Comparing and Contrasting the United States and the Saudi Arabian Societies - Essay Example

Comparing and Contrasting the United s and the Saudi Arabian Societies The cultures of United s and Saudi Arabia are quite different to start with their basics. One is an multiethnic society where US society has disco balls and theatres to support every kind of man or woman that enters into the territories of the nation while on the other hand a country like Saudi Arabia has prohibited the above mentioned practices and customs with strict orders as the religion Islam does not allow the same to happen under any law or litigation. To talk about their very fundamental differences, one finds out that there is a certain difference in the way these people eat, drink, dress, hang out, meet with new and known people, and bury their known ones as well as their day-to-day activities which vary a great deal when one thinks of them in a broader context. Hence the comparison holds solid ground due to the fact that these people, both from the American nation and the Saudi Arabian territories known how distinct and different they are from each other and it is good to know one’s strengths and weaknesses beforehand. The similarities exist within their nationalism and the attitude with which both the societies echo their voices in favor of the patriotism myth. Religion is pretty intrinsic to a culture of a society and in broader sense to a country where its different people carry out their rituals and activities in accordance with the customs and traditions as dictated by their respective religions. Same is the case for the two countries under study here which are basically being compared. United States is a much more developed nation that Saudi Arabia while the latter is an oil-rich state and fundamentally more than 90% of its inhabitants are pre-dominantly Muslims. While the super power nation of the world is more or less comprised of nearly all ethnicities that are found elsewhere, where one can find blacks known as the Afro Americans, the Asians consisting of Indians and Pakistanis mainly and so on and so forth. On the whole, United States of America has a lot of diversity has far as its single basic culture identification is concerned and hence the people obviously practice different religions in accordance with their beliefs and convictions. This paper discusses the comparison between America and Saudi Arabia in terms of their cultural values and religious bases. If one looks at the American distribution of people who have religion apart from that of Christianity, one finds that around 2% of them are Jews, 0.5% are Muslims while similar is the ratio for Buddhists. This accounts for the adults who are over 18 years of age and residing within the boundaries of US. More than that, there are 14% of the people among the US who either have no religion to follow or are Agnostics and Atheists. Hence it pretty much paints the whole picture which shows that a number of different religions are spread across the country and hence an individual culture is really not possible that can be followed by all and sundry. This obviously means that people hailing from different religions follow their respective cultures which ask them to carry out a number of varied rituals, customs and acts that might not be appreciated or at times condemned by the other factions and religious groups but the same is not the case as far as United States is concerned. There is a lot of religious freedom in the country and a Muslim or a Jew for that matter is allowed to exercise his or her custom or culture in much the same way as a Christian would do. The effect of Shariah within the Saudi Arabian society is immense. The Muslims within this Holy land follow the Shariah within all aspects of their lives. They believe in the oneness of God and do not indulge in practices which are disliked by God. Thus this gives quite a lot of weight to their attachment with their Maker. On the other hand, Americans do not believe in being religious from a very spiritual standpoint. They believe in practicing religion within the confinements of their own homes. They do not like others to follow their set codes and freedom is more of a choice for these Americans. The cultural values within America do not allow for restraining someone to indulge in practices which are not liked by certain sets of people. America is free for all and sundry and does not impose any restrictions on anyone at all. However within Saudi Arabia, conformance with the Shariah code is a must for all the followers of Islam. There is strictness, not only for the Muslims but also for the non-Muslims as well. They need to cover themselves in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Saudi Arabia does not allow visitors to wear the clothes of their choice rather it promulgates such laws which ask the foreigners to be modest at all times and avoid exposing their bodies. The aspect of a free America seems to be a missing link within Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and America have similarly quite a lot in common too. Both attach a great deal of pride for the people when it comes to patriotism. The nationalistic feel is present within the populations of the respective nations and this is indeed a much cherished prospect for any country. The government of Saudi Arabia as well as that of America has paid emphasis on the agenda leading up to which citizens are bound to show their true spirit to their respective nations. Also the two countries have banked on their people and their safety more than anything else. America has especially laid a great deal of focus on the aspect of its citizens being secure from the global wave of terrorism. The steps taken by Saudi Arabia are not much different in this regard. Thus it could be easily said that neither of the lives within the two countries is applicable in either of the two societies. There are contrasting differences between the two countries and hence one society embracing the other within its folds would be a very improper exercise to undertake in the first place. The US society is filled with people who have liberal thinking regimes within their folds while Saudi Arabia has inhabitants who do not like to give undue freedom to anyone, not only Muslims but also the other non-Muslim fraternity as well. It has been seen that the laws within Saudi Arabia are very harsh, where a robber is bound to get his hand cut at the hands of the authorities, once caught. (Lipsky, 1959) The same thing does not happen within the US society, where the robber gets a sentence for a specified period of time, but is in no way deprived of his body parts on the context of stealing or robbery. Hence it is the manner in which laws are practiced that leaves a contrasting difference between the two countries and indeed the changes depict their own selves within the domains of the respective societies. Even though America is a multi-cultural society, there are no hindrances for the following of different sets of codes within the society. The differences amongst people do not put down the role of the society in an individual self. There is a lot of respect for one another. However racism and the element of suppressing the blacks within America is a wholly different point altogether. The manner in which the different religions and races co-exist with each other and their dealings happening in a smooth fashion is a point that is commendable to note, as far as the comparison between the two societies is concerned. One finds it literally very difficult to pinpoint peculiar similarities between the two countries. The reason for the same is that there are absolutely none present. However on a deep level, one investigates to see that the element of religious harmony within Muslims of Saudi Arabia is apparent whilst the US society manifests its basis through the unity of different cultures and the permission for one another to exist in a free-flowing way. Life within Saudi Arabia could be tough at times but if a person is religiously tilted and his approach is bound to go towards the religious aspects, then there is no doubt that he will find his living suited to his own needs. However within America, this is entirely opposite to what is happening within Saudi Arabia. American culture is a very open one and does not allow any blockages on the movements of people. America wants its people to explore the different avenues of life as well as look to involve people in different cultural, social and entertainment activities. (Moore, 1995) It wants its people to know that America is a very lively nation and does not believe in cutting down on their respective activities and undertakings. In the end, it would be proper to state here that both America and Saudi Arabia are very different from one another and one would find it pretty hard on his part to find any similarities as such. It is best advisable for an American to avoid being within the lengths and breadths of Saudi Arabia as he would determine very quickly that his personal space is being violated upon by people with whom he has very little interaction. However when a Saudi Arabian finds himself settling within the domains of United States of America, he gets overwhelmed with the sort of liberty that America has engulfed itself into. He might perhaps run away from these activities and come back to his own land since his teachings are done in such a manner which has limited his thinking regimes. All said and done, the differences between the cultural, religious and societal aspects are there for one and all to understand and it is in the better interest of the people from the respective countries to avoid frequenting one another. Works Cited Lipsky, George. Saudi Arabia, Its People, Its Society, Its Culture. HRAF Press, New Haven, CT, 1959 Moore, R. Laurence. Selling God: American Religion in the Marketplace of Culture. Oxford University Press, 1995 Word Count: 1,676 Read More