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Introduction
Culture is the norm practices, traditions, beliefs, and the general lifestyle of a community
that gives them their identity. Every community has distinct practices from another, and where
such are similar, slight modifications exist to reinforce the unique identity. Culture can be
deciphered from various aspects. For instance, how a community or members of that community
dress, how they eat, how they transition into adulthood, how they marry, how they apportion
gender roles, how they exercise their religion, the type of cuisines they associate themselves
with, etc. communities have remained resolute in protecting their cultures from external
interferences since time immemorial, however, that silent yet consequential struggle seems to be
on the brink of a deafening defeat. While those in urban areas are hastily adapting to new
cultures shaped by constant interactions with persons from diverse backgrounds, those living in
rural areas are steadfast and adamant about changing. Your guess is as good as mine as how long
they can rebuff external interference. Examples of culture include drawing tattoos by Samoans
from the waist down to symbolize transition into adulthood.
The story of Uyghur Muslims and their tribulations has been hitting the headlines for
some time now. The premise of those stories is the Chinese government's attempts to erase their
identity and force the Uyghur Muslims to adopt the Chinese lifestyle through attempts to educate
them. The members of the Uyghur community have been placed in detention camps where they
endure forced labor and other inhumane treatment in a bid to proselytize them. From the
definition of culture, we can infer that the attempts by china’s government are aimed at
interfering with the way of living of the Uyghur community negatively without recognizing its
importance to them.
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News Story/ Current Event
As earlier indicated, the story focuses on the atrocities and abuse of rights that the Uighur
community is going through at the hands of the Chinese government. The Uyghurs are a Muslim
minority community in the Xinjiang province of China, and are said to be approximately 12
million of them living in the said province. Due to their religion and beliefs have been victims of
state persecution that favors an atheistic state. The situation has also been made worse by their
increasing number, which has been perceived as a threat by the local and state administrators.
Under the pretext of combating terrorism, China started an extensive crackdown in the northwest
Xinjiang region in 2017. The local Uyghur population, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority
group native to Xinjiang, was forcibly absorbed in a violent campaign. The Uyghurs' clamor also
fuels the crackdown for independence as they were in the early 1930s.
The news article by Aljazeera gives us a picture of what the community is going through
at the hands of the Chinese atheistic communist party. A crackdown gradually started in 2017,
intending to re-educate the community into denouncing their ways and adopting that of the
atheistic communist party. That saw many of them arrested and detained for minor reasons such
as a long beard or traveling overseas for a vacation. There was a real thirst by the administration
also to take control of their lands which are said to be fertile and rich in resources. The
continuous detentions have led to over one million Uyghurs being involuntarily and forcefully
ostracised from their community. The principal interest in this event is the erosion of Uyghur's
entire culture and its impact on the next generations.
In the detention camps, the Uyghurs are treated inhumanely with due disregard for their
rights. They have been forced to work in factories without pay. They are also indoctrinated to
change their ideologies and belief system and thereafter adopt those entrenched in the communist
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party of China. That has seen adults and children subjected to practices against their culture. That
has been evidenced by banning their Uygur language in Xian Jiang schools in favor of Mandarin
Chinese. The practice of their faith has also been banned on the perception that its practice
amounts to religious extremism. What is facing the Uyghur can only be described as cultural
genocide. Their identity is aggressively being eradicated by the powers that be, and they cannot
rebuff that interference. It is a situation that needs intervention to prevent their culture from
vanishing.
Lifespan development
Culture determines a child's language and how they communicate with people. Culture
also impacts a great deal of self-understanding and self-belief in the child. The culture can
determine the child's intrinsic values and social behaviors as they grow up. Culture comes in
many forms, the basic one being through family; religion also impacts human growth, and media
and environment have varied effects on human development (Jensen & Arnett, 2012). Child
development is a dynamic process that intertwines many other aspects. That's why every child
differs depending on their influences and how they received the influencing factors. The conduct
of the Chinese has dire consequences on the development and growth of the children and adults
of the Uyghur community. The community is subdued on many fronts stifling its overall growth.
What the communist party is doing in the detention centers is preventing children from
growing normally. Children ought to be placed in an environment conducive to their growth and
development, which is beneficial for adopting essential skills. However, the ostracization makes
them inhibited from developing their social skills. Regarding cultural matters, the children are
forced to abandon the Uyghur language and adopt Mandarin Chinese. That deprives them of
their identity, significantly leading to self-esteem issues. Even if they were to be released after
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their indoctrination, their identity would have been erased, and they would find it hard to fit into
society. That will stunt their growth. As adults, they will not be able to pass down their cultural
knowledge due to the limitations at detention centers.
Specific recommendations
The news story is rich with crucial lessons in studying culture and societal development.
Culture has a significant impact on our growth and development. In the commune of like-minded
people, we get the confidence and strength to align ourselves with acceptable standard living
practices. Through that, we are shaped into sentient being that is perceptive and responsive to the
demands of society. That predictable pattern of doing things establishes a culture that coalesces
into an identity. Identity varies from one community to another, and it can cause strife and
conflicts where one assumes the superiority of the culture over another's and disrespects that
culture. There is continuity and tranquillity where cultural diversity is appreciated, while chaos
and discriminations occur where diversity is shunned and used as a tool for segregation.
The Uyghurs have faced emotional and psychological impacts due to their discrimination
and seclusion by the communist party of China. That has affected their usual way of doing things
as threats and arrests have impacted their routine by law enforcement agencies. Uyghur parents
constantly face internal discussions on whether to raise their children according to their culture
or forgo their practice and save them from a life riddled with trauma and government crackdown.
It is a considerable burden that affects their mental well-being gradually and subconsciously,
altering their resolve. Children are growing up losing their culture for fear of being persecuted.
That deals a heavy blow to their self-esteem since they do not have an identity to take a ride in.
An inferiority complex sets in and becomes the nascent stage of a lost culture.
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The actions by the Chinese government have been termed a cultural genocide, and if
nothing is done, the resultant effect will be a cultural extinction (Dou & Cunningham, 2022.).
Therefore, it will be prudent to marshal efforts and programs to ensure the practice and its impact
are contained in an attempt to preserve the culture and the overall development of the Uyghurs.
Not only is it an emotive subject, but also a socio-political one. The indoctrination needs to be
checked and stopped for the benefit of the Uyghur people. Therefore, to achieve a positive
outcome, several recommendations will be suitable. One of the recommendations needed is the
formation of a reconciliation program. Such a program's thoroughness in identifying issues that
bedevil the two factions and finding ways to address them peacefully. That shall be an excellent
place, to begin with. A reconciliation program shall enable the two factions to identify policies,
standards, and slants that will allow them to work effectively cross-culturally. That achievement
shall promote the different cultures and ensure the various communities develop healthily.
Lastly, the second recommendation is the adoption of awareness programs. These
programs shall promote the immediate cessation of the practices by the communist leadership. In
general, the party and the people must be informed of the impacts the Uyghur are experiencing.
In many cases, there is a media blackout, and the citizens are unaware of the atrocities committed
by their administration. Awareness programs are, therefore, crucial to bringing more people on
board to safeguard the culture of the Uyghur community and promote their growth, development,
and identity.
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Reference
Dou, E., & Cunningham, E. (2022 March 24.). Who are the Uyghurs, and what’s happening to
them in China? China’s crackdown on the Muslim ethnic minority in Xinjiang, explained.
The Washington Post. Retrieved from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/02/11/china-uighurs-genocide-xinjiang/
accessed 19 September 2022
Al Jazeera. (2022, February 11). China continues its labour abuse practices against Uighurs:
UN. Uighur News | Al Jazeera. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/2/11/china-continues-its-labour-abuse-
practices-against-uighurs-un accessed 19 September 2022
Jensen, L. A., & Arnett, J. J. (2012). Going global: New pathways for adolescents and emerging
adults in a changing world.DJournal of Social Issues, 68(3), 473–492.
