To the left is an Arab woman and to the right is an American woman. I am sure I am not the only one that can see the obvious differences in ‘feminity’ in each of their cultures…
I found the picture of the Arab woman on a website entitled “Arab Woman Today.” www.arabwomantoday.com/english/culture_detail…
If there could be one word to sum up the essence of Arab feminity I think it would be ‘ultra-conservative’. As you can see, they are clothed from head to toe with just their eyes being revealed. While this woman does not represent the style of ALL Arab women, it does successfully portray the kind of clothing that is valued and worn in their culture. For example, not all Arab women do not dress in clothes that completely cover their face and hair. However, the image does suggest extreme modesty which is valued in their culture.
Personal
My personal reaction to this image is one that kind of feels sorry for the woman. Being an American girl that was raised in a society that embraces individuality and creativity, I can not imagine what it must be like to not be able to express myself. While I do not think of myself as a vain or materialistic girl, I do believe in the importance of acknowledging myself in even of the smallest of decisions such as deciding what to wear. To eliminate color and variety from my life would be very sad. So, yes, personally I feel sorry for her. At the same time, though, I wonder if she even knows what she is missing out on.
Historical
I think this photo shows the history of the Arab culture very simply. The picture is understated and simple, however, the message is huge. How come she is wearing black? How come she is so conservative? Why is she wearing a veil? These are all questions that can be answered by looking up the history of the Arab culture. What the woman is wearing and how she acts is all a product of what has happened over the past years in her culture.
Technical
The key light of the photo seems to be coming from the right side of the photo. It is obvious that the photo was taken outside with natural light since the mountains are visible behind the woman. A signifier could be the black that the woman is wearing. I looked up the color ‘black’ and found that it symbolizes ‘death’, ‘earth’, and ’stablility’ according to the website: http://www.crystal-cure.com/color-meanings.html. Also, the website also says that “white reveals” and “black conceals”. I think the signified, therefore, would be that women in the Arab culture are “concealed”. Feminity is masked and not encouraged to be embraced. Another thing that I thought was interesting was that according to the website the color ‘white’ symbolizes ‘cleanliness’ and ‘purity’. This makes me wonder, does the color black in their culture suggest ‘dirtiness’ and ‘impurity’? If so, I would like to continue this thought in the next subheading of “ethical, cultural, and critical”…
Ethical, Cultural, & Critical
As I just mentioned, the color black could suggest that the Arab culture thinks of woman as “dirty” and “impure.” Ethically speaking, is this right? Is this a sign of sexism? Are women brainwashed to believe the treatment they are recieving is acceptable? Also, as I had mentioned earlier in the blog, the wardrobe they wear discourages independence and individuality. Is downsizing an individual right? Keep in mind, this is all coming from an American girl! I am not amongst their culture- I just have the images that I have grown up with. For all I know, they want nothing to do with the American culture especially with that of our interpretation of “femininity.”
Culturally speaking, the image shows much about women’s role in the Arab culture. It shows they are not valued because of their bodies or appearances. Critically speaking, could it then be said that they are more valued than American women are valued in America? Afterall, American women are judged on appearances….
I can’t agree more with your personal view. I don’t think im materialistic [somewhat...lol] but not to be able to express myself in the clothing i wear seems outrageous to me. Today, self expression is seen literally in the shoes, jeans, and shirts one wears.
Wow, the difference is shocking between these two women. These pictures do a great job of displaying the more risky nature of American women to the very conservative Arabic women. However, I do not believe we can decide to say what is better…dependent upon cultural norms is how society tends to judge others. I respect women who honor their bodies and figures to uphold their traditional norms. However, in America I don’t believe it to be a religious tradition to show more skin, rather more an individualistic and freedom statement by more exposition.