West Vs.World
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West vs. World
“Every age , every culture, every custom and tradition has its own character, its own weakness and its own strength, its beauties and cruelties; it accepts certain sufferings as matters of course, puts up patiently with certain evils. Human life is reduced to real suffering, to hell, only when two ages, two cultures and religions overlap.” (Hermann Hesse.) It is difficult for any culture in the world to avoid the blending of cultures. In Marshal Sahlins essay, “Two or Three Things I Know about Culture”, he proved that almost all cultures are derived from another. Many countries do not agree with this theory because they believe that other customs, traditions are wrong and immoral. One the most criticize cultures in the world is Western Society. Although it is very well-known and widely practiced, it is still considered a deceiving, greedy and unethical the “Western way” is highly despised among different cultures. In Martha Nussbaum article, “Judging Other Cultures: The Case of Genital Mutilation” she also mentions the loathing of Western society.
Some may say that the Western capitalist state wants to be the superhero of the world. This society believes their way of living can improve any society that is suffering. However, the Western idea of suffering may not make sense to another culture. In fact, a culture with a different perception may even view the Western idea of success and happiness as suffering. This is a controversial topic that has been haunting cultures all over the world for a quite a long time. “Ðethnocentric, a demonizing of another culture when we have many reasons to find fault in our own.” (Nessbaum, page 2)
In “Judging Other Cultures: The Case of Genital Mutilation” Martha Nessbaum focuses on the practice of female genital mutilation and its controversy. Middle Eastern countries and Africa is where this procedure is illegal but commonly practiced. If one decides that she does not want to go on with the tradition she will be frowned upon among her society. Since FGM was proven that it can negatively affect a woman health more people have protested and been working hard to ban it.
The Westerners are the main group involved in abolishing the practice. Then again, some are arguing that Westerners are contradicting themselves once again. “Ðthe focus on this problem involves a Western glamorization of sexual pleasure that is inappropriate, especially when we judge other cultures with different norms.”
( Nessbaum page 2). Martha Nessbaum explains that one cannot judge another culture unless they are prepared to be judged as well. She also states “Ðit is morally wrong to criticize the practice of another culture unless ones own culture has eradicated all evils of a comparable kind” (Nessbaum page 3). In other words, Westerners are against FGM, but are not aware of the mutilation that is occurring in their female society. “Female genital mutilation is morally on par with the practices of dieting and body shaping in American culture.” (Nessbaum page 3). The majority of American women are duped into believing that idea of beauty is being thin, fashionable and desirable. Therefore they mutilate their bodies by plastic surgery or become obsessed over reaching the American ideal weight.
Nessbaum also points out the relativistic Western idea of pleasure when she mention Mohammed Alis quote about his daughter, ” Banning it would make women wild like those in America.” Since the ones who practice FGM believe that the procedure help keep females in control, they believe that the non-practicing are immoral. FGM is supposed to keep women from sexual pleasure, which is somewhat essential to the Western woman. To reiterate, Westerners focus on sexual pleasure and appearance can alter their perception another culture. Therefore, they should be aware of their faults before intervening another.
Marshall Sahlins lecture, “Two or Three Things That I Know About Culture” relates to Martha Nessbaum because he also brings up the negative aspects about Western culture. Sahlins mentions New Guineans opinion of Westerners. According to them Americans or as they calls them “White men” are too concerned about money. “They thought New Guineans and their kind would become something like White Men Ð- or some other such misfortune” (Sahlins page 2). Unlike Nessbaums feministic lecture, Sahlins focuses on how other countries misinterpret their own culture. For example when he discusses tradition he says” Such distinctive local traditions as the villagers once have had in many areas been bleached of deep meaning.” (Sahlins page3). Some cultures do not know what their rituals, traditions or customs stand for. Sahlins believes some cultures are created to criticize Western society. He makes this point when he says,Д Ðby conforming to Western romantic ideals of the primitive, way Amazonian Indians ” love of the earth” give pleasure to the Environment Movement, these determinations of indigenous identity amount to proxy criticisms of Western society (Sahlins page 3).
In conclusion, even anthropologist of the Western civilization must critique their own culture. It is important to examine other cultures and their perceptions of life but we must realize no one culture is superior to another. In fact most cultures inherit trait from another. So one must keep in mind that one cultures evil may be anothers good. One can not judge different cultures based on their moral belief. One of main reasons we have culture is so we can all be unique and represent our countries and families in a different ways. “Without culture, and the relative freedom of it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. That is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future.” (Albert Camus).
Works Cited
Nessbaum, Martha. (1999). “Judging Other Cultures: The Case of Genital Mutilations”.
Sahlins, Marshall. (September 9, 1999). “Two or Three Things I Know About Culture”.
Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute.
Brain Quotes. www.brainyquotes.com.
West vs. World
“Every age , every culture, every custom and tradition has its own character, its own weakness and its own strength, its beauties and cruelties; it accepts certain