Cultural Interactions and Humanity - Essay Example

Culture and Me

Human existence is defined through cultural interactions. Culture, in this case, includes the norms and societal values that a particular group of people adhere to. In broader terms, culture includes people’s way of dressing, cuisine, and even ways of worship. Because of the diversity which is inherent in the human population, cultures may often conflict when persons from diverse backgrounds interact (Herrenkohl 13). In spite of this, it is imperative to know that culture is dynamic; it continuously changes as people adopt more liberal lifestyles. In addition, all cultures should be viewed as equal with none perceived as being superior.  Currently, technological advancements together with lifestyle changes have compelled people from diverse cultures to interact more frequently. The following discourse focuses on the cultural experiences that a person of Saudi descent experienced from visits to Canada and India. The subsequent part also delves into how culture in the three countries (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, India, and Canada) differs. Besides, it focuses on the probable differences and conflicts that are inherent in the three cultures.

Being a Saudi, the Islamic culture has largely influenced me.  From a personal perspective, the norms that are evidenced from my life are largely based on the Saudi influence which is largely Islamic. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is largely an Islamic country. The lives of the citizens conform to the requirements of Islam which is a very conservative religion. The culture is based on decency and does not condone any act that would contravene that. For instance, the women dress in lengthy gowns and cover their faces with veils. Furthermore, the interactions between their women and men are limited as the culture considers women to be reserved and deserving of designated places more specifically in the kitchen and at home. The women are, therefore, discouraged from taking part in such sensitive matters as governance and politics. This belief is responsible for the high number of Islamic girls who were never educated in the centuries preceding the eighteenth century in the country. The Islamic faith was instilled in me at an early age. This has largely determined the mode of dressing as well as conduct seen in me just as outlined above.

India has a culture that is different from Saudi Arabia’s. Visiting India exposed me to a different cultural experience. It made me open up to some changes in my personality. It offers an atmosphere a little more liberal than in Saudi Arabia. With a population of slightly over a billion, it is constituted of over five hundred tribes. Each and every one of these tribes has its culture owing to their diverse origins and this offers a conflict right from within its boundaries. The most common religion, however, is Hindu, to which the largest percentage of the populace subscribes. It differs very slightly from Islam as they follow nearly similar norms. For instance, their women dress almost the same way, except that in India they adorn a variety of colors and designs. Just like Islam, followers of the Hindu religion believe in arranged marriages. The mode of dressing that occasionally pleases me is Indian.

Personally, Canada presented a unique experience. Canada is the exact opposite of these two countries. This is a country situated north of the United States of America. The culture of this land would be hard to describe as the way the people in this country live their lives is heavily influenced by their British colonial masters. It is a free democratic society in which every citizen is free to make his or her decision. Besides, every person enjoys equal rights and is free to do what he or she pleases provided one does not infringe upon another’s rights. This extreme freedom has led to the country has a number of religions ranging from Christianity, which is the most popular one, to Islam and Hinduism. This occurrence explains the fact that there exists in the country people from all these backgrounds and Canada accommodates all of them. It shares most of its media content with its neighboring country, the USA. This has led to the spread of the popular American culture which has an influence in the country on Canadian youths despite their origins, mostly adopting contemporary dressing trends witnessed globally.

These three different cultures have conflicted both in the past and at present. People from these countries meet in different places to do business and socialize. The Canadian market has financial institutions that are run and managed based on Islamic finance regulations. There are Canadian investments in both India and Saudi Arabia. With the onset of technological advancement together with social media, people are able to interact regardless of boundaries. In most of these interactions, cultures normally conflict. In instances where cultures conflict, the culture perceived to be superior normally reigns. This is a possibility that has led to the demise in popularity of aspects such as arranged marriages in both the Indian and Islamic cultures. Besides, currently, the Islamic nation of Saudi Arabia gives more value to the lives of girls too (Herrenkohl 20).