Shatha Hakami
02/11/2014
All nations have many noble values, which are inherited from their ancestors to create their identities. Some nations have a concept about specific manners while others are indifferent about. Take the case of Arabs and Americans. They have opposite opinions about some main values, such as individualism or privacy.
Arabs and Americans have different meaning of individualism. According to the article "American Values and Assumptions" by Garry Althen, Americans have a devotion to the concept of individualism. They are raised with the idea of being independent which may not just affect their whole life dealings, but it goes to the following generations. Parents in America teach their children how to be responsible about their money, their food and even their decisions. For example, Althen mentions in his article a story about a boy, who was about three years old, when he was waiting with his mother in a line to buy a drink but he could not because he had spent all his money when he bought cookies. Arabs, in contrast, has a different individualism comprehension, which they do not generalize on their whole life situations. However, Americans go with it deeply, take in case when they give the parents a right to take money for rent from their children when they reach eighteen years old in order to live with them in the same house, which is an absolute rejected idea in Arabs' culture. Arabs' parents like to be in charge of their children lives, even if they over the age of eighteen until they get married, as an essential role in their families. In other situation, when that child gets married, he must start succeed his father role toward his new family, which means he obeyed his father, as a form of a respect, until he establish his own family. Therefore, individualism in Arabs' culture might be ignored in some situations as a form of appreciation, while it might defined as a self-supporting in Americans' culture.
Not only individualism, but also privacy concept in many cases is affected by parents' beliefs in both cultures, Arabs' and Americans'. Arab people do not have privacy as much as American people. In instance, Arabs can be asked about their families, their religions or even their jobs at the first meeting. Meanwhile, Americans may feel uncomfortable with these kinds of questions. Many factors could be the reasons of these reacts. Arabs tend to act friendly with others, which interpret the easy answering of personal questions as a beginning of a strong relationship. In the other hand, Americans prefer being in a distance from strangers until they feel comfortable with them. Althen has conveyed that in his article when he said, "Americans' attitudes about privacy can be difficult for foreigners to understand. Americans' houses, yards, and even their offices can seem open and inviting yet, in Americans' minds, there are boundaries that other people are simply not supposed to cross." This means, Americans consider privacy as a protection attitude toward strangers, but Arabs condone of part of it to show a courtship to others.
In sum, each culture has its own assumptions which shape its people identities. Dealing with others with morality could reflect an outstanding image of people' culture. Therefore, people should learn about other culture not only to avoid intercultural misunderstanding, but also to know how to deal with others and how to make good relationships.
02/11/2014
All nations have many noble values, which are inherited from their ancestors to create their identities. Some nations have a concept about specific manners while others are indifferent about. Take the case of Arabs and Americans. They have opposite opinions about some main values, such as individualism or privacy.
Arabs and Americans have different meaning of individualism. According to the article "American Values and Assumptions" by Garry Althen, Americans have a devotion to the concept of individualism. They are raised with the idea of being independent which may not just affect their whole life dealings, but it goes to the following generations. Parents in America teach their children how to be responsible about their money, their food and even their decisions. For example, Althen mentions in his article a story about a boy, who was about three years old, when he was waiting with his mother in a line to buy a drink but he could not because he had spent all his money when he bought cookies. Arabs, in contrast, has a different individualism comprehension, which they do not generalize on their whole life situations. However, Americans go with it deeply, take in case when they give the parents a right to take money for rent from their children when they reach eighteen years old in order to live with them in the same house, which is an absolute rejected idea in Arabs' culture. Arabs' parents like to be in charge of their children lives, even if they over the age of eighteen until they get married, as an essential role in their families. In other situation, when that child gets married, he must start succeed his father role toward his new family, which means he obeyed his father, as a form of a respect, until he establish his own family. Therefore, individualism in Arabs' culture might be ignored in some situations as a form of appreciation, while it might defined as a self-supporting in Americans' culture.
Not only individualism, but also privacy concept in many cases is affected by parents' beliefs in both cultures, Arabs' and Americans'. Arab people do not have privacy as much as American people. In instance, Arabs can be asked about their families, their religions or even their jobs at the first meeting. Meanwhile, Americans may feel uncomfortable with these kinds of questions. Many factors could be the reasons of these reacts. Arabs tend to act friendly with others, which interpret the easy answering of personal questions as a beginning of a strong relationship. In the other hand, Americans prefer being in a distance from strangers until they feel comfortable with them. Althen has conveyed that in his article when he said, "Americans' attitudes about privacy can be difficult for foreigners to understand. Americans' houses, yards, and even their offices can seem open and inviting yet, in Americans' minds, there are boundaries that other people are simply not supposed to cross." This means, Americans consider privacy as a protection attitude toward strangers, but Arabs condone of part of it to show a courtship to others.
In sum, each culture has its own assumptions which shape its people identities. Dealing with others with morality could reflect an outstanding image of people' culture. Therefore, people should learn about other culture not only to avoid intercultural misunderstanding, but also to know how to deal with others and how to make good relationships.