.” How can Tosun resent both the embodiment of tradition (The Chief) and the embodiment of the desire for progress (The Grocer)? The answer must be his own arrogance and the way he sees himself as superior to both parties.