Bias

Overall, this week went very well and after a much needed weekend, I feel ready to start yet another Monday. As each of my classes delves deeper into the root of what we are actually studying, I have been able to make even more connections to the real world. Outside of class, I have been making too many trips to Waffle House and not enough to the gym.


One common theme I have observed from all of my classes this week is biases that exist within cultures. In KSU 1111, we explicitly discussed bias and how we are all innately biased, whether we realize it or not. For example, I think that a woman should not be discriminated against just for being a woman. However, that idea is biased because I live in a country where women are generally given the same opportunities as men, and I have grown up seeing strong, independent women in the work force. In other countries like Afghanistan, the bias tends to lean the other way, and many members of society are raised to believe that women deserve no respect. I think this is where culture and norms begins to affect our biases, which is what we are discussing in Sociology. Members of the Taliban believe that women’s rights are a “western concept,” whereas I, along with many other people, would contend that freedom is something all women across the globe are entitled to. To say that women’s rights are a cultural belief rather than a God given right seems absolutely illogical. For some, however, it is the norm.

In BUSA 1000, we discussed a much lighter concept: the do’s and do not’s in Brazil. We read about cultural norms ranging from how to dress properly to how to approach business meetings. Although no aspect of Brazil’s culture seemed too strange, I am looking at their lifestyle from a biased American perspective. I see their ideas as perfectly reasonable and something anyone can adjust to. On the other hand, if I were a member of a culture that required me to be extremely modest like many in the Middle East, I would be appalled at the idea of women walking around wearing clothes that showed their ankles. To me, I see nothing wrong with it, but to others, everything about it is wrong.

The topic of this blog has been one-hundred percent inspired by this article:  http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2007238-1,00.html    I think about these women every day, and am continuously in awe of their courage to live in a society that views them as worthless. Even though a large portion of our time is spent focused on Brazil and its relevance in the world, the topics we discuss are meant to be applicable to every facet of society. As I learned in KSU 1111 when we talked about the issue of population growth, Muslim countries are the fastest growing countries in the world, so this topic will only become more relevant in the years to come.

Until next time…