Sources of Contradiction, Conflict, and Change

What Is Anthropology? ANTH 2301 Sources of Contradiction, Conflict, and Change A holistic examination takes into account not just how the different facets of a culture come together, but also how alterations to one aspect might have a domino effect on other aspects. Anthropologists frequently start their investigations by concentrating on a single, major shift that has occurred in the lives of a certain cultural group, and then they map the implications of that shift over several other cultural domains. Research on South Asian women migrating to the Middle East for housekeeping employment was done by Attiya Ahmad (2017). She describes the challenges these women have while returning to their families and native countries, as well as how they adjust to a new lifestyle and culture in Kuwait. These domestic workers' jobs in Kuwait require them to learn how to handle home appliances, speak Arabic, cook a whole new cuisine, observe Islamic customs and norms, and act in accordance with their gender roles as female members of Kuwaiti households. As they form emotionally charged interactions with the various members of the home, they encounter the societal expectation that women should be naram, or soft and flexible. These demands cause these women to undergo significant personal changes as they navigate the paradox of being both successful wage workers and marginalised members of other cultures. The primary driving force for migration is money: the need to cover costs associated with education, marriage, healthcare, and other family obligations. The women's emotional ties to their families deteriorate and become more challenging while they are employed in Kuwait, and their families grow financially dependent on the money they send home. Even if their experiences in Kuwait have had a lasting impact on them, their birth families still expect them to perform in the same way once their return, according to the same age- and gender-specific conventions that control the home. These women experience internal struggle as a result of this. Unable to fully reintegrate with their birth families, a large number of them either return to Kuwait or look for new relationships in their native communities. Some start their education in Islam by enrolling in specialised da'wa sessions, where they connect with other women going through similar experiences. Many people choose to convert to Islam after finding moral guidance in its teachings, despite opposition from their employment in Kuwait and their relatives back home. Every culture is dynamic, with little adjustments in one area leading to more significant changes both inside and outside of that culture. Another excellent example is the Me Too movement. The global movement started in 2006 by American activist Tarana Burke, who called for empathy and support for victims of sexual harassment, has now permeated all facets of American culture. The Me Too campaign, which at first concentrated on prominent figures in the film industry, has brought attention to the pervasive sexual harassment and assault that occurs in the fashion, religious, financial, sports, medical, political, and military sectors. Advocates push for modifications to the law to safeguard employees, particularly those who report improper sexual conduct as whistleblowers. An examination of the more casual cultural standards of American romance and dating has been provoked by evaluations of patriarchal and chauvinistic behaviour in these institutional domains. The Me Too campaign questions how Americans view gender roles for men and women, proper speech and body language, and the boundaries between personal and public spheres. At least twenty-eight additional nations, including Afghanistan, China, Nigeria, and the Philippines, have initiated conversation and reform processes as a result of the movement. Because local gender and sexuality conventions collide with the transcultural aims of American campaigners, the worldwide campaign has been perceived differently in each of these cultural contexts. The Me Too movement has been criticised by some for being ethnocentric. Me Too action caused a backlash among many French individuals, even if French feminists found resonance in the calls for reform. Some men and women even contended that French males should be allowed to make sexually suggestive remarks and make physical contact with women in public spaces. Although a large number of anthropologists actively participate in the Me Too movement, our cross-cultural comparison methods require us to temporarily set aside our personal values in order to comprehend how individuals in diverse cultural contexts perceive and respond to the cross-cultural campaign against gender-based harassment and assault. This technique of putting aside moral principles is essential to comprehending the interactions between all the components of a given society, including external influences.