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¶ … Abu-Lughod (2002), focusing on superficial issues such as female dress codes in the Muslim world not only detracts from important underlying social and political issues. The notion that Muslim women need to be "saved" is a relic of a colonial past. Muslim women may have no trouble reconciling traditional garb like head scarves or even burkas with life in the modern world. Even when life in the modern world for Muslim women takes on a different appearance than it does for Western women, higher principles such as social justice need to prevail. It is inherently arrogant to assume that head coverings and veils are symbols of oppression, signs that all Muslim women are subservient. Some of the more extreme types of head cover such as the burka are sometimes viewed as signs of social status in a community, meaning that women who wear these types of garments do so proudly and by choice.
Like other readings in the class, the Abu-Lughod (2002) essay addresses the difficulty with the concept of cultural relativism, in which culture is viewed as being almost sacrosanct at first, in order to gain the kind of perspective that allows for intelligent and critical thought. As Nancy Scheper-Hughes discusses in her analysis of the Brazilian infant mortality issue, the most powerful concepts in human existence such as life and death are all culturally determined. The common ground among all feminist literature on cultural relativism is that gender issues do need to be understood from a lens of respect. Yet at the same time, respect for differences should never overshadow meaningful matters such as actual social justice issues. The real issue is not the veil. Genital mutilation and political disenfranchisement are far more relevant topics, which draw attention to the real problems with overly liberal cultural relativism.
The question of whether or not universal values and norms can or should exist is one that plagues social science. On the one hand, culture provides color for the fabric of human existence. On the other hand, culture is too often used as a shield to permit injustices ranging from patriarchy to racism. When discussing the limitations of cultural relativism, understanding different values and worldviews is a crucial starting point.
References
Abu-Lughod, L. (2002)....
Do Muslim women really need saving? American Anthropologist 104(3): 783-790.
Scheper-Hughes, N.(1989). Mother Love and Child Death in Northeast Brazil. In Brettell, B.C, & Sargent, F.C. (Eds.)Gender in Cross Cultural Perspective (pp.37-42)Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Part Two
Student One:
The student points out that respecting diversity is not the same thing as cultural relativism. In many ways, the controversy over women's clothing in Muslim countries reflects the continuation of the colonial mentality. While the West is not the sole cause of Muslim fundamentalism, colonial mentalities have led to a mistrust of Western social and cultural norms. As a result, many Muslim women actively prefer to wear their headscarves and burqas as a sign of cultural solidarity and respect for their own people.
As I read the Abu-Lughod (2002) article on the arrogance of Western culture with regards to Muslim women's issues, I also thought of Nancy Scheper-Hughes and her anthropological study on Brazilian mothers' attitudes toward the death of children. The Scheper-Hughes study shows that cultural relativism can be a valuable tool in expanding awareness and opening minds and hearts to different worldviews. In order to discover what, if any, universal values related to gender do exist, it is important to begin with an attitude of respect.
Student Two:
As the student points out, many Muslim women choose to wear their head or face coverings. The clothing is part of their identity and their expression of values. Many Muslim women wear head and/or face coverings in certain situations, such as when establishing their social status in the community. Some Westerners might find this way of life offensive, but it is important to remember that many Westerners also found Native American ways of life offensive and proceeded to acts of genocide which are deplored today. The same attitudes of disrespect and misunderstanding prevail with regards to the Middle East.
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