Cultural Relativism
Today, we had to discuss in our listening 300 class about the definition of culture,how we are interested in other culture, what we found in U.S. that are similar and different from our home country, and how tolerant we think we are.
I was asking question to Kazakh students about their religion because I said I'm very interested in other cultures. Most of Kazakh students told me that they are Muslim but not serious about praying or their food like my Muslim roommate from Libya(who doesn't come to one of the afternoon class on Friday because he wants to or has to pray). I asked if they have thought to leave their religion because they know that they are not serious about being Muslim, but they all say no, and one of the Kazakh boy who was next to me said it's because the Kazakh society expect you to be Muslim. I wanted to ask what he think about the social expectation on their religion but our teacher, Mr. McLoed, joined in our group because we were in the front. At that time, the Kazakh boy asked me I ask about their religion because I want to be a Muslim. I said no, but I want to know what people believe in it, so I can at least show some understanding to other culture but not just saying, oh that's so wrong or crazy.
When I said that, Mr. McLeod started to talk about cultural relativism and female circumcision in one of the countries in Africa. He asked us if we should do something to stop the crucial ritual that has been going on in the area for long time and considered as their culture, or we should not do anything because it's their culture. I said we should not do anything because it's their religion and I think they should change when they want to and not by outsiders. They know what is right or wrong but they just need time to convince their majority Mr. McLeod said we should because it's crucial and sometime lethal procedure on girls and there is no scientific benefit from it like the circumcision on boys and because he thinks that we have responsibility to save those poor girls and to do "right" thing. I wasn't quite sure how he thinks that people should fulfill their responsibility to others but it sounds really pushy when he said that.
Maybe that's American way of thinking that they have responsibility to change other to do better or right.
Oh, my god, I can't believe it takes me about 2 hours to write this blog. That's how poor my writing skills are....
I was asking question to Kazakh students about their religion because I said I'm very interested in other cultures. Most of Kazakh students told me that they are Muslim but not serious about praying or their food like my Muslim roommate from Libya(who doesn't come to one of the afternoon class on Friday because he wants to or has to pray). I asked if they have thought to leave their religion because they know that they are not serious about being Muslim, but they all say no, and one of the Kazakh boy who was next to me said it's because the Kazakh society expect you to be Muslim. I wanted to ask what he think about the social expectation on their religion but our teacher, Mr. McLoed, joined in our group because we were in the front. At that time, the Kazakh boy asked me I ask about their religion because I want to be a Muslim. I said no, but I want to know what people believe in it, so I can at least show some understanding to other culture but not just saying, oh that's so wrong or crazy.
When I said that, Mr. McLeod started to talk about cultural relativism and female circumcision in one of the countries in Africa. He asked us if we should do something to stop the crucial ritual that has been going on in the area for long time and considered as their culture, or we should not do anything because it's their culture. I said we should not do anything because it's their religion and I think they should change when they want to and not by outsiders. They know what is right or wrong but they just need time to convince their majority Mr. McLeod said we should because it's crucial and sometime lethal procedure on girls and there is no scientific benefit from it like the circumcision on boys and because he thinks that we have responsibility to save those poor girls and to do "right" thing. I wasn't quite sure how he thinks that people should fulfill their responsibility to others but it sounds really pushy when he said that.
Maybe that's American way of thinking that they have responsibility to change other to do better or right.
Oh, my god, I can't believe it takes me about 2 hours to write this blog. That's how poor my writing skills are....
posted by yoko at
10:44 PM
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