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Raghad Alajmi Professor Barton ANT5

03/10/2019

Comparison between Middle Eastern Culture and the New York Culture

Globalization has become a trend in the present age. Therefore, cultural variability is a concept that exists in a society and has several forms. This concept of cultural variability is almost existent in everyone’s everyday lives. Nowadays people interact more and more with the entire world. For instance, students study abroad so that they gain a better knowledge and cultural experience from other parts of the world. Similarly, travelers move across the world to enrich their experience. Therefore, I’m an international student and this essay discusses my experience of the cultural difference between the Middle East culture and that of the West particularly New York in terms of food, and marriage.

( Alajmi- 1 )

Food constitutes a big part of life and a basic necessity for all beings. Definitely there are a countless variety of foods and thousands of recipes that explain how meals are prepared around the world. Individuals enjoy making food in different ways. Culture and religion affect the meals in different places over the world which is the reason for the differences between American and Arabic cuisine in terms of how it is prepared, presented and the kinds of the added spices. For the Middle Eastern culture hospitality is important. Therefore, people spend a long time preparing big

feasts. In the Middle East grains plays a principal part in the diet where most individuals incorporate it in their diets. The dissimilarity between the Middle East and American food is outstanding. In the United States, individuals prefer fast food

compared to any other type of food. On the other hand, people in the Middle East prefer meat together with rice like Mandy, Mathloth, and Kabash.

Arabs are more focused on matters of family, and it is a necessary aspect of the social group in all Arabic countries. Arab people consider marriage a significant aspect of human life because they consider it as the security of society. In the Arabic culture marriage between a husband and wife become the societal and economic agreement of a family as well as a ritual which makes sexual intimacy legitimate in society. Contrary, American marriage is constituted by state laws. The traditional American wedding involves the couple publicly declaring their love allegiance for one another in the presence of a priest, pastor or a judge officiating the event. Usually, this ceremony is conducted before close family members and friends as witnesses. While marriage is the most awaited event in the American culture, the Western society has also accepted the reality that some couples have been cohabiting that is living under the same roof and engaging in premarital sex which leads to having children out of wedlock. Also, divorce is a common aspect for married couples in the West.

In conclusion, culture is a significant part of an individual's lives as it influences their humor, values, hope, views and fears and worries. Indeed,

understanding other people’s culture plays a vital role in overcoming ethnic and racial differences.