Women, Indian, And American Cultures - 969 Words

Childbirth Positions in Chinese, Indian, and American Cultures Culture is an enormous part of our lives. It can affect every part of our daily living from our health, nutrition, religious beliefs, and communication, to even how one is expected to think and behave. This paper explores various cultural beliefs on childbirth and specifically childbirth positions from three different cultures, Chinese, Indian, and American. The basic differences in cultures permeates one’s perspective on birth and is part of why certain beliefs and restrictions are present. How one brings new life into the world is steeped in traditions unique to each culture. The Chinese believe that during childbirth the mother should not cry out or scream during labor. This is due in part to their stoic nature which does not allow them to express or talk about their problems or feelings. If they do, they may bring shame to their family known as a â€Å"loss of face†. Screaming or crying out during labor may also cause interference from evil forces such as malevolent ghosts or spirits according to religious beliefs. Chinese women usually give birth in a hospital in either a sitting or squatting position (Queensland Govenment). In India, women in childbirth are kept isolated from others during the birth because it is believed to be impure and may pollute others. They are usually kept isolated for up to forty days after the birth with their baby. This helps protect the mother and baby from illness and evilShow MoreRelatedThe Roles Of American Indian Women851 Words   |  4 PagesPrior to Western colonization, American Indian women played an important role in their communities. Many women were valued for their contributions socially, politically, spiritually, and economically and were viewed as leaders (Poupart p.171). Men and women each held different duties in their communities; women had important tasks to fulfill such as the taking ownership of land, crops, and decision-making. Viewing genders as equals was important in the Native communities because their differencesRead MoreThe Great American Indian Novel By Sherman Alexie1589 Words   |  7 Pagestheir identity and culture, simultaneously, exploiting them as individuals. In the novel â€Å"How to Write the Great American Indian Novel†, Sherman Alexie admonishes against toxic stereotypes held by white people against native people thus, showing hegemonic structures of them. This is because the dominance of white culture exploits people of other culture, race, identity and gender to acculturate to the white norms. The novels junctions are informed through a lens of an American Indian to awake the ignoranceRead MoreStereotyping Of The Native Americans1620 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Native Americans in the 1820’s and 1830’s For Americans moving west in the 1820 s and 30 s there was a little actual knowledge of what the frontier would be like when they arrived. There was a lot of presumption about the Indians. Many felt, through the stories they heard, that they had sufficient information to know what the Indians would truly be like and how to respond to them. Unfortunately, as is described in books and articles, white settlers stereotyped the Native Americans as savageRead More Douglas Monroys Thrown Among Strangers: The Making of Mexican Culture in Frontier California1460 Words   |  6 PagesDouglas Monroys Thrown Among Strangers: The Making of Mexican Culture in Frontier California When Spaniards colonized California, they invaded the native Indians with foreign worldviews, weapons, and diseases. The distinct regional culture that resulted from this union in turn found itself invaded by Anglo-Americans with their peculiar social, legal, and economic ideals. Claiming that differences among these cultures could not be reconciled, Douglas Monroy traces the historical interactionRead MoreCultural Values Of Polish And Turkish Employees1523 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Cultural values can be defined as standards that are considered acceptable or unacceptable to a particular culture. I examined two research articles, one comparing the cultural values of Polish and Turkish employees and the other comparing Indian and U.S. value orientations. I choose these articles because they gave a good representation of almost all our global business cultures. India with its Asian influence; the U.S., which is distinctly western; Poland with its European influence; and TurkeyRead MoreThe Secret Daughter By Shilpa Somaya Gowda1352 Words   |  6 PagesCulture can have a large effect on our daily lives, and can shape our thoughts and behaviors. The society an individual surrounds themselves in influences their decisions. It affects how they perceive themselves, their personal identity and reach their personal life goals. In the novel, The Secret Daughter, Shilpa Somaya Gowda explores the significant impact of social culture on the individual. It is evident throug h the experience of two women born into two different cultures, Kavita in India andRead MoreWomen Of The Shadow Of Men As Second Class Citizens1493 Words   |  6 PagesWomen have lived in the shadow of men as second class citizens for centuries. However, in many countries and tribes, some women have been looked upon as equals, instead of existing in the shadows waiting on men. Then again, several tribes and countries such as the United States of America’s Native American, African American, Euro-American, and Africa’s countries Nigeria, Benin, Niger, Rwanda, Ghana, and Sierra Leone have overcome obstacles to create strong, able female leaders that rule universitiesRead MoreMy Personal Statement For A Interview With Juhi From India, India And Nico From The Philippines1696 Words   |  7 Pagesthe opinions they have on their culture, I asked about their culture’s values, food, language, and traditions to get a better understanding of their culture. Following m y introductory questions, I began to ask Juhi and Nico about what they like, and if applicable, what they dislike about their culture. In addition to these questions, I also asked them questions that focused on their perspective of how others may view their culture; how they view their own culture, and things they would like to seeRead MoreChristopher Columbus Discovered The New World851 Words   |  4 Pagesinto contact with American indigenous people. Europeans were shocked and confused when observing the Native Americans. In Europe at this time, women were only thought of as mothers who spent their days cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. Native American women however were builders, craftswomen, healers, warriors, farmers, as well as mothers. Intermarriage between Native American women and male settlers, traders, and explorers also took place combining their cultures, beliefs, and biologyRead MoreWestern Culture And Indian Culture983 Words   |  4 PagesCulture is the characteristics and knowledge of people, the way of life, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. Every country has its own culture and traditions. I belong to India which is famous for Hindu culture. In this culture there are many different gods worshiped by different caste and tribe in India. But the most common is Lord Shiva. There are major differences between Western and Indian culture in ideology. As Western culture is open minded