Free Custom «Three Women from Different Cultures» Essay Paper

Culture has often been described as a powerful tool for survival with a very fragile phenomenon. Whereas culture has often been presented in the form of art, there is abidance in the fact that culture has played a significant role in defining the people's assumptions and moral development. According to Sweetman (19), "culture is a very broad sense to denote the totality of the social environment into which a human being is born and in which he/she lives." It therefore encompasses community's institutional arrangements and defines values, ideals, attitudes, beliefs and skills that differentiate one community from the other. The purpose of this paper is to analyze three different types of woman from different cultures.

The first culture is the Yoruba community of Nigeria. The culture of the Yoruba significantly has an influence of the lives of the Yoruba woman. The Yoruba culture is encompassed by strict religion and etiquette (Abímb%u1ECD%u0301lá, 14). The multicultural form of the present day Yoruba woman is seen as valuing diversity and availing equal opportunities for all women. This shift from the traditional belief has been structured around the understanding that the contributions of women can play a positive role in the community. Despite the gains to provide equal opportunities for both men and women, the Yoruba woman is still subordinate to the men. In Yoruba culture, the women are denied the opportunity to demonstrate their skills lest it be seen as bearing the masculine traits. The societal language has created a system in which women shy away from taking active roles in leadership positions because of the fear of success.

 

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The second culture is the Hispanic culture. As a minority group in South California, Hispanic group have their origins rooted in Spanish civilization. Hispanic culture is more characterized by cooperative unit where the demands of the family and the women take a greater role in instilling this cooperative culture. In addition the above, as opposed to most cultures that values the future, the Hispanic culture attaches more importance to the present. This forms the reason why women are highly valued and respected in comparison to other cultures. Hispanic men have it upon themselves to make sure their women are happy and protected. The communication channel is also more formal and their culture is very permissive towards children. Women who grow up in Hispanic culture are highly likely to become more vibrant and take responsibilities that are considered a preserve of men in other societies (Steele, 42).

The last is the analysis of the Saudi Arabian woman. Despite a number of gains in the past in regard to gender equality and affirmative action, the Saudi woman still remains one of the most marginalized groups in the world (Karim, 42). The Saudi culture that is primarily based on the Sharia law bestows powers to the men while women remain subordinates. The Saudi Arabia woman has thus remained under the shadows of men. This illustrates the reason behind their low numbers in politics and activism.

Whereas these cultures have profound differences, there are similarities that raise questions as to whether this could have profound bearings on the quality of life of these three women from different cultures. One profound similarity between the cultures is demonstrated by the value attached on the importance of the family. The three cultures value the component of respect to the superior in the society and appreciate the role of women in family set-up. However, both Yoruba and Hispanic women have greater chances for personal advancement than the Saudi woman.