Culture has always been a part of us, either the core beliefs of religion or a more general culture such as male and female cultures.
This news article on Time.com has shown how deeply culture can influence us. Not only was it the Islamic culture, it is also on the spreading culture of women having equal opportunities worldwide.
One characteristic of culture is that it is learned and passed through generations. That is apparent in Saudi Arabia, where Islamic teachings are prominent. Culture has a strong base for our own identity, and it takes a long time to change any behaviors that we have adhered to for so long.
Of course, culture can also be changed, and it is mentioned in the article as well. 'The age for women in Saudi Arabia is nearing'. Culture is definitely shaped by people, and as long as there is time, new cultures can appear provided that people accept them.
Here's the first 2 paragraphs of the article:
Like those of its competitors in New York or London, the sleek glass and steel offices of media company Rotana are filled with preening attitude and fashion-conscious staffers: assistants teeter in shoes that might have absorbed much of their monthly paycheck; executives parade the halls in power suits and pencil skirts. But Rotana isn't in New York or London; it's in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, a country in which women normally adhere to a strict dress code in public — a black cloak called an abaya, a headscarf and a veil, the niqab, which covers everything but their eyes.
There's another reason many Saudis would find Rotana shocking: men and women working side by side. The sight unnerves enough men who come looking for a job that human-resources manager Sultana al-Rowaili has developed a trick to see if a male applicant can handle working in a mixed-gender office. She arranges for a female colleague to interrupt the initial interview, and watches to see if the man loses concentration or stares too much. Sometimes even that isn't necessary. Many men are undone by the very idea of being interviewed by a woman. "They are in a state of shock to see a woman in a position of authority and to have to ask her for a job," al-Rowaili says.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1929152-1,00.html
There's another reason many Saudis would find Rotana shocking: men and women working side by side. The sight unnerves enough men who come looking for a job that human-resources manager Sultana al-Rowaili has developed a trick to see if a male applicant can handle working in a mixed-gender office. She arranges for a female colleague to interrupt the initial interview, and watches to see if the man loses concentration or stares too much. Sometimes even that isn't necessary. Many men are undone by the very idea of being interviewed by a woman. "They are in a state of shock to see a woman in a position of authority and to have to ask her for a job," al-Rowaili says.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1929152-1,00.html
Hey Siling! =)
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with what you said! Culture does shape the way we behave, think and act. Not only that, different countries have different cultures, for e.g., in Singapore, speaking Singlish has become a part of our culture! Another example would be in Japan whereby it is their culture to burp after a meal which indicates that the meal had been a very nice one, however, in most cultures, it is known to be very rude to burp during and after a meal as it shows that the person has no table manners at all.
Like what you have mentioned, most cultures have seen women as 'second-best', expecting men to take the lead and be in-charge in whatver they do. This was especially so in the past when women were just expected to stay home, cook and give birth. However, with time and the improvement in technology, cultures have changed to accept women more in high positions as well as to give women equal status as men. However, if i'm not wrong, there is a country in India whereby their culture is entirely different and rather shocking. In that culture, women are the ones who are expected to do what men does whereas men literally stay at home. Hence, it seems as if the 'stereotyped' roles of both men and women are switched in this culture. Women, in that culture, work and grow their own fields, they built their own houses, etc. Whereas the men literally just stay at home! Hence, it was really shocking when I saw that!
Hi Dorothy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post as usual.
You put up a really interesting culture, I've never heard of that before. However, I wonder for India, even though the women are the ones to work and tend to the predominantly male jobs, are they the ones to hold more esteem over the men? After all, it could be that the men have no need to work and to enjoy their lives.
Ohh that's prejudices to the max. We see this more in conservative societies, Asian ones especially.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think the issue of females having authority is still a sensitive issue worldwide. (Even western nations) The very fact that movies often depict female bosses as bossy and overbearing shows the sensitivity of the interview, and its ability to capture attention. However, of course these movies could be anticipating the responses of audiences from various amrkets.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteYa. I agree that culture plays a big role in our perception of things, and more than often resulting in prejudices.
After reading this entry , I was reminded of comething I came across recently (COM book example)A lady was dressed in sleeveless top and hotpants, she was instantly mistaken for a prositute in an Islamic country!