Julia Nebrasky
Paper 2
Dr. Knight
September 30, 2015
Cultural Differences: Saudi Arabia and United States of America
Culture refers to a lifestyle of a people including all their ideas, values, knowledge, behavior, and materials or objects that they share (Knight 2015). Cultures vary from groups and societies as big as continent to continent, and as small as family to family. A great way to observe cultural differences is to look at two different countries. Saudi Arabia and the United States of America are societies that both have their own independent cultures. The two countries have very different cultures from one another. We can observe this by looking at the different cultural traditions, customs, behaviors, norms, values, beliefs, and materials that are immersed into each society’s culture. These cultural aspects are preserved and transmitted by the members of one generation to the next (Knight 2015). Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern country that occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula. It is the original homeland of the Arab people and of Islam. The current population in Saudi Arabia is 28.83 million (Worldbank, 2014). The main spoken language of the country is
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All Saudi Arabian citizens are Muslims, and half or more of the immigrants are also Muslims. This is likely due to the fact that non-Muslim faiths are not allowed to practice in Saudi Arabia. Much of everyday life in Saudi Arabia is shaped by the rituals included in the practice of Islam. Muslims partake in five daily prayers that constitute one of the five pillars of Islam (Al-Farsy, 1982). Islam is so deeply embedded into Saudi Arabian culture that their national flag is green, the color of Islam, and bears a white inscription that translates as, "There is No God but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” which comes from the third pillar of Islam, one of the five main philosophies practiced by
Culture is defined as a whole basis of knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, and customs that define a person or group of persons. Culture differs is so many ways and that culture is what defines each of person as an individual. This concept comes from the cultural that was taught and developed from after birth and through our adolescent years. Our culture is the foundation of who we are. It identifies the lifestyle and pursuits that are practiced in the group of people we interact with in our society. Culture beliefs, values, and practices are learned from birth.
Australia and Saudi Arabia are nations with more differences and similarities. Saudi Arabia is found in the Middle East between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The country is divided into thirteen provinces that are ruled by governors who are appointed by the king. The country has an estimated size of 1.96 million square kilometers. In comparison, Australia is surrounded by the ocean, implying the country lacks immediate neighbors.
A culture is the body of ideas, ways of looking at the world, values, and standards for conduct and behavior that a given people or nation hold in common. It includes the range of meanings that people assign to their own perceptions and behavior, as well as to the natural world around them. We can define the elements of that culture, and understand how they fit together as a culture, by examining that people's customs, language, religion, material artifacts, and social and political institutions.
A country without customs and traditions is not a rich country. It is important to each country to have its own customs and traditions.The customs and traditions each country has are own particular way of having weddings. Saudi Arabia and the United States both have unique customs and traditions when it comes to weddings. Both countries celebration with music, cake, and guests; however, the twee countries different when it comes to choosing spouses, ceremonies, and the receptions.
In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is the largest arid country (Al-Ibrahim, 1991). The country covers some 80 percent of the Arabian Peninsula (Al-Hamzi, 1992). The area of Saudi Arabia is 2.25 million square kilometers, equivalent (1.4) million square miles (Batayneh, 2012). The total number population in Saudi Arabia is 25.7 million (Al-Shayaa et al., 2012). Saudi Arabia climate is broiling in the summer and chilly in the winter, and Saudi Arabia does not have well-defined season. In addition, Saudi Arabia is waterless country, and it does not have rivers or lakes (Al-Shayaa et al., 2012).
What is culture? Culture is something you and a group of people share that are similar to one another. A culture is a way of life for a group of people and their behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them. The language we speak, the art, literature, and the heritage we are proud of, our food, our festivals, and our customs and traditions together form our culture. They
Culture is a set of ideals and values about life that are widely shared among people and that guide specific behaviors. Differences, as well as similarities, can be seen when comparing world cultures. We communicate with each other, we feed ourselves with food, and when we sleep we often dream. However, we speak different languages, eat different types of foods, and dream different ways. We call these cultural differences. What causes them is not always obvious to the ordinary person (Nancy). I feel culture is what really sets us apart from each other and what makes us unique as individuals and families.
A culture is a way of life. It can be described as a group of people who have a commonality or shared values in attitudes, customs, beliefs, ethics, and value systems (Native American Death Rituals). The main effect, or thing that makes a culture
The Middle East is a very culturally different place than the United States. So I have interviewed a friend of mine who is from the Middle East and asked them some things from their daily lives and culture in the Middle East. I asked them some information about themselves, some important things in their culture are, and how they communicate with each other.
Culture is essentially a learned way of life. Typically, people within the same culture speak the same language, eat identical foods, share common values, and also behave and think in a similar ways.
Culture can be described as a set of beliefs, customs, and arts, of a particular group, society, place, or time (Merriam-webster:culture). The combined characteristics of a group or gender can define them as a nation or a country. Every country possesses their own individual and unique contributors to form their respected culture. Culture takes shape from past, current, and future thoughts and believes of its citizens. The culture of a country lies within observations in their traditions, way of life, and values.
Culture a set of shared values that a group of people hold. These values affect how you think, act and most importantly the basis on which you judge others. These behaviors can be viewed as normal and right or strange or wrong. Keep in mind though that we are all individuals and that no two people belonging to the same culture
What is culture? Is it the way we dress? Is it the way we eat? The real answer is that there isn’t one. With seven continents, one hundred and ninety-five countries, and nearly seven and a half billion people there can’t just be one definition for a word that represents us all differently. The way I live here in America is vastly different from the way a girl like Malala lived in Pakistan. With that being sai, cultures can be compared, they can be traced back to where it all started, and they can be unique down to every last detail.
From its rich and varied cultural history and practices to its stunningly beautiful cities full of unique architecture, Saudi Arabia is a fascinating country. With its acknowledged status as the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia is an important cultural and religious hub for many who come seeking spiritual enlightenment or simply a chance to experience the bustling cities and thriving commerce of the prosperous metropolises. With a population of over 28 million people, Saudi Arabia is a vital part of the Middle East, with some major influence on the Arab countries around it. In order to fully appreciate the unique customs and overall societal expectations of this or any other country, one must understand not only its geographical location and a few key facts about it, but how it functions both as a nation made up of many diverse minds, and as a singular driving force in the complicated dance between all the nations of the world. With this in mind, there are several factors to consider when studying a country such as Saudi Arabia, namely, the main language, the major religion, the culture and cultural norms, and the business etiquette.
It is noted that the educational life in the Kingdom and the United States are the same in some issues such as the way of spending in education by the government. The students have the freedom to choose their school and educating the people with special needs are the same in both countries, but there are differences between Saudi Arabia and United States in the terms of the attitudes of administrators towards education, stages of education, the rate of literacy and the discrimination between the students due to