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Cultural Perspectives Draft

Name: Oluwakemi Aina

Professor: LaTonya Scott

02/06/2020

Cultural Perspectives

In the modern society, people live and work in highly diverse situations where they get to interact with people from other cultures. This has helped enhance cultural awareness and cultural diversity among the people. Due to such interactions, people are able to understand why others behave and hold on to beliefs that are different from those of held by other people (Thompson, 2017). Based on the racial, religious, and cultural background of an individual, one is likely to hold on to beliefs, values, and norms that influence how they view and interact with other people. Developing cultural awareness and embracing cultural diversity has a key role in ensuring that the cultural perspective of an individual is not biased against the values, beliefs, and norms of the other people (Ehrlich, 2018). To most people, living and working in a faraway country, where the people have different cultural values, norms, and beliefs is a major challenge due to the fear of discrimination.

Over the years, some groups have been subjected to discrimination due to their racial and cultural background. Such groups include the blacks or African Americans, who have been the subject of racial discrimination for many years. Another group that has been subjected to discrimination are the Muslim women in most Asian countries, who have been forbidden from driving simply because they are women (Thompson, 2017). This paper focuses on the cultural dilemma of gender inequality on the basis of religion, which has barred Muslim women from driving cars in Islamic countries. This is in comparison to their fellow women from the western countries who enjoy almost as much freedom to do things just as the men in these countries.

Impact of Cultural Background and the Cultural Perspective of an Individual

The cultural perspective of an individual is developed based on their experiences interacting with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. This perspective enables an individual to vies situations and concepts based on their knowledge of the native environment and the social influences of other people. The culture and people in the society where one lives work together to influence their perspective and worldview (Ehrlich, 2018). As such, cultural perspective has a key role in ensuring that an individual is able to view and perceive other people or groups based on their cultural and societal norms that they understand best. The cultural perspective of an individual affects how they interact with other people from different cultural backgrounds in the society.

People who had experience living and working with people from diverse backgrounds are likely to be more accommodating of other people’s perspectives unlike those that have been raised with a conservative view of their own group as superior (Thompson, 2017). It is such perception that one’s group or cultural beliefs are more important and superior than those of other people that causes people to have biased view regarding others. as a result, an individual from such a culture that is considered superior is likely to be discriminative towards other people from minority groups whose culture are not as superior. In addition, people within the same cultural group may experience discrimination and biased treatment based on their age, gender, and other factors that distinguish them from others (Ozyegin, 2016). this is mainly the case among the Muslim women, who are treated as a minority group among the male Muslims. As such, the women are prohibited from taking up roles that are taken by men in the society, which subjects them to some form of discrimination based on their gender.

Diversity Situation Prevalent in Today’s Society

Cultural diversity has become a key factor in the modern organizations that operate on a global scale. In such a working environment, diversity aims at promoting respect, acceptance, and teamwork among the people working together regardless of their age, racial, gender, or religious backgrounds. In addition, diversity seeks to ensure that all people are given equal opportunities and representation across all platforms without discrimination based on their race, values, beliefs, sexuality, or political ideologies among other factors (Thompson, 2017). Developing a culturally diverse workforce is a process that begins by ensuring that all the people understand the value of having people with diverse set of skills and experiences. There are many benefits that arise from being able to embrace diversity and ensuring that people can work together harmoniously.

In our modern society, there are many diversity situations that people encounter on a daily basis. These include gender inequality, racial discrimination, age discrimination, and even discrimination on the basis of language and cultural or religious background of an individual (Thompson, 2017). The two main diversity issues that have continuously haunted most people in the modern society are the racial discrimination between the whites and the blacks as well as the religious discrimination mainly among the Christians and the Muslims in the society (Heath & Stasio, 2019). Such cultural situations have resulted in some undesirable effects in the society as some groups of people feel that they are the subject of victimization.

Racial Discrimination Between Whites and Blacks

Racial differences arise when people from different racial backgrounds live within a certain area. One group that has continuously faced racial discrimination are the black people. The African Americans have over the years been subjected to racial discrimination, which began many years ago during the era of slave trade. The whites have always viewed themselves as the superior group, which has the power over the blacks (Heath & Stasio, 2019). In the past few decades, cases of racial discrimination have heightened as to result in undesirable effects such as the rise of street gangs. In some cases, the police officers in the united states have been accused to carrying out racially instigated killings against the blacks. There are a number of incidents where young African Americans have been shot and killed by police officers.

The era of slave trade is usually seen as the beginning of the racial struggles between the whites and the blacks. This is because the Whites developed an attitude that they are the superior race while the blacks were held as minorities in all aspects. As such, the blacks were required to view the whites as their masters. In addition, the blacks would be mistreated and subjected to forced labor in as much as they would be segregated (Ehrlich, 2018). Africans would not be allowed to share same facilities with the Whites including the schools and healthcare facilities. This heightened the racial discrimination in the united states, which prompted the blacks to engage in a continuous struggle for equality in a fight against the racism that had spread all over the country.

In the past few decades, significant efforts have been made to ensure that discrimination against the black Americans, and black people at large can be ended. The current education system as well as the advancement in technology has helped bring to light the problem of racial discrimination and the effects that it has on individuals and the society as a whole (Ehrlich, 2018). This has helped ensure that all people can learn the benefits of giving individuals equal opportunities regardless of their racial or cultural background. No one race should feel superior than the other given that there is more strength in our individual differences.

Racial discrimination against African Americans as well as discrimination against disadvantaged groups has persisted for a long time in the United States. The civil rights societies in the U.S made it their objective to bring an end to all these forms of discrimination both in private and public sectors. In addition, a number of landmark cases have been filed in the justice system seeking to ensure that all people are given equal opportunities regardless of their racial backgrounds. These cases include the Dred Scott v. Sanford in 1857, Plessey v. Fergusson in 1892, and the Brown v. board of Education, in 1954 (Ehrlich, 2018). The fact that the slaves were treated as personal property of their white masters does not mean that they should be mistreated or handled as less humans. The recent cases of police shootings have attracted a lot of attention from all sectors in the country. This is because these shootings seem to target the blacks in the country. While the cultural background, values, and beliefs of the whites and blacks in the country cannot be the same, it is important to ensure that none of the racial groups feels superior than the other since we are all created equal (Heath & Stasio, 2019). In addition, working together would ensure that individuals are able to achieve more as they are able to bring their diverse skills and experiences onboard.

Religious Discrimination

There exists a number of religious groups all over the world such as Muslims, Christians, and Hinduism among others. The followers of these religions have different beliefs and practices that distinguish them from other groups. Some people tend to take those differences as basis of treating other people in an unfavorable manner while favoring others from their own religion. Religious discrimination refers to an act of treating a person unfavorably due to his or her religious beliefs and practices. It is wrong and illegal to decide the fate of a person on the basis of his or her religion, beliefs and practices (Shah, 2019). The way people do things is mostly dictated by what they believe in and this is in turn determined by their religion. Clearly, every person has the right to practice a religion of their preference, as long as it does not pose any threat to the other people or to those practicing such a religion. This is a common practice in different places which includes government offices and facilities, public forums and programs, and workplaces among other places (Basedau et al. 2017). In any institutional processes, all people should be treated equally putting aside how they carry their religious practices. The faith or religious beliefs of an individual should not be used to commit injustices against them.

Religion plays a key role in our lives as it shapes our behaviors in as much as it determines how we relate with other people in the society. In recent years, there has been evident tensions between the two main religious groups, Christians and Muslims. These tensions arise from a wide range of factors that are based on the history of these religious groups as well as the recent actions by some of the followers of Islam (Basedau et al. 2017). Majority of the people, not only in the United States but also across the world, have developed some sort of hatred against the Muslims, which has come to be known as Islamophobia. This has mainly been the case due to the growth in the number of terrorist attacks, which have been blamed on Islamic terrorist groups. As a result, most people view Muslims as a threat even though there are some who are good. However, the bitter feelings that most people have against the Islamic terrorist groups causes them to view every Muslim as a threat.

Lack of religious tolerance has resulted in undesirable outcomes as the Christians have continuously viewed Muslims as a threat while the Muslims view Christians as outcasts. Such hostility and negative attitudes do not only affect individuals but also organizations as some organizational leaders have always insisted on hiring individuals from a certain religious group thereby practicing religious discrimination (Basedau et al. 2017). In addition, there have been incidents where employees are fired or denied employment opportunities on the basis of their religious beliefs. Therefore, religious discrimination is a major cultural dilemma that affects both the Muslims and Christians alike. The Muslims in the countries in the west have been adversely affected by religious discrimination as they are always depicted as terrorists. On the other hand, the environment is most Islamic countries in Asia does not support Christians. This has resulted in a significant decline in the number of Christians in these countries over the past few years. The development of negative attitudes against other religions by an individual is what results in such resentment against individuals that do not belong to a certain religion (Shah, 2019). However, developing religious tolerance would ensure that individuals are willing to accept the religious differences among them and avoid using religion to justify the attacks on innocent people among other instances of unfair treatment.

Muslim Women Barred from Driving Cars

Most religious groups have exercised segregation of gender, when it comes to the different roles allocated to its members. Majority of these religions view men as being more masculine and the ones who should lead in all religious and societal matters (Thorsen & Sreedharan, 2019). Women, on the other hand, are viewed simply as followers who should submit to their male counterparts. This has been the case for many generations where women have always played a feminine role in the society and men taking a masculine role. In most Islamic countries, women are viewed as home keepers, whose work is purely to rear and raise children (Al-Asfour et al. 2017). Majority of the decisions in their households are made by men, who are also the heads in their families. As such, gender inequality remains a key issue of concern in the Muslim states.

Until recently, women in most Islamic states, mainly Saudi Arabia, had been banned from driving vehicles. Only men are allowed to drive vehicles, which makes it challenging for most women from the western countries to adjust easily when they move or travel to the Islamic nations (Thorsen & Sreedharan, 2019). For many years, a woman operating a motor vehicle was seen as a violation of the law as well as being disrespectful to men in the society. Therefore, the ban against women drivers in Muslim countries has for long been a cultural dilemma that affects both the Muslim women in these countries as well as the women from the western countries (Farris, 2017). For the Muslim women who travel to the western countries, it becomes hard for them to change their perception and get to drive a car as they believe that they are not allowed to do so.

The ban against women driving is also backed by the laws developed by the Muslim leaders. In recent years, efforts have been made to ensure that women are also allowed to own and drive vehicles (Ozyegin, 2016). However, some cities still maintain strict laws prohibiting women from driving vehicles while in these cities. The argument held by most people is that by doing so, the women are showing respect to their male counterparts (Al-Asfour et al. 2017). Additionally, the dressing code by most women is used to justify the claim that they should not drive as it makes it hard for them to be watchful on the roads. This denies the women opportunity to participate in most economic and social activities as the men in the society.

The understanding that Muslim women are just as equal human beings as the women in other nations has encouraged most women in the Islamic society to fight for their rights. This has resulted in some changes as more people are willing to accept that women have an equally important role as the men (Farris, 2017). The fight for women rights is a battle that is not limited within a particular geographical region but rather has been taken up by women all over the world, as well as other human rights organizations. The campaign against segregation of women ensures that they are given equal opportunities to contribute positively in the society. Unlike the traditionally developed notion that the role of women is restricted to household duties, more women are now involved in nation-building activities and have been able to achieve just as much as their male counterparts. Hence, some rights accorded to women are basic such as working outside the home and freedom of movement including allowing the Muslim women to drive vehicles (Thorsen & Sreedharan, 2019). In addition, as people seek to be liberated and freed from war torn societies, mainly Muslim states, women are identified as the key victims during such occasions. Denying women their rights is a violation of human right that disregards their role in the society as much as it subjects them to further oppression.

Conclusion

Over the years, major social and cultural changes have taken place globally, which has changed how people interact with each other. These changes have allowed people to work in highly diverse organizations where individuals from different backgrounds hold various positions. Such global organizations have helped enhance cultural diversity. However, it is still evident that the modern society continues to deal with a great deal of cultural dilemmas arising from discrimination, prejudice, and biasness. Individuals hold varying beliefs and values that determine how they perceive other people. Developing cultural awareness and embracing diversity are key in ensuring that one understands and respects other people’s beliefs, values, and norms. In addition, this ensures that one is able to avoid discrimination based on the understanding that there is strength in our personal differences. Discrimination on the basis of age, gender, culture, or racial background are a major setback in any society as they deter progress of individuals and the society as a whole.

References

Al-Asfour, A., Tlaiss, H. A., Khan, S. A., & Rajasekar, J. (2017). Saudi women’s work challenges and barriers to career advancement. Career Development International, 22(2), 184-199.

Basedau, M., Fox, J., Pierskalla, J. H., Strüver, G., & Vüllers, J. (2017). Does discrimination breed grievances—and do grievances breed violence? New evidence from an analysis of religious minorities in developing countries. Conflict Management and Peace Science, 34(3), 217-239.

Ehrlich, H. J. (2018). Hate crimes and ethnoviolence: The history, current affairs, and future of discrimination in America. Routledge.

Farris, S. R. (2017). In the name of women's rights: The rise of femonationalism. Duke University Press.