The role of cultural relativism and its effects on our views of a global feminist is important, especially as we begin to try and “help” women in other countries. The articles we have read so far on Muslim women point out a number of important things. First, there is a kind of cultural imperialism going on when feminists and well intentioned people from America target certain things in Muslim culture which they find “harmfull”. One of these is the burka, the head to toe traditional covering. Many Muslim women find this dress liberating and a sign of feminism, contrary to what the western observer sees. This point illustrates how we can’t just impose our own ideas on these cultures as that simply will not work. It is important to first gain some understanding of a culture before we go about trying to help people in need within these countries.
Yet, at the same time, there are clearly human rights issues in many of these countries that should be addressed. Honor killings, child brides, and the beating of women in Muslim countries are a serious issue. Yet we cannot use a western paradigm to solve these issues. Doing so only alienates our attempts to bring positive change to these cultures. This is especially important due to the historical ramifications of colonialism, which has led many third world countries to be very hostile towards any European or American influence within their communities. We must also acknowledge that many of these places are simply not ready for the kind of woman’s emancipation that we have in the western world.
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hey jack!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. The ethnocentric lens with which we view these "issues" of other cultures does nothing but cause deeper chasms to develop amongst our societies. I recently had a conversation with a young feminist who espoused the notion that too many feminists are "re-creating the wheel". What she means is that so many different women's liberation groups are working toward the same goal, but separately. I agree with her in that a large, collective effort for women's liberation would be more effective, but in order to accomplish this we must first allow the women with which we would join forces to speak their minds. Simply proclaiming our own ideals as best is not good enough, we have to understand where these women are coming from.
Jackson, your post clearly explains the dilemma of intervening in third world countries.
ReplyDeleteYour comments clarify the benefit of educating oneself to others’ culture. Our way of life often differs from other areas of the world. It does not mean that our beliefs are more or less justified. Muslim women claim that they feel liberated while wearing burkas. Therefore, burkas should remain a choice but not be requirement. We have no right to forcefully instill western beliefs upon others. The issues of inequality and abuse are major concerns in many third world countries. Women in these countries are continuously being persecuted, discriminated against, and/or abused. While I support helping such women, I question the United States’ motives for intervening. The United States purports being a moral compass for human rights. This is the same government that advocates for war to end political upheaval while primarily being motivated by economic benefits. The Middle East has more than sixty percent of the world’s proven oil reserves. Abuse must be stopped in order to benefit victims instead of our own pockets.