Chapter 10 Discussion Questions
Question 1)
The Arab culture:
The Arab communication is unspoken and interwoven in the context of the conversations. Basically, it can be hard from someone from another culture to interpret the Arab culture since meanings and opinions are not outspoken and rather interweaved in the context.
Arabs are usually warm people with a lot of emotions and they can quickly explode over things they feel strongly about. Their language of communication allows for exaggerations and loaded words to emphasize meanings. It is more important how something it is expressed than what is actually being said.
The Arab culture emphasizes the importance of honor, relationships, friendship and traditional religion. Relationships to people are more important than contracts to companies. Hospitality is a core value and cannot be offended or rejected. Arabic men show a lot of feeling such as kissing on cheeks while public intimacy between men and women is strictly taboo and prohibited.
What characterizes the Arabic culture the most is probably the difference between men and women when it comes to rights and power because the middle-East is very male-dominated. The separation of power gives the Arabic women very few rights as human beings and the restrictions about interactions with men in public makes it difficult for the women to carry on the same life style that we in the western regions take for granted. For example, women play little or no role in neither entertainment nor business, only 7 percent of the female Saudi Arabic population account of the total workforce. Women are required to wear abayas in public and not show their bodies or even hair in for other men. In some Arabic countries their faces also have to be covered up.
Another important cultural aspect is the dedication to Allah and regular praying for men five times in a day. Companies and even restaurants have to adjust to this
The Arab culture:
The Arab communication is unspoken and interwoven in the context of the conversations. Basically, it can be hard from someone from another culture to interpret the Arab culture since meanings and opinions are not outspoken and rather interweaved in the context.
Arabs are usually warm people with a lot of emotions and they can quickly explode over things they feel strongly about. Their language of communication allows for exaggerations and loaded words to emphasize meanings. It is more important how something it is expressed than what is actually being said.
The Arab culture emphasizes the importance of honor, relationships, friendship and traditional religion. Relationships to people are more important than contracts to companies. Hospitality is a core value and cannot be offended or rejected. Arabic men show a lot of feeling such as kissing on cheeks while public intimacy between men and women is strictly taboo and prohibited.
What characterizes the Arabic culture the most is probably the difference between men and women when it comes to rights and power because the middle-East is very male-dominated. The separation of power gives the Arabic women very few rights as human beings and the restrictions about interactions with men in public makes it difficult for the women to carry on the same life style that we in the western regions take for granted. For example, women play little or no role in neither entertainment nor business, only 7 percent of the female Saudi Arabic population account of the total workforce. Women are required to wear abayas in public and not show their bodies or even hair in for other men. In some Arabic countries their faces also have to be covered up.
Another important cultural aspect is the dedication to Allah and regular praying for men five times in a day. Companies and even restaurants have to adjust to this