Cultural Beliefs

Contained herein is an analysis of cultural beliefs that Saudi Arabians hold on Americans. The analysis shall further elaborate on whether the said believes could be classified as stereotype or just generalizations. Before listing the beliefs, it needs to understand that other cultures of the world are more likely to share similar thinking with Saudi Arabians. This is in understanding that the discussed beliefs develop from how other people around the world view the Americans.

First, Saudi Arabians see Americans as more domineering over other people (AEI, 2007). In other words, Americans see themselves more superior to others and therefore need to be listened to at all times; they have little place for other individuals’ ideas or concerns. This aspect of Americans’ behavior is offending to the Saudi people, because they feel robbed of opportunities to express themselves and respective ideas freely. As mentioned at the introduction, other cultures around the world have similar beliefs on the Americans. Though the some sections of the American people have the tendency to behave in the aforementioned behavior, they do not entirely represent the entire American populace. This leads to a conclusion that the domineering belief if just a generalization that has become widely accepted in Saudi Arabia and indeed around the world.

Second, the Saudi Arabian populaces tend to belief that American care more about their own self interest and little about rest of the world (Khouri, 2008). This behavior develops from fact that the United States leads in economic, military might, and several other strengths that can little be compared with other world countries. In this regard, Americans have come to believe that they are superior and what they have should be copied around the world; in other worlds, the world has to conform into American way of life and not the other way round. This belief is hereby being regarded as a stereotype that world cultures use to define the Americans. Saudi Arabians see Americans boasting about their strengths and successes that the country has achieved throughout the two centuries of independence to the extent of lording over rest of the world.

Third, Saudi Arabian populace holds the belief that Americans are too talkative; that is, they talk too much and listen little whether they are in the United States or visiting  other places around the world. This behavior rubs Saudi Arabians the wrong way because they also like to express themselves when conversing with the Americans. Other cultures around the world could also be sharing this belief with the Saudi Arabians. However, the belief is only a generalization because not all Americans have the tendency of talking too much at the expense of their conversation colleagues. In fact, many are the Americans that have greater respect in other people’s ideas and are therefore eager to listen. Equally, many are the Americans that like learning from and about other cultures, meaning they often listen attentively. However, the eagerness to learn from other cultures has resulted to Saudi Arabians believing that Americans are too inquisitive, because of the endless questions they ask (Graham 2006). This later belief is hereby being regarded as a generalization about the American people. In conclusion, the beliefs that Saudi Arabian people have over the Americans are either gained through personal experience or through the media, which is less effective in representing the Americans.

References

American Enterprise Institute. (2007). Arab and American Cultures. Washington, DC:

AEI.

Graham, S. (2006). Diversity: Leaders Not Labels. New York: Free Press.

Khouri, R. (2008). America through Arab Eyes. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from             http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/21/opinion/edkhouri.php