AUSTRALIAN CULTURE AND ISLAMIC CULTURE

The Australian culture is known primarily as Western culture, in this culture some of the extents is derived from Britain but the unique geography of Australia is also influenced. The input of the cultures is Torres Strait Islander, Australian people, and Aboriginal. In the year 1788, British colonization of Australia began and the following of the waves of multi-ethnic migration takes place (Freestone & Robert, 1-29).

The Australian culture is taken in order to know about the differences between the Islamic culture and Australian culture with respect to the traditions, behavior, and beliefs, etc. (Leonard & Sonia, 2013). Adding more, this culture is taken as to know about the biological and physical environment, which is adopted by the individuals in the perspective of the social and cultural environment. Subsequently, to know about the communication of the individuals of Australia as I want to study my degrees in this culture that is why its help to communicate with the individuals of Australia (Jan & Youngish, 2013).

The study is based on the opportunities and potential challenges that come between the interaction of both of the culture, Islamic culture as well as Australian culture. It is also based on challenges that are faced by the individuals in the perspective of communication. Furthermore, I have done different types of survey and ask questions to the Australian individuals in order to know more and more about the culture of Australia and there challenges in the perspective of the Islamic culture.

Description of the Islamic Culture

Islamic Culture

Basically, Islam means making or bringing peace. Bringing peace means, peace with Allah, with his formations, peace inside of yourself, over totally presenting yourself to Allah Almighty as well as admitting his regulations. Despite the fact that Islam can be described in terms of belief, a belief that he has on his Allah, on his creations, and on his guidance. This faith releases him from all types of anxieties, fears, etc. (Marcus & Blame, 2014). Twenty percent of the whole population believes that Islam is a religion as well as it is a belief. Besides faith in some particular principles plus presentation of significant customs, Islam is initiated like a perfect as well as normal or ordinary lifestyle, which may be planned as to carry Allah Almighty within the middle of singles understanding. Around the world, Islam is a religion, which concentrates only on One Allah including obligations to his commands (Stephenson & Marcus, 2014).

Islam has a very wide standard of requirements as well as directions. Moreover, in these standards, an African may stay like a Muslim or he may remain as a Pakistani or as an English gentleman or else any person out of whatever country in the whole world.

However, there is a specific distinction among the beliefs that irrespective Islam may have different culture as related to other cultures (Majored & Saved, 2013).

Generally, when we talk about Islam it simply means Muslim religion or Muslim Culture. Muslim Culture commonly presents the practices of Muslim means the way of life or their manners etc. moreover it also reflects the duties or traditions of Muslims, which they follow for a complete as well as honorable existence in the community in accordance to the instructions of Qumran Pa (Johannes & Monessen, 2013).

Muslim Culture is a huge mixture of different cultures it is due to the reason that Muslims exist in many states or countries all around the world. Majority of exercises represent ordinary religions along with the desires that are based on the instructions of Islam. Muslim Culture illustrates the unity of fraternity that all Muslims are tied together by means of their religion.

Faith in life afterward the death is the major ideology of every Muslim. Islam is one of the cultures, which gives great importance to women of every country or every society. Before Islam women have no rights (Samier & Eugenie, 2015).

Australian Culture

Australian culture is mostly related to the western culture, in the aspect of some points resulting but it has also exclusive geography as an Australia. The British colonization of Australia starts in 1788 and influenced by the many international migrations (Kramsch & Claire, 2014). Australia has an exclusive background formed by the verity of its people or community that belongs to different cultures. In the latest era, the population of Australia is about 23.4 million that is one of the largest numbers of the cultured and Linguistique verity of populations around the world. Commonly, the Australian population can converse more than two hundred languages. Languages with the exception of English are verbal by almost 21% of the citizens. Among these, approximately 64,800 are speaking the native language. The English language is the most frequently used language. Besides the English language, commonly speaking are nowadays are Arabic, Chinese, Italian, and Vietnamese. Almost up to fifty native languages, along with Australian patois vigorously spoken by Australians. In Australia, the most common religion is Christianity carried by 52 percent of the citizens recognized by Christian. Such group of Christians involves up to 70 different Christians designations such as Anglican, Catholics, Amalgamate Church; Presbyterian and Reformed; and Eastern Orthodox. Besides these, the foremost faiths that are characterized in Australia involve, Hinduism has two percent of the population,  Buddhism consists of two percent of the citizens, and Islam has three percent, while Judaism got less than one percent of the population (Shavian & Amen eh, 2014).

Interactions of culture

Common questions about culture differences

I held an informal investigation or interview with four Australians. Each investigation was done individually in different places and different positions, just like any food point or academic center. To learn about Australian culture, people’s opinion about Islamic states, the problems, and possible outcomes when communicating to an Australian, I created the following inquiries:

How they describe their own culture?

What is their perception of Islamic culture?

How do they think that language differences can be the effect on their communication or interaction?

What are the similarities and differences they find in both (Australian and Islamic) culture?

Findings of questions by culture

The first answer stated that in their thought they believe that Australian culture gives equal rights to everyone who lives in this state.  The state values independence and respects the dignity of every individual. Moreover, the thought that in Australia the spiritual and religious, cultural and cultural complication of their society is specifically different.

In Australian thought, Islamic culture is very conservative culture. They thought that in an Islamic state, people do not have equal rights. In addition, they also assume that Islamic culture is very strict especially for women because they do not give the right of freedom or independence to their women. However, they believe that expect this aspect of Islamic culture is impressive overall.

In the review of Australian’s thought, I can say that they believe language difference effect in many ways such as in the means of communication, in the trade or many other aspects like this. They also believe that the language is culture and the culture is a language that means they both relates closely to each other. If you are not fully aware of other’s culture you are not able to do anything regarding this culture even you cannot communicate or interact with other culture. Therefore, we can say that to know about language is the most important factor to communicate with others.

The first difference between both cultures is a different religion. Australian majority belong to Christianity. Therefore, we can say that the religious difference effect equally. The other difference is language difference, many Islamic countries different languages that affect their culture as well. Therefore, this huge difference affects communication and other aspects as well.

About the similarities, they believe that the only similarity of both cultures is that they have a specific religion that affects their culture (Afford & Baden, 2015).

Problem statement of culture

After the survey and the question with different individuals, I came to know that the difference between the Islamic culture and Australian culture are quite manifest. There is a lot of difference between the tradition, belief, and behavior of the individuals. Adding more thinking and thoughts of both of the cultures are also different from each other. Both of the cultures celebrate their events in their own ways. Australian culture prefers females to live life as they want. Same like this, the Australian females work in different sectors as an engineer, accountant, and workers and on many more positions in the working field whereas the duty of the women is to live in the house and take care of their children. The duty of the male individuals of the Islamic culture is to provide the all facilities to the females at home. The females of Australian culture has the rights to go for shopping and on other places, whereas the females of the Islamic culture have rights to go for shopping or somewhere else only with the husband, brother or father which are known as the ‘Mehram’ of the females (Anna & Rouge, 2013).    

It is gained from the survey and interviews that there are many problems that are faced by the individuals of both of the cultures in order to communicate with each other. It is concluded that the in the classroom or somewhere else the individuals of different culture such as the Australian and Islamic culture did not be able to talk with each other as the individuals of the Australian culture talk to other in a straight way. They never become shy in order to tell their own opinion to the other through which the individuals of Islamic culture thinks that the Australian individuals are rude whereas the Australian individuals think that the Islamic culture people are slow in getting the material of their communication. This effect a lot on developing the relationship between the Australian and Islamic culture (Marsh & Herbert, 2015).

The next problem that arises after the interviews and surveys is in the perspective of the social life of the individuals. The Australian culture gives rights to the individuals to drink and to do parties whereas the Islamic culture said that the drinks are ‘Haram’, which means not legal in the Islam and there are no rights of doing party. In the sense of this, the Australian thinks that the individuals of the Islamic cultures are not too cool bored and inflexible towards the social life whereas the Islamic culture individuals think that the Australian individuals are spoiling their life by doing this type of non-sense things that are not allowed in the Islamic culture (Hanusch & Folker, 2013).

Reflection on Australian culture

For better communication, I do not have to know only about the problems that come from the interviews and survey. I also have to know about positive things that help me in the future that how can I able to adopt the things in the future through, which, I can be easily able to communicate with the individuals of Australia. The individuals of Australian culture are straightforward in the communication that shows positive thinking because every person has to talk straight to other individuals. It also comes to know that the individuals are open-minded and believe in a fair go. I believe that the things I know after the interviews are also founded in other cultures. One of the greatest advantages is I have to know about my own culture in a better way by questioning the individuals of the Australian culture.

I have learned about the tradition, belief, and behaviour of the Australian culture individuals. The one thing which is beneficial for me the most is to know about the behaviour of the Australian Culture individuals that how they act on different things and what are there thinking.

With the help of these survey and interviews, as I have said above I have come to know about my own Islamic culture that how I can be able to adopt my own culture that helps me to guide my way of life. Adding more, first, I feel shy like other individuals of Islamic culture but now I prefer to not become shy in the class where both of the individuals of Islamic culture as well as the Australian culture are present because if a feel shy in the classroom then it effects on my study. Moreover, it affects my image and on my relationship with friends and other students in the class.

References of Australian and Islamic culture

Anna, & Roudge. (2013). Organizational culture and willingness to share knowledge. International Journal of australian culture, 224-571.

Freestone, & Robert. (1-29). Progress in Australian planning history: Traditions, themes and transformations. Progress in Planning, 2014.

Hanusch, & Folker. (2013). Moulding industry's image: Journalism education's impact on students' professional views. Media International Australia, 48-59.

Jang, & Haeyoung. (2013). Culture and sun exposure in immigrant East Asian women living in Australia. Women & health , 504-518.

Joshanloo, & Mohsen. (2013). A comparison of Western and Islamic conceptions of happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies , 1857-1874.

Kramsch, & Claire. (2014). Teaching foreign languages in an era of globalization. he modern language journa, 296-311.

Leonard, & Sonia. (2013). The role of culture and traditional knowledge in climate change adaptation: Insights from East Kimberley, Australia. Global Environmental Change, 623-632.

Majeed, & Javed. (2013). "Muhammad Iqbal: Islam, aesthetics and postcolonialism. Postcolonialism and Islam, 51-63.

Marcus, & Blame. (2014). Deciphering ‘Islamic hospitality’: Developments, challenges and opportunities. Islamic studies, 144-624.

Marsh, & Herbert. (2015). Generalizability of social comparison processes over two age cohorts from Western, Asian, and Middle Eastern Islamic countries. Journal of Educational Psychology, 258.

Offord, & Baden. (2015). Inside Australian culture: Legacies of enlightenment values. Anthem Press.

Samier, & Eugenie. (2015). Emirati women's higher educational leadership formation under globalisation. Gender and Education, 239-254.

Shahaeian, & Ameneh. (2014). Cultural and family influences. Journal of Cross-Cultural , 555-568.

Stephenson, & Marcus. (2014). Deciphering ‘Islamic hospitality’: Developments, challenges and opportunities. Islamic history, 417-321.

Wiewiora. (2013). Organizational culture and willingness to share knowledge. International Journal of Project Management, 1163-1174.