Human Rights and Culture

Human Rights and Culture Smehra

Cultures should have complete autonomy over the practices occurring within them.

We live in a world where the word 'culture' has come to mean one of two things. In the literal sense of the word, when we say that someone is 'cultured' we tend to mean that they are intellectual and knowledgeable in the arts. From a social stand-point, 'culture' has come to define the differences between people, rather than the being its true nature in bringing people together.

For example, since the tragedy of 9/11, people from Middle Eastern cultures have felt that they have become more vulnerable in society. This sort of vulnerability stems from ignorance and lack of education in world cultures which, beyond a cultural inequality in society, has also led to a misjudgment that cultures that do not agree with our own, or the 'moral majority' should be stripped of their autonomy or else face harsh consequences for their 'disobedience'.

The world is a large melting pot of cultures, languages and beliefs that weave together to form the human race. It is not only necessary that people be allowed to choose their own belief system, it is also important that individuals should be allowed to practice the customs and traditions of their culture without feeling pressurized by western cultures into eventual extinction. It is unreasonable to believe that a culture should be governed from someone, or some group outside of the culture. In its simplicity, someone not associated or familiar with a culture would have very little persuasion amongst those in the culture, let alone have no knowledge on what to found moral and ethical courses of action within the culture.

For example, someone visiting Thailand may enjoy the sights and sounds of all the tourist locations and temples, by showing their up-most respect for religious icons and beliefs. Then resting in a cafe, may put their feet up and therefore insult the Thais around them because it is considered highly offensive for one to show the soles of their feet to another person. This is a simple example of cultural ignorance and demonstrates that if it is possible for a harmless tourist to insult another culture, it is even easier for another government or group to wage harm and offense if they were permitted to govern another culture.

In the most basic of arguments, different cultures should be given autonomy because it is their given right. Individuals are deserving of their own space and traditions to guide them, and to enrich their lives - regardless of who disagrees with them or believes they are wrong. It is the idea of 'right' and 'wrong' that give us a reason to misunderstand cultural groups and ethnicities because we are practicing our own guidelines rather than understanding theirs and applying them.

Take into account, the political and social situation in Northern Ireland. Predominantly Protestant, due to its inclusion as a territory of Great Britain, and for 3,000 years it has been politically dominated by Protestants, the 'territory' has suffered the most in the simplest sense of discrimination against cultural autonomy. "Certainly there is no doubt that politics are riven with religion - at least insofar as they have involved extreme civil religious blocs that are "culturally" if not always "religiously" Protestant and Catholic respectively" (CrossCurrents, para11).

In these circumstances, politics and cultures have become woven together and created a volatile and violent situation. Politics have become so heavily involved with clashing religious factions, that cultural autonomy has been undermined, and Northern Ireland's communities are divided, not just because of religion, but between being Irish and English. The Irish of Northern Ireland have had their culture divided and 'ransacked' making them less unique to Ireland's culture than the Republic of Ireland, even though they share the same traditions and cultural background. While this is a political issue, and one that doesn't affect the tradition of the culture, it is an example of what could happen if cultures and individuals within them are not given autonomy over their own culture.

The culture of indigenous peoples is what makes them unique, though paradoxically, it is also what brings indigenous cultures together. There is a common thread that runs through them, be it through their folklore, or their beliefs on life and death. Regardless of how similar cultures may become, or be argued as being 'practically equal', they can never be regarded as the same. Cultures are defined by the people who follow and practice particular beliefs, traditions and folklore and, autonomy within a culture is based on a group making and acting upon decisions together. Another culture can not impose on this autonomy because they do not share the same group dynamic, that is to say, they are different, therefore should not hold the right to these decisions.

Cultural autonomy allows a culture to express its talents and abilities, and inherently its beliefs. It gives direction to a community; the individual that relies on culture to act as the foundation of who they are. If we take autonomy away from the culture we inadvertently take autonomy away from the individual- we are forcing our own Free Will upon someone else because of their culture. For no other reason, this kind of action goes against human rights.