A Unique Culture Saudi Arabia - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 955 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/18 Category Demography Essay Type Argumentative essay Tags: Egypt Essay Saudi Arabia Essay Did you like this example? Saudi Arabia: A Unique Culture Saudi Arabia: A Unique Culture The birthplace of Islam, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is home to some 12,300,000 citizens and an additional four and half million resident foreigners. These non-citizens from predominantly Arab-speakingArab-speaking nations such as Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Pakistan, India, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, comprise almost two thirds of the Saudi Arabian workforce. That being said, Saudi Arabia’s economic engine runs on the fuel of foreign indentured servitude and the sense of entitlement that Saudi Arabian citizens maintain and has become a way of life; a culture all to its own. This culture has evolved over time from the discovery and exploitation of rich fossil oil deposits; oil that has created one of the richest countries in the world. All about the Oil In 1932, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia became a unified country under King Abd Al-Aziz Al Saud (Lippman, Myers, 2004). Prior to this date, the country was divided into three tribal regions of Najd, Hijaz, and Asir and their dependencies. Development of the oil industry in the eastern Saudi Arabia spurred a fragmented cultural change that, with the aid of Americans, eventually â€Å"mechanized, computerized, electrified, paved, air-conditioned† (Lippman, Myers, 2004), and revolutionized the country. It wasn’t until the discovery of rich oil fields and the subsequent exploitation of those riches that the citizens of Saudi Arabia became a nation of wealth. From nomadic Bedouins whose country was a mere strategic ally in World War II sprang a people who fully embraced the modern and lavish lifestyles of American oil workers. The Saudis had gone from an impoverished culture to a super-rich one just as if it had received a dead relative’s large inheritance and it went to their heads. Cultural Clash The House of Saud’s (the founders of the Kingdom) direct descendants are the rulers of Saudi Ara bia, however they have no legitimate claim to the country despite their historic battle prowess of the early 1900s. Sharia (Islamic law) is the law in Saudi Arabia; â€Å"the state exists to promote, protect and promulgate Islam† (Cole, 2010). The fact that the monarchies of Saudi Arabia have always upheld Sharia law has kept them in power. The king, â€Å"whose title is Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques† (Cole, 2010) faces no greater challenge than upholding these religious credentials. Religious conservatives control the elementary education agenda, religious education, and university curricula. The national culture of Saudi Arabia revolves around Wahhabi Islam, a particularly virulent, extremely traditional, and intolerant form of religious thinking (Metz, 1992). The epicenter for Islam containing the two largest religious iconic cities in the Arab world, Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia has since the early inceptive years of western lifestyles, started to rejec t those same ideals. This in turn has allowed for the Saudi Arabia to be considered the model religious-political environment to the entire Arab world. Family Ideals Most cultures have a basis of identity and status within society. For Saudis family is the most important societal foundation, more pointedly, families of formed alignments with other families who share common interests, ideals, and alliances are the keystone to survival. These familial circles are better understood as tribal lineages that are traced through paternal lines and where nepotism runs deep especially for the males of the tribes. As seen in their naming conventions, Saudis are very cognizant of their heritage, their tribe, and their extended families, as well as their nuclear families. A family business is open to participation by sons, uncles, male cousins, and function as the social welfare safety net for all members of the family. Women under Islamic law do not take their husband’s name. Inste ad, they maintain their father’s name showing they belong to his family for their entire life and also maintain control over their personal property, as an indication of their independence from a husband’s control. A woman is incorporated into a household when married, but not the husband’s family. Segregation found throughout the Muslim world between men and women is a mechanism to ensure modesty and avoid fitna (sexual temptation) (Metz, 1992). Children are held in the utmost important aspects of family and marriage, especially sons. A lineage and propagation of the familial and tribal name ensures the utmost happiness in life in accordance with Islamic teachings. Therefore, men are in line with the law when they take a second, third, or even fourth wife. Polygyny is not uncommon in the more conservative areas of Saudi Arabia. Muslim views, many times, are counter-intuitive to the way of the Western-minded individual and as of late (past thirty years) has c reated a high level of tension within the political-religious stability of the Kingdom and the Muslim nation. Conclusion With the discovery and development of rich fossil fuel deposits in Saudi Arabia, a tribal people were hastened through a revolution; from Bedouin lifestyle to 21st Century within less than a pentacost. As this conservative Muslim country fell in love with the lifestyles of the American workers in their country, many felt that Shuria law was undermined. Today a mixed culture in Saudi Arabian society is almost Jekyll-and-Hyde-like. Saudis have attempted to integrate western thinking into the Muslim world, but extreme opposition has created quite a rift in an otherwise peaceful people. The unique culture found on the Arabian continent is the result of American attempts to assimilate. References Cole, D. (2010). Countries and their culture: Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from https://www. everyculture. com/Sa-Th/Saudi-Arabia. html Lippman, T, Myers, J. (2004). Inside the mirage: America’s fragile partnership with Saudi Arabia. Oxford: Westview Press. Metz, H. (1992). Saudi Arabia: a country study. [Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress]. (Adobe Digital Version), Retrieved from https://countrystudies. us/saudi-arabia/ Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Unique Culture Saudi Arabia" essay for you Create order

Unmarried Women Are More Politically Liberal. Heres Why.

Theres long been evidence that unmarried women are more politically liberal than married ones, but theres never been a good explanation for why this is the case. Now there is. Sociologist Kelsy Kretschmer of Oregon State University (OSU) found that women who are not married tend to be more concerned about the social status of women as a group, more politically liberal, and more likely to vote Democrat than married women. Key Takeaways: Unmarried women report having a higher level of â€Å"linked fate† than unmarried women: they see what happens to other women as relevant to their own lives.Sociologists have suggested that this may explain why unmarried women are more likely to be politically liberal than married women.A report based on 2010 American National Election Study data found that linked fate does indeed help to explain the political affiliations of married and unmarried women.   Study Overview Kretschmer presented the study, coauthored with OSU political scientist Christopher Stout and sociologist Leah Ruppanner of the University of Melbourne, at the August 2015 meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA) in Chicago. There, she explained that women who are not married are more likely to have a strong sense of linked fate, which is the belief that what happens in their own lives is connected to the social status of women as a group in society. This means they are more likely to believe that gender inequality—manifested for instance in the gender pay gap, the gender wealth gap, and discrimination in education and the work place—has a significant impact on their own life chances. Kretschmer told the ASA, Over 67 percent of never married women and 66 percent of divorced women perceive what happens to other women as having some or a lot to do with what happens in their own lives. Only 56.5 percent of married women hold the same views. Study Methods To conduct the study, the researchers drew from the 2010 American National Election Study and included data from women respondents 18 years and older, whom they sorted as married, never married, divorced, or widowed. Using this data, they  found that a sense of linked fate has a significant relationship to ones political orientation and behavior. Using statistical techniques, the researchers were able to rule out income, employment, children, and views on gender roles and discrimination as factors that could explain away the gap in political preference between married and unmarried women. A sense of linked fate is in fact the key variable. Key Results Kretschmer told the ASA that women with a sense of gendered linked fate, who tend to be unmarried, think in terms of what will benefit women as a group. This means that they are likely to support candidates who promote, and political measures for, things like wage equality, workplace protections for pregnancy and maternity leave, anti-domestic violence laws, and welfare expansion. Kretschmer and her colleagues were motivated to do this study because the concept of linked fate has been used by other sociologists to help explain voting patterns exist among Black and Latinx voters in the U.S. The concept had never been used to examine political behavior among women, which is what makes the study and its results notable and important. The study also revealed that women who have never been married are more likely than those who are married to believe that is important to have women politicians. The researchers also found that  married and widowed women demonstrated the same degrees of linked fate. The researchers pointed out that widowed women are likely to still be engaged in the marriage institution via things like a husbands pension or social security, so they tend to think and act more like women who are married than those who are not (never been, or divorced). While notable, its important to recognize that this study demonstrations a correlation between marriage status and a sense of linked fate, and not causation. At this point it is impossible to say whether linked fate influences whether or not a woman will get married, or if getting married would reduce a sense of linked fate. Its possible that future research will shed light on this, but what we can conclude, sociologically speaking, is that cultivating a sense of linked fate among women is necessary for making political and social change that advances equality. Bibliography â€Å"Unmarried Women: Politically Cohesive, More Concerned About Womens Status Than Married Counterparts.† American Sociological Association, 22 Aug. 2015. https://www.asanet.org/press-center/press-releases/unmarried-women-politically-cohesive-more-concerned-about-womens-status-married-counterparts

The Four Primary Symptoms of Narcolepsy Free Essays

Narcolepsy is a rare sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep at any place or time. After a 10 or 15 minute sleep attack, the person feels rested only brief period of time, then returns to an uncomfortable feeling of intense sleepiness. Many narcolepsy patients describe attempting to stay awake during the day like trying to stay awake after 3 days without sleep. We will write a custom essay sample on The Four Primary Symptoms of Narcolepsy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Attacks may occur while driving, talking, or working. The central nervous system is involved. This disorder begins in adolescence or young adulthood and continues throughout life. Narcolepsy is a potentially disabling, life-long condition estimated to afflict about one in every one thousand people in the United States. Although it is not uncommon, narcolepsy is often misdiagnosed, or diagnosed years after symptoms first appear. The four primary symptoms of narcolepsy are excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and cataplexy. People with narcolepsy are unable to resist the temptation of falling asleep and do so regardless of the number of hours slept the previous night. The excessive daytime sleepiness experienced by people with narcolepsy has been described as being like trying to stay awake after going several days without sleep. Frequently, people with narcolepsy fall asleep at inappropriate times, for example while eating or in the middle of a conversation. These moments often frequently occur during periods of intense emotion such as surprise, laughter, anger, or excitement (even in some of the most passionate situations). Cataplexy is the sudden loss of strength in voluntary muscles triggered by these intense emotions. The cataplectic attack can range from partial muscle weakness in a few muscle joints to almost complete loss of muscle control and last for several minutes. Sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations are also extremely common among patients afflicted with narcolepsy. Although these four symptoms are considered the four key symptoms of narcolepsy, all four symptoms only occur in small portion of the patients most other patients experience some combination of the four symptoms. A. Extensive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) This is probably one of the most persistent and disabling conditions that can be experienced by someone with narcoleopsy. This feeling typically lasts the entire day and occurs on a daily basis. When a patient with narcolepsy experiences a period where they do fall sleep it is more tan likely due to a failure to resist sleep instead of a sudden attack of sleepiness. Although this strong desire to sleep is constant, recent prior sleep does seem to relieve for momentary periods of time. Other factors that appear to prevent a sleep attack are physical activity and stimulants, but it also prolongs the period of feeling sleepiness. EDS has had a rather significant negative affect on narcoleptics’ job performance at school and at the workplace. Narcoleptics experience severe problems with and are typically unable to work with automobiles and dangerous equipment. Narcoleptics are more impaired than epileptic patients in terms of job performance and how prone they are to accidents. Narcoleptics lack many physical, emotional, and family supportive needs, even when compared to patients with cerebral palsy and alcoholism. Cataplexy is the condition in which the skeletal muscles experience extreme muscles. This can vary from paralysis in one limb or throughout the entire body. During an attack, the person is conscious and aware of the environment surrounding him or her and if the paralysis is only partial maybe capable of carrying on a conversation. After the attack, the patient is fully conscious and experiences no confusion. This nearly always triggered by some form of emotional stimulus. The occurrences of attacks vary from patient to patient; it can happen daily or happen only once in a patient’s life. These are realistic dreamlike hallucinations that occur either from consciousness to sleep or sleep to consciousness. The hallucinations are typically visual with occasional auditory or other sensory components. It often occurs in conjunction with sleep paralysis (see below). One of the most common hallucinations is to get out of bed and moving about while simply lying in a bed and not even moving a leg. Other hallucinations are more threatening as if a possible attacker enters the room and the patient is unable to move. This is form of paralysis that is the failure to move any skeletal muscle during the period from transition of consciousness to sleep or sleep to consciousness. This occurs frequently to narcoleptic patients. These experiences are extremely traumatizing to a patient and make it difficult for the patient to breathe. The attack usually lasts about 5 minutes but can be broke either by an extreme effort by the patient or external force such as being spoken to or touched. The precise factor that causes of narcolepsy is not clearly understood. Narcolepsy seems to be a biological problem, possibly involving abnormalities of brain chemistry. Narcolepsy or a predisposition to it may run in families suggesting a genetic influence. However, the way the predisposition might be inherited remains unknown. There is no evidence for a psychological basis for the disorder. The most accepted theory is that there is something disturbing REM sleep. The impaired REM system is the theory that explains EDS as well as cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. This was based upon the similarities between cataplexy and REM sleep. In both cases, skeletal muscles experience impairment, due to motor neuron blocking. This blocking of motor neurons occurs along the spinal causing excitation of the neuron in the spinal cord.. Cataplexy occurs when this inhibition of mental neurons are blocked during consciousness. Sleep paralysis may occur when motor neuron occurs prior to actual sleep or extends beyond the waking up period. Hypnagogic hallucinations occur when shifting between REM and wakefulness, this results in the unusual hallucinations experienced during hypnagogic hallucinations. The precise neurological abnormality that causes the symptoms of narcolepsy. The symptoms of narcolepsy are usually first noticed during teenage or young adult years although it can strike at any age. Most often the initial symptom to appear is excessive daytime sleepiness. Later, after several months or even years, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, or sleep paralysis typically develop. Different individuals experience wide variations in both the developments, the number and the severity of their symptoms. Family, friends, educators, employers and even those with narcolepsy often have a hard time understanding the problem and just what is happening. There is no known cure for narcolepsy. Narcolepsy symptoms can be treated with varying degrees of success with medications and adjustments of life-style and educational. Treatment is primarily intended to cope with the symptoms of narcolepsy. Stimulants are often given to promote alertness and to cope with EDS. The two stimulants that are prescribed the most frequently are methyphenidate and pemoline. Dosage is usually scheduled to promote alertness at the most crucial times. The one difficulty is that tolerance can rapidly develop to stimulants so it is recommended that stimulants be used only when truly needed. Adapting your work schedule to provide for naps at the time most crucial times of the most intense sleepiness can help prevent some of the affects of EDS. This also reduces the need and possible dependency upon medication. Funds for research are needed to advance knowledge about narcolepsy and test the effectiveness of methods of treatment and management. How to cite The Four Primary Symptoms of Narcolepsy, Essay examples