Differences Between The Middle East And The United States

The United States and Middle Eastern Culture
by Tayler McBride
Angelo State University



It comes as no surprise to many the vast and multiple differences between Middle Eastern culture and that of the United States. However, the extent to which they contrast requires a particular degree of sensitivity in acknowledgment. Factors of religion, ethnicity and nationalism, modernization, and geography of the Middle East have manifested themselves over time into a culture that has been difficult for the United States to strategically understand. Furthermore, the United States has eminently struggled to employ these distinctions in their favor. Though several attempts have been executed throughout history, it takes

Although globalization is meant to connect the entire world, the Middle East uses it, though within the confines of its culture. In what seems as though it is carried out in the name of ethnocentricity, rather than promoting a border-less world with one culture, the Middle East uses globalization spread Islam around the world. Muslims are utilizing this influx of technological innovations to carry out Islamic promotions, from maintaining a constant movement of information by using the internet to using frequent flyer miles. 
 Unfortunately, the United States did not account for the possibility that the Middle East would want to contribute some of its practices to Westernization. Supporters of Islam, a religion that has not only survived, but has thrived in recent years, believe that aspects of their culture that have been successful for them could be of use to the world. The United States has mistaken the definition of globalization for a one-sided exchange of cultural attributes. According to Frank Griffel in “Globalization and the Middle East: Part Two,” “Globalization means both giving a taking,” and it requires more listening to the Middle East “in order to avoid that they continue to talk only to themselves.” This sort of cultural awareness “puts a premium on listening and comprehending the

Perhaps, this will require a significant shift in ideology that can probably only be applied over a lengthy amount of time. Until then, it is critical that the United States keeps up with Middle Eastern traditions to maintain as much of a tactical upper hand as possible. With much easier distribution of highly accessible information, it is also pertinent for the United States to consistently monitor and eliminate potential or existing threats from the Middle East. Aside, Modernization has allowed the Middle East to merely become a headquarters while information is distributed worldwide to promote radical Islamic practices, or jihad, on every continent.
 The Middle East lies in a region that covers an area of over 5 million square miles. It inhabits about 2,000 miles from north to south and about 1,000 miles, east to west. This part of the world is known for stretching deserts and even an area that is so barren it cannot sustain life. The Middle East also boasts mountain ranges that rise up to 19,000 feet. Most parts of the Middle East only receive about 4 inches of rain every year. The Middle East relies on the slim areas of land along its coasts, to include the Mediterranean Sea, and rivers such as the Jordan that receive a more nourishing amount of rain.