Saad Alnaemi
Cultural Differences
Comparatively there is a culture difference between the USA and the Arabian Gulf
countries even though they have similarities. USA seems very strange to the Arabian Gulf
people. For the people of Arabian Gulf countries who are living in the USA, they take more time
to understand and cope with the USA culture. It is difficult for them to understand the culture of
the people living in the USA. When it comes to the Arabian Gulf countries, they do not allow
the non- Muslims to register in their countries. It is difficult for the people from Arabian Gulf
countries to allow their people to wear the necklaces that represent other countries. It is thus
difficult for the two regions of USA and Arabian Gulf countries to learn and adapt to each
other’s culture. Culture symbolizes the people’s idem and its difference between other cultures.
Ethically, there are differences between the USA and the Arabian countries, and people treat
each other people from different cultures as if they are not part and parcel of their culture. On the
other hand, the families with the same culture treat care about each other until they are mature
and still take care after they depend on themselves. Children are taken care of until they can
stand for themselves and ready to take care of their families. Family relationships, holidays and
some ethical habits are so interesting to read and research about in these two different cultures.
There are several ethical differences between the USA and the Arabian Gulf countries.
Arabian Gulf countries are countries that are known as comprising the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. The kingdom is built and unified by Islam with its major plains and deserts that are
endless have fascinated travelers for many years. The region occupies nearly 80% of the Arabian
Peninsula and the largest region which exports oil in the world. The region has successful and
buzzing cities (Al-Fakhri, 2008). The region is characterized by a high degree of cultural
homogeneity. There are also cross-cultural training courses, for example, the courses
exemplifying the living and working in the Saudi Arabia. The Arabian culture has significant
differences compared to the American culture.
The Arabian culture is polychromic society. In this region of Arabian Gulf, the natural
cycle is respected, and they value and share time. People engage in different things at a time. The
time is used intensively. They have a flexibility of time. They frequently change plans and
activities. Their plans and activities are not fixed as that of USA (Kamal, 2012). The people in
this region respect each other, and when they agree to meet somewhere, they meet without any
delay.
The Arabian Gulf and the American government support the education of women. They
know that women are significant in the society as they make the society. Their presence ensures
continue of that particular society. Therefore, as part of the care that they provide to their
members, the two regions provide education to women. Both the USA and the Gulf Arabian
countries take the initiative of educating women. They believe that through the education that
they provide to women, they would have taken care of the society. When women are educated,
they will in turn take care of their families (Kamal, 2012). For example, the USA government has
initiated a program where the women are admitted to higher institutions of higher learning. The
government is currently focusing on the financial aid to the minorities in the society. This is
important as it is part of taking care of the societies. The American government takes care of the
families and the society. Furthermore, to ensure continuity of the society, the government has
assisted women, and they are offered top government jobs. The government believes that when
they offer education and jobs to the women and them minority, it will have taken care of all the
people in the society.
The American families are small as compared to that of the families living in the Arabian
Gulf countries. It is not a common thing for the American people to have big families. The
government encourages people to have small families who can easily be managed. For example,
a family is expected to get up to a maximum of two children (Spilsbury, 2010). They believe that
when a couple has two children, they are in a position to bring up those children. The children
will able to access the required education and allow them to grow up being responsible. Here I
can use what Stephen Asma Said about the family relationship and how we should be in small
circles. Asma also told us in his article about the benefit of the small relationship circles which
make us able to care about those who are close to us and love us as we strongly love them.
The Arabian countries allow the families to have close families. Because the families are
bigger, they believe the close relationship will enable the families to take care of the needy
people in the society. Furthermore, their religion advocates for the close relationship between the
families. In the Arabian Gulf countries, a man is expected to marry up to four wives. These
made the families large. In the USA, one is expected to marry only one wife. This in turn keeps
the families small in the USA (Hall, 2000). However, the life in US is believed to be personal.
Most of the people depend on their hard worker, and that is why it's difficult to find a person
asking for help in the USA.
In the Arabian Gulf countries, they celebrate the holidays in a different way. The holiday
is spent visiting the families to give encouragements and support. For instance in the Eid Alfater,
a holiday that comes after the Ramadan, the people go and visit the families and friends. They
use the occasion to give money to children. The holiday is celebrated for around three days. In
the occasion, different families discuss the problems that they pass through and solutions to the
problems are sorts out by the families after they go for such holidays. If there is a problem in the
society or if there are vulnerable people in the society, they are identified during such occasions.
But when it comes to the American families, they celebrate the holidays in a different way. For
example during the families celebrate the holidays by sharing gifts. They do not converge in one
place like when the Arabian families are celebrating. They instead send the cards and gives to the
families and friends. They do not visit their families or friends, but they sending of the gifts and
cards are believed to be the best way of celebrating the holidays.
The families of the USA and the Arabian Gulf countries also different in the way they
engage in greetings. They people in most of the Arabian countries greet each though kissing and
hugging. They greet each other on the cheeks. It is only allowed that men kiss the cheeks of other
men and women kiss the cheeks of their fellow women (Spilsbury, 2010). It is prohibited for men
to kiss the cheek of women. In American culture kissing as part of greeting is not allowed. It is
hard to kiss other people even if one is a close relative to an individual.
The Arabian Gulf Islamic religion keeps the people to engage themselves in various
activities ethically. Ethics is considered as one of the important element that propels the society.
It is thus important because the families keep their children engage in ethical behaviors. As the
children grow up, they are taught about the importance of engaging in the ethical behavior. Most
of the people from the Arabian Gulf countries are business oriented, and they engage in different
business all over the world. However, they carry out their businesses in an honest way. They
believe that it is wrong to engage in businesses in a scrupulous way.They see their customers as
their brothers (Petrovich,2003). They do not sell the counterfeit goods. The goods they sell to
their customers are original, and they value their customers. The USA government and its people
do not value the ethics so much. People engage in different activities without taking into
consideration the consequences of such activities. Their activities are meant for selfish gains
only. They do not care what the consequences will have on the other people so long as they
benefit from what they are doing.
During the holidays, the people in the Arab Gulf countries do not engage in businesses.
They close the businesses in honor of the holiday. They holiday considered an important event
than the businesses. Everybody in the Arab countries is expected to honor the holidays as part of
the ethical issues that should be upheld by everybody in the region. For example during
Ramadan most people who is in business is expected to leave alone the businesses and go to
Mecca City to honor the holiday. In the other holidays, people are expected to honor the holidays
and go and stay with their families (Hall, 2000). In the American culture, a holiday is a waste of
time and thus a business is carried out as usual. A holiday is considered just like the normal day
and most of the people carry out their businesses during the holidays. They do not consider the
holiday as an important day. In fact, they can celebrate the holidays while they are in their
business premises.
Another thing concerns the prayer. The Arab people take the prayers seriously. It is
considered unethical to interrupt someone who is praying. During the prayer, one is expected to
engage deeply in the prayer (Petrovich, 2003). He or she should not entertain any interruptions if
there are any when they are praying. On the other hand, the prayer in the USA is a normal thing,
and people do not take it seriously. One can be interrupted in the process of praying.
In conclusion, every region has its culture and traditions. However, every culture is
significant and should be respected. It is important that all the people respect and uphold each
other regardless of the culture differences. For example, the Arabian Gulf countries and the USA
culture are different in the way they care about their families. The ethical problems that are
found in both the USA and the Gulf Arabia are significant as it elicits the knowledge of the
cultural roots and how different people take them. The way people in the two regions consider
holidays and families are important in understanding how the families are cared for in both the
USA and the Gulf countries.
References
Al-Fakhri, M. O., Cropf, R. A., Kelly, P. A., & Higgs, G. A. (April 01, 2008). E-Government in
Saudi Arabia: Between Promise and Reality. International Journal of Electronic
Government Research, 4, 2, 59-85.
Hall, E. T., & Hall, M. R. (2000). Understanding cultural differences. Yarmouth, Me:
Intercultural Press.
Kamal, S., & Chu, S.-C. (January 01, 2012). Cultural Differences in Social Media Usage and
Beliefs and Attitudes towards Advertising on Social Media.
Petrovich, M. B., Roberts, A. D., Roberts, C. M., & Silver Burdett Company. (2003). World
cultures. Morristown, N.J: Silver Burdett Ginn.
Spilsbury, L. (2010). World cultures. Chicago: Heinemann Library.
Stephen Asma, “Universal Empathy”.