understanding differences worksheet

MHF Module: Understanding Differences

Understanding Differences Worksheet

Research a culture from a country that is different than your own.

Complete the table below for the culture you chose. Include 50 to 150 words for each response.

Culture: Afghansitan

Topic
Cultural View of the Topic
Raising children
Many children are introduced to violence, abuse, exploriation, and negect in Afghanistan. For more than 30 years of war, many of them have been killed (Swanson & Swanson, 2011). Hundreds of children are used as suicide bombers, and are put in harms way daily. According to Swanson & Swanson (2011), “Conflict and political violence force millions of children and their families to flee their homes and as a result displaced families spend years in situations of uncertainty and insecurity” (para. 3).

Role of genders
Discrimination is common among girls and women. Throughout early childhood, about 70 percent of school-age girls, do not attend school, while 94 percent of girls are not even registered births (Swanson & Swanson, 2011). The men are the soliders. They are taught at a young age how to kill. “in the minds of Afghan men, are already believed to be potentially (or likely) promiscuous” (Afghanistan, n.d).
Marriage
Marriage in Afganiston has a deep-rooted process. Men and women do not have many opportunites to meet eachother. The wife to be, usually is chosen for the young man. According to Muzaffary (2013), “When a young man wants to marry a young lady who is from an unknown family, first his parents do some kind of background check about her, trying to know more about her morals, beauty, and other family affairs” (para. 3).
Aging
According to Gelineau (2013), “Afganistian offers no pension to those not in the government. Life expectancy is 59 years for men and 61 for women, compared to a global average of 68 for men and 72 for women, according to U.N. data” (para 8). There are many things that need to be taken into consideration, such as their way of life (food,housing, medical attention).
Violence
Violence is an ongoing issue in Afganistian. The violence has raised 20 percent in deaths and injuries, due to special envoy (Nichol, 2013). They believe in honor killing, which is when human right advocates use justification to abuse women. Most of the young men are taught to be soldiers from a young age. They are expected to the violence against others.
Drug use
According to Ahmed (2013), “From 2005 to 2009, the use of opiates doubled, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, putting Afghanistan on par with Russia and Iran, and the number of heroin users jumped more than 140 percent” (para. 10). Afganiston has a huge, serious drug addiction problem. Many people refer to Afganinstons drug use as a growning army of addicts. Most of Afgans are addicted to drugs.
Suicide
Suicide is a huge issue in Afganiston. Many people are suicide bombers, or just do not like where they live and what they are going through. For example, A 20-year-old felmale despertly tried to end her life, after four years of marriage to a drug addict (IRIN News, 2014). Many of Afgans say they just want to end their lives.
Authority
According to Princeton University (n.d), “Afghanistan traces the historic struggles and the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of the world, from the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century to the Taliban resurgence today” (para. 1). Many people have tried to conquer the land. There have been many empires thoughout Afghanistan, and many “leaders”.
Beauty
The beauty of Afganistan’s culture has stayed hidden from many people. Afganistan was in one of the major crossroads between China, India, and the Mediterranean trades for many years (National Enviorment for the Humanities, n.d). Afganistan has acquired many treasures; however, looking at pictures of Afganistan, many people would not think Afganistan could look good.

Swanson D, & Swanson. D. (2011, October 10). Afghanistan: worst place for children to be born and raised. Rawa News. Retrieved from http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2011/10/10/afghanistan-worst-place-for-children-to-be-born-and-raised.html

Afghanistian. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://uwf.edu/atcdev/afghanistan/society/Lesson3GenderRoles2Women.html

Muzaffary, F. u. R. (2013, August 17). Afghan Muslim Wedding. Onislam. Retrieved from http://www.onislam.net/english/culture-and-entertainment/traditions/411646-afghan-muslim-wedding.html

Gelineau, K. (2013, September 30). Global Study: World not ready for aging population. Big Story AP. Retrieved from http://bigstory.ap.org/article/global-study-world-not-ready-aging-population

Nichols, M. (2013, March 18). U.N. blames rise in violence agaist Afghan women on culture. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/18/us-afghanistan-women-un-idUSBRE92H0ZJ20130318

Ahmed, A. (2013, November 2). The Other Big Afghan Crisis, the Growing Army of Addicts. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/world/asia/that-other-big-afghan-crisis-the-growing-army-of-addicts.html?_r=0

IRIN News. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.irinnews.org/report/80236/afghanistan-self-immolation-on-the-rise-among-women

Princeton University Press. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9144.html

Every Culture. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Afghanistan.html

Natioinal Enviorment for the Humanities. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://edsitement.neh.gov/feature/beauty-culture-and-history-hidden-afghanistan