Research Question
The main objective of this research is to analyze why people in Saudi Arabia are racist and use endogamy as a solution for family members not to marry other races. What consequences or problems are associated with such racial practice and thinking?
Thesis Statement
This study will discuss that racial mind-set of Saudi Arabians impacts their rational thinking and decision-making, which resulted in promoting endogamy among family members in order to avoid marriages with other races.
Introduction and Discussion on the Topic
The concept of endogamy is not new in Saudi Arabia and people are practicing it for last several decades. Endogamy reflects racial mindset of people. Endogamy refers to a practice under which people should marry within their own ethnic or social group. Endogamy is practiced by Saudi Arabians because they believe that people from their own social or religious group are superior to others, and it is easy to trust a person from same ethnic group. Endogamy practice being outlawed in many of the developed nations and some cultures like Saudi Arabia still follow the practice despite scientific evidence of the genetic damage occurring within the children of these cultures.
In Saudi Arab family members pressurize young people to marry with a woman from same ethnic group. Certain societies in Saudi Arab even believe in consanguinity, in which a man can get married to only that woman who is in blood relation. Bittles and Hamamy (2010) says that in Saudi Arabia family play a major role in decision making and racism behavior among young population is largely shaped by family members. Family members discourage individual to perform inter-culture or inter-religion marriages despite of known fact that endogamy increase the chances of various illnesses and disabilities (Bittles and Hamamy, p. 86).
Racism is not good for any individual or nation because it creates various health problems and increases deceases and disabilities. Halim et al. (2012) in their article discusses various negative impacts of endogamy and why it should be discouraged. According to the authors, endogamy not only disturbs reproductive health of individuals but also create major health problems including deafness, cancer, and mental disorder. Under endogamy practice all deceases and disabilities existing in same society or family remain same as genes get more dominant in absence of interaction with external superior genes (Halim et al, p. 280-82). If Arabs allow inbreeding continuous for the next few generations, which genetic traits is accumulating, this leading to poor birth control. Children in Arab will suffer from various deceases and illnesses due to endogamy practice. In Saudi Arabia number of people suffering from genetic diseases is highest in the world. One person out of every 1000 people is suffering from genetic decease. In US 1 person out of every 4000 people and in Japan 1 person out of every 8000 people is suffering from genetic decease (Saudi in Drive to Curb Endogamy).
The problem associated with endogamy are very important for Saudi Arabia because in Saudi Arabia almost 50 percent population practice consanguinity and endogamy. The government of Saudi Arabia must demand that families begin marrying outside first generation relatives and seek to stabilize the genetic health of Saudi Arabians society by forming new law or amending existing law. A research study will help in understanding why endogamy should be discouraged and why Saudi Arab should liberalize its laws, values and beliefs in order to minimize racism.
An in-depth research study will help in gaining in-sight on: racism and endogamy prevailing in Saudi Arabia, negative aspects & health problems associated with endogamy, and impact of decision making and critical thinking of Saudi Arabians on encouraging endogamy among family members. Individual behavior is shaped by various internal and external factors such as traditions, cultures, religious beliefs, family norms and gender norms. In Saudi Arabia the practice of racial marriages is encouraged by local culture, family values & beliefs, and religious doctrine (Ratner and El-Badwi, p. 217). This paper will analyze different factors that influence and encourage racism among people and motive them for racial marriages.
Racial marriages and endogamy increases the chances of various deceases, disorders and deformities. Bener, Hussain and Teebi (2007) said that racial marriages performed in same family increase the risk of various illnesses and disabilities such as hearing disability, cancer, mental illness, intestinal disorders, diabetes, and hypertension. Marriages in same ethnic group or in same family do not provide opportunity to get superior genes in the family. Prevalence of endogamy reflects that people from specific society are not liberal and presents their view in favor of specific religion, group or society; they consider other people inferior and not suitable for marriage (Bener et al., p. 262). A research study will help in proving that endogamy increases the chances of deceases and disabilities hence should be discouraged. Endogamy among Saudi Arabians shows that Saudi Arabians’ decision-making and critical thinking is influenced by certain beliefs and values that make them racial. Marriage is an important decision which should not be based on race or cast. It is matter of two individuals and their compatibility. The research will help in understanding why Saudi Arabians should not involve racism in major decision such as marriage.
Some questions that research will answer are: Why Saudi Arabians prefer marriage in same ethnic group? Is it due to laws or religion or due to some old traditions cultural beliefs or family beliefs? What is the main motivation behind marrying in same ethnic group? Why Saudi Arabians accept values and beliefs that make them racial? Research will answer and provide evidences that endogamy increase risk of various deceases and disabilities and also impacts critical thinking and decision making of individuals.
Project Plan and Methods of Data Collection
The research study will be based on information and data collected from primary and secondary sources. Major sources of primary and secondary information will be government websites, news articles, magazines and other reliable online sources. However, the research will not involve any primary data collection due to nature of subject that requires coverage of large population. It is not possible to conduct primary survey in Saudi Arabia in limited time frame. However, analysis of data and information will be supported by literature and past scholarly research studies conducted on the similar subject.
Research Timeframe
Conclusion
The question ‘why people in Saudi Arabia practice endogamy and what consequences or problems are associated with such racial practice and thinking?' can have many answers. This question has been answered partially in this paper. The point of view of endogamy and various problems associated with it is influenced by racism and the same is supported by various past research studies. In addition support has been provided by the premises provided to the argument that was introduced in the beginning of the paper. Racism effects individual thinking and encourage him for endogamy which results in increasing deceases and disabilities among Saudi Arabian population.
Works Cited
Bener, Abdulbari, Rafat Hussain, and Ahmad S. Teebi. "Consanguineous marriages and their effects on common adult diseases: studies from an endogamous population." Medical Principles and Practice 16.4 (2007): 262. Print.
Bittles, Alan H., and Hanan A. Hamamy. "Endogamy and consanguineous marriage in Arab populations." Genetic disorders among Arab populations." Springer Berlin Heidelberg (2010): 85-108. Print.
Halim, Nizar Ben, et al. "Consanguinity, endogamy, and genetic disorders in Tunisia." Journal of community genetics 4.2 (2013): 273-284. Print.
Ratner, Carl, and El-Sayed El-Badwi. "A cultural psychological theory of mental illness, supported by research in Saudi Arabia." Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless 20.3-4 (2011): 217-274. Print.
"Saudi in Drive to Curb Endogamy." 15 January 2015. Emirates247. 26 April 2015.
