Foundations Of Society Example

Foundations Of Society Example Foundations Of Society â€" Assignment Example > Foundations of SocietyIntroductionCulture is regarded as one of the most powerful thing that influences almost all aspects of human life (Jenks 2004, 3). It influences how people behave, talk, associate, food and values among others. Culture refers to a set of values, norms, beliefs and customs shared by a particular group of people in the society Inglis 2004, 2). The study of culture has become important in the modern world because of globalization and increased migration that has brought people from different backgrounds and cultures together. Australia is one of the most multicultural countries today because of globalization and immigration that has happened over the years as people from all walks of life come to study and live in Australia (Kabir 2007, 62). Accordingly, Australia is now regarded as a society composed of different subcultures living together. Muslims are among the largest subcultures in Australia today. Australia has Muslims who have come from all parts of the world, including Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Bosnia and Senegal just to name but a few. This essay discusses the notion of culture with reference to Australian Muslim subculture in terms of language, symbols, values, norms, practices and artifacts and compare with Australian mainstream culture. The paper will also discuss how these cultural values and beliefs differ from the mainstream culture. Australian Muslim Subculture and Mainstream Australian Cultures ComparedMuslims is one of the largest subcultures in Australia today. The population of Muslims in Australia has been growing exponentially over the years due to increased immigration of Muslims who come to live in Australia (Kabir 2007, 62). Statistics show that, prior to 1981, there were approximately 41,000 Muslims living in Australia and between 1996 and 2000, at least 47,000 Muslims migrated into Australia (Saeed 2004, 5). In the year 2000, approximately 7,533 Muslims migrated to Australia. These statist ics confirms how Muslims have become an important subculture in Australia. In fact, in suburbs, such as Dallas in Melbourne, 39% of the population is Muslims. The Australian Muslim subculture have their unique believes, values, norms, artifacts and practices that distinguish them from the mainstream Australian culture. LanguageLanguage is one of the most important cultural elements that make a particular culture unique. Australian Muslims speak three main languages that include Arabic, Turkish and English. A study conducted in the country founds that at least 95,000 Muslims living in Australia speak Arabic while about 32,000 speak Turkish and 32,000 using English as their primary language (Saeed 2004, 5). The language used by Australian Muslims differs depending on their places of origin. For example, those Muslims who speak Arabic are those who trace their origin to Arabic world while those speaking Turkish are mainly those from Turkey (Butcher 2008, 373). Comparatively, the main stream Australians speak mainly English as the dominant language, though there are other traditional languages, such as those of the Aboriginals. Practices, Norms and ValuesMuslims have certain practices that makes them distinct from the mainstream Australian culture through there are some areas of commonalities. First is Muslim belief and practice as regards abortion. In Islam, abortion is prohibited and no woman is expected to procure an abortion not unless the life of the mother is in danger (Saeed 2004, 30). Nonetheless, because Muslims are divided, in some countries abortion is now being tolerated. In mainstream Australian culture, abortion is more of a legal rather than a cultural issue as it is prohibited by law, though can be done in the event that the life of the mother is in danger, the same way Muslims practice it.