Vanuatu

Balance

How do you find the balance between being culturally-sensitive (and not giving into the whole “Western ideology, standards and lifestyle is most superior) and speaking out against the wrongs or injustices against certain groups?

Living in Canada, I always got offended while reading derogatory news articles portraying the Muslim women t o be battered souls who has been denied uncountable freedoms and luxuries as well as necessities. I always wanted to tell people that there was not one “right kind” of empowered-female or feminism. I had promised myself to not commit the same mistake when learning about another’s custom or culture. But how do you know when a group or individual is truly “oppressed” and not deprived merely through West’s definition of oppression or injustice.

More so, how do you express to host nationals that while you support their custom and culture, you, at the same time, find problems and have issues with certain aspects their society, and that you might have similar (or different) problems or issues with aspects in your own society?

posted by faa-T @ 5:58 PM