Example Of Essay On Cultural Differences Between The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia (KSA) And The United States of America (USA)

I am from Saudi Arabia presently studying in the USA. In this essay, I will try to compare and contrast the cultural differences in food, dress, music, language, education, lifestyle and government between my birthplace and America. My objective for doing this is for me to share with you my views and experiences with cultural diversity. It is a fact that cultural differences and preferences exist for a number of reasons.
The food that I eat in Saudi Arabia, just like in the US, is found in places such as in pizza house, fast food and restaurant chains. However, I do not consume pork because it is against our Islamic dietary laws. My other favorite foods are Bukhari, Mandi, Kabsa, Al-Mathbi, to name a few. During the Ramadan, which is our Islamic month of fasting, I consume neither food nor drink from dawn to dusk. Nonetheless, my family gets up before dawn and prepares heavy breakfast. My family repeatedly does this on a daily basis does this each sundown until the end of the Ramadan.
In the US, throughout the year, I observed that Americans and foreigners eat food from various fast food chains, restaurants, malls, etc. I also noticed that during the holiday seasons such as Thanksgiving Day, roasted turkey is served as the main traditional course in America. In other occasions, such as Christmas and New Year’s eves, I see people being too busy preparing all sorts of food for families and guests. In the US, I also experienced how individuals are so much concerned to serve food for the holiday anywhere from breakfast, snack time, lunchtime and dinner. I believe that it depends on any person whether to refrain from consuming food anytime of the day. From my personal observation, this is perhaps one of the major reasons for the many obese people in the US.
In Saudi Arabia, men like me can wear attire intended for us, such as shorts in public places. However, for religious reason, our women must wear decent clothes known as abaya (black coat); they cannot just wear anything. On the contrary, in America, I see how women wear anything they are comfortable with. Every time I open my TV or surf the Internet, women have different styles of wearing apparels, not to mention cosmetics that they apply to their faces. It is no longer the apparel that really counts, especially, among celebrities whose style seems to be a fad – for them just to look “nice” in the public eyes. Anyone like me who experienced living in the US will see how women, for the most times, even when they already have kids, not to mention their husbands, seem to be always in fashion like the younger generations.
I like playing football because it is good for my health. I make sure I have the time to play with my friends especially during the weekends. Because I play this sports, I do not usually have health problems. Other than football, I also play basketball because I am tall. Because of sports, I do not have much body fats but recover much faster when I get sick. When I play sports or have a ‘daily dose’ of exercise, I notice how my problem-solving ability increases in school. Just like in the US, I play those games mentioned above. Through sports, I learn how to deal better with my fellow Arabs and Americans. Sports, for me, has many advantages such as establishing friendship and having good time management.
When I use my native language, I extemporaneous express myself at the very details of things. Unlike the English language, which is secondary to my nature, I still have to think sometimes for several times before uttering a word. This gives me doubts sometimes whether I used the appropriate word or not for a particular context. I know that this feeling is also shared by most non-native speakers like me. What I truly admire with the English language, however, is that it is spoken by almost all people across the world. Just in this personal essay, I can interact not only through writing, but also whenever I meet someone who also speaks the language. When my fellow Arabs hear me talk in English, whether online or personally, they admire me. I believe that it is to my advantage that I learned the English language early in life and thus able to share my views.
The manner in which I was educated speaks of the kind of education that I have. As a person, I value excellence, quality and efficiency. I am a product of Saudi’s good education. I learn about Arab culture, tradition and values at a very young age. In the US, foreign students are allowed to choose the school where they will attend to. Based on my readings, I also aspire to study locally and then internationally for my college and advanced degree. When I graduate, I want to be employed according to my chosen career path and excel in it. In comparison, based on experience and from what I hear from people (for example, the various course offerings and foreign students being admitted in many US universities), I know how good American education is. I also observe the many teaching approaches used for various subjects, that is, not just teaching/learning within the four walls of the classrooms. In addition, US education from kindergarten to high school is free – I like that idea very much because no child (or person) is left behind. For the college or university studies, some parents work hard just to pay for an expensive US higher education.
Lifestyle in Saudi Arabia means having to work in group rather than individually in doing things. I prefer also such work setting when I already land a job. I will prioritize on financing my business when I already have enough capital. Most of my fellow Arabs do this also, that is, rather than invest in other people business once they have the resources to put up their own business. In comparison to the US, I observed how many American people prefer doing things independently. However, I prefer collective effort because there is more productivity generated in the process. As a Saudi person, I believe in group efforts as members of a collective whole. Thus, I will work just like my fellow Arabs, not under competition but taking into consideration our welfare. Even in the face of who become more successful or not, I really like to work in group. In American society, I notice that people seem to be more individualistic or autonomous in the face of competition. This, I think, is advantageous to individuals who are particularly gifted such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, and other successful people.
In terms of family relationship, I prefer those of Saudi’s because they are usually bigger in number. Just like my family who live with and care for one another, I also like the idea that when I am already an old father to my children and grandchildren, they will also take care of me. Contrariwise, I see most American families as small in number where children are taken care of until they are matured enough or dependent on themselves. American family members are not as close as the Saudi family members are. Evidence of this is every time I am reminded of the home for the elderly, that is, family members leave their old parents or grandparents there so that other people (such as a caregiver) will take care of them.
I like how we, Saudi people, greet one another. Like myself, I do it wherein I hug a person close to me. Sometimes I do it by kissing another person’s cheek that has the same gender as me. In other case, I show sign of respect to my fellow Arab men by means of nose-to-nose greetings. In comparison, it is customary for Americans to greet each other through handshakes. Sometimes, I notice that sometime close to an American is given a pat on the back – just like what I experienced with some of my American friends.
What I like most with our Saudi Arabian architecture is that most of our cultural heritage has been preserved, despite the emergence of modern building technologies (e.g., malls, grocery stores, hypermarkets, etc. with all the popular brands worldwide). Still, the design and ornamentation of Saudis building is dependent not only on aesthetic effects, but also on the environment. I am already used to the climate / weather in my place of birth.
In America, I noticed that even for a small number of family members, Americans prefer to have mostly big houses, although extended families are not practiced. I think it is mostly for aesthetic reasons that American also prefer houses furnished with amenities, especially, for a growing family of four or five, at the most. When it comes to building designs, I see how tall skyscrapers are for businesses or commercial purposes. American schools, where I observe that there is almost, if not all, no separation between genders inside the classroom, usually do not have high walls, but most of the time, with guard posts.
My beloved Saudi Arabia is a monarchy founded upon the tenets of Islam. Our King is both head of the government and the state. The Qur’an is the Constitution of my country. Because my country is rich in oil, our government provides some of our basic needs such as free basic education, hospitalization and scholarship programs. This is the reason I like my country very much because the government takes care of its constituents. The US, based on my history subject and experience, is a democratic form of government where people vote for their representatives. I have known American people as freedom-lovers. America has a justice system that is based on the rule of law. Although I do not know much about the legislative branch of the US government, I can see how people abide by their laws.
Comparing and contrasting Saudi and USA’s cultural diversity is not an easy tasks for me. I see how one’s culture, no matter how unique, has its own uniqueness. I believe that people like me have to learn how to live in harmony with other people whose beliefs, mores, traditions, values or culture may differ from mine. I have come to know how importance tolerance is for the sake of other peoples’ freedom, religion, beliefs, culture, etc.