Cross-Cultural Analysis Essay

Posted: December 22nd, 2022

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Cross-Cultural Analysis Essay

 Cross-cultural analysis in education is an essential aspect of ensuring that the desired outcomes are met. US school populations have indeed become more diverse, both in terms of ethnicity as well as culture. Instruction materials, approaches, and curriculum reflect a White culture. Teaching is also oblivious of the experiences and origins of the families and learners from other cultures, ethnicities, as well as lower socio-economic backgrounds. As a result, there is an increase in learner alienation as well as fears. This essay seeks to underscore why an understanding of culture improves an educator’s ability to connect and communicate with learners and families from diverse backgrounds. It tells my story and that of my friend by comparing and contrasting our cultural and educational experiences. 

My cultural identity is an Arab Muslim. In this culture, one is expected to be loyal to the society, and the family is a significant aspect. Although parents teach their children to be responsible and self-reliable, being faithful to the family is stressed. Moreover, unlike the high individualism prevalent in the US, in my culture, group affiliation is a requirement. This means that the demands of the group take priority than one’s needs. As such, being loyal to the family is important than doing the same to friends or being committed to one’s job. Family members are supposed to support one another during disagreements with outsiders, and they should mitigate criticism as well as protect one another’s honor. The structure of the family is tightly knit, and plays a critical role in determining one’s status. This means that one’s dignity and honor emanates from his or her family.   

Additionally, family honor is one of the most vital issues in my culture. Social interactions among members of the opposite sex are rare, more so away from the workplaces. Consequently, women and men shun meeting while alone. They remain cautious regarding their social interactions since they may be perceived negatively, leading to gossip, and this tarnishes women’s reputation. Often, women are allowed to associate with men from their family as well as other women. However, a family member should be present for them to interact with a man from outside their family. Such conservative practices help protect their reputation. This is because unacceptable behavior does not only affect their reputation, but also the honor of the family.

Likewise, Arab Muslims are generous and courteous. They are polite, humanitarian, and loyal. For instance, if you meet one in a restaurant and have a meal, he or she would insist that you take the last portion of the meal and ask to pay the bill. Similarly, like in many cultures, Arab Muslims value a son than a daughter, and a woman can be divorced if she does not give birth to a boy as the firstborn. At the same time, they hold that God shapes most of the occurrences in one’s life, and humans rely on the fate given by God. Consequently, they lack the potential to control most of their life’s events. Therefore, religious affiliation is important to every individual in society. The majority of them hold that religions as well as the state are inseparable and that students should be taught religion in school. Muslims believe that Islamic law is as significant as any other form of regulation.

Regarding culture, we share the same sentiments with my interviewee. We both come from an Arabic Muslim origin. Consequently, we both have high regard to the family, and we are loyal to our parents and siblings. The Muslim doctrines also take preeminence in our lives. As Muslims, we rarely interact with members of the opposite sex since this is often perceived negatively. However, I spend most of my time with my sisters. On the contrary, my friend socializes a lot with his elder brothers, and hardly does he mingle with girls. Moreover, just like me, my friend has been mistaken to be an Indian, while I have also been mistaken to be an Iranian. I think, often, this is as a result of the close resemblance in skin color and dress code between the Indians and Arabs. In Kuwait, the prominent religion is Muslim, and the official language is Arab.

Equally, there are various experiences in my life that have shaped my cultural identity. Some of them include living in Dubai for eighteen years, praying in public places, speaking my native language (Arabic) in public, as well as enrolling for courses that are linked to my culture in my university. The more I speak Arabic, the more I realize that my identity is Arab. At the same time, as I interact with people who speak Arab frequently, I develop a sense of belonging to the group. My friend also suggested that speaking the Arabic language and emanating from an Arab family has shaped his culture. However, unlike me, he spent eighteen years in Kuwait, yet I spent the same period in Dubai, and that is the difference between us.

Likewise, in my family, I have both of my parents (my father and mother) and six siblings (three brothers and three sisters). I can also describe my family as an organized household that emphasizes education (going to school) and physical exercises. The latter is meant to promote a healthy lifestyle in the family. In my family, my father has an upper hand in decision-making. My interviewee also has both parents; however, he has two elder brothers. In his family, both parents have an equal say regarding family matters, unlike in my family. On my part, the culture in my family made me develop a good character. This is because I learned that I should often be loyal to those who have authority. On the contrary, my interviewee believes that he has learned that it is important to share work. Similarly, regarding the recognition of family traditions, both of us agree that they do. My mother, father, together with my siblings acknowledges my father’s role as the decision-maker in the family. My friend also said that his parents and siblings believe that the division of labor is vital in their family.

Moreover, I learned my cultural identity through two major avenues: the people whom I interacted with and my family. Most of the time, I found myself interacting with people who could speak Arab and were Muslims. This made me feel comfortable and gave me a sense of belonging. In my family, we are all Muslims and speak Arabic. When I am with my family, we interact well, and I enjoy socializing with every member. My interviewee also says that he often used Arabic to know people and get things done in his country. However, the difference between us is that he learned more about his culture in mosques in Kuwait and other parts. He also joined clubs that were composed of individuals who spoke and understood Arabic, and this made him more aware of his culture since he was surrounded by people whom he could relate with.

Furthermore, my cultural identity has affected my experiences with others in various ways. Most importantly, it has made me more collaborative. This is because it has made it easier for me to communicate with individuals emanating from the same culture and whom I share my beliefs with. This is in contrast to my friend, who believes that his cultural identity has made it possible for him to meet and interact with various individuals who are different from him. He adds that he can hold conversations with people from other cultures as they get to know each other better. As such, the differences, rather than the similarities, make it enjoyable to have such conversations. I think this sounds exciting since meeting people from other cultures allows one to explore how they communicate and handle issues. This can help alleviate stereotypes that may exist in one’s mind.

Similarly, I can describe my family as a wealthy and affluent household. It is financially endowed, and we can afford a luxurious living. We can go for vacations in exotic places, and it would not bring a detrimental financial impact on the family resources. My parents are working and well paid, and they have also invested. My friend also acknowledged that the socio-economic condition of his family is okay. He believes that the family can afford to meet the financial needs of every member of the family. Both of his parents are working too.

Additionally, my schooling experience was exciting and, at the same time, annoying. One of the issues that I did not like was the fact that the education system did not change, and we had to cope with the old system for years. However, one thing that I enjoyed is that I was in a position to meet new students and teachers every year. I always get excited when I come across new people because they have stories and issues that I have not encountered before. Unlike me, my friend enjoyed staying around the same students for seventeen years. His grades also improved with time, and he became famous.

Regarding my upbringing, I think, to some extent, I influenced the decisions that my parents made about my schooling. For instance, my parents allowed me to choose my favorite school. I remember between my eighth and tenth grades; I changed schools three times. To me, this was a great experience. Later, I went back to my first school since I wanted to meet my old friends. Making new friends in the international school that I joined was difficult. However, in my first school, it was not hard because most of us came from the same culture. On the contrary, my interviewee says that he did not have any choices regarding his schooling or upbringing. His parents determined decisions about his education, what to wear, what to eat, and other issues. Lastly, in my case, some of the resources that were available include a library that gave me access to books and a computer that one could use to find educational resources. My friend also says he had access to the internet and a library, but unlike me, he benefited from knowledge, books, and experiences from his elder siblings.  

In conclusion, cultural analysis is essential in ensuring that educators have a better understanding of their learners. They should understand their interests and pursuits, ethnic background, religious traditions as well as beliefs, socio-economic status, family set-up, and educational experiences. In the backdrop of this, teachers would be in a better position to structure educational instruction in a manner that it would meet students’ diverse needs. At the same time, they would communicate effectively with students and members of their families, who emanate from different backgrounds.