MARRIED, ARAB-AMERICAN MEN (Essay Sample)

Married, Arab-American men Walking in their Shoes [Student Name] [Institutional Affiliations] [Instructor] Introduction: At the first glance, the issue of married Arab-American men did not immediately resonate with me as a married white female. It could be obvious to easily assume that such a problem does not affect my own cultural group and thus is not of any relevance to my experiences. Nevertheless, upon deeper exploration, I have realized that there are several reasons as to why I shouldn’t dismiss this issue as being irrelevant. Through an examination of the inequality social systems and challenging the broadly held views which surround the married Arab-American men I have noted some intersections as well as parallels which allow me to establish a personal link to the married Arab-American men (Andersen & Collins, 2018). One key reason as to why I may struggle at the start to connect with the wider issue of married Arab-American men is because of the disparities in terms of experiences and cultural backgrounds which do shape our respective identities. Being a white female, I may not have very direct exposure or the knowledge to the particular nuances and challenges which married Arab-American men face in their marriages (Farah, 2013). Such lack of familiarity can bring about a sense of distancing making it hard for me to fully understand their experiences. Altogether, it is worth noting that personal connection shouldn’t be limited to just shared experiences but it should also be influenced by our capacity towards empathy and our shared sense of humanity. Moreover, drawing from my knowledge on inequality and social systems, I am able to challenge the assumption that this issue is not impactful on my cultural group. Intersectionality shows that systems of oppression are usually interlinked and they affect persons across different identity axes. Whereas the particular challenges are affecting the Married Arab-American men, they may also differ from issues faced by married white females there are overarching themes of gender inequality, power dynamics and cultural expectations within marriage which go beyond boundaries of culture (Crenshaw, 2018). Through an understanding and acknowledging such shared foundations, I am able to establish a personal connection to the issue recognizing the need for addressing it so as to foster a more inclusive and equal society. Moving forward, I will look into the personal connections drawn from the issue as well as discussing the individual and collective actions which should be taken (Johnson, 2018). Section II: Personal connection to Married Arab-American Men and Issues In the entire span of my life, I have repeatedly been socialized through interactions to think about the issue of married Arab-American men in a manner that inadvertently does exacerbate the problem. I have been exposed to different societal stereotypes and narratives which depict this group as dangerous and threatening which could perpetuate suspicion and fear towards the group. Such repeated social interactions coupled with certain portrayals have had influence on my thinking and may even have contributed to more marginalization of the married Arab-American men. Johnson (2018) has argued that socialization plays an important role in the maintenance of inequality systems since individuals are usually taught to adopt some behaviors and beliefs which reinforce existing structures of power (Andersen & Collins, 2018). Resultantly, I have known that this is necessary to the exploration of my own biases and challenge such dominant narratives which surround married Arab-American men so as to foster a society which is more inclusive. In the course of engaging with this project, I have discovered a personal connection to married Arab-American men. Through the social systems of privilege as well as the oppression discussed in Johnson’s (2018) -chapters 6 and 7, I have gained the understanding to the exclusive challenges which these men face in our society. Intersectionality as discussed by Crenshaw (2018) has aided me to know the complexities of their experiences considering the intersecting factors of gender, ethnicity and race. Particularly, I have looked into the ways in which gender dynamics, societal pressures and cultural expectations can shape lives of married Arab-American men. Such a deeper understanding has fostered recognition of resilience and empathy exhibited by people within this cultural group. In my exploration of sources related to this project have further helped in deepening my personal immersion to the whole subject of married Arab-American men. Studies by Rizzo & Killen (2018) and Abu-Lughod (2016) have offered insights into the experiences of Arab-American men in the context of masculinity and marriage. For instance, Rizzo & Killen (2018) sheds light on the complex negotiation between grappling with shifting gender dynamics and cultural preservation. Abu-Lughod (2016) looked at Arab-American feminism highlighting on the importance of challenging oppressive narratives and fostering spaces which are more inclusive within such communities. These works alongside others have helped me to challenge my very own preconceptions and assumptions allowing me the latitude to empathize with the struggles which married Arab-American men go through while also recognizing the need for individual and collective action for addressing such issues. Section III: Reasons for Taking Action & Plan of action There are different forces which tug me when it comes to making the decision as to whether to take action or to still remain complacent in regard to the issue of married Arab-American men. One such force is the sense of personal disconnect. As a married white female, it is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the issue does not affect me in any way. Such a mindset can lead to apathy and no motivation to tackle the issue. Another force is societal norms and expectations and norms which can be a discouragement towards taking action (Costanza-Chock, 2018). The society soften discourages people from challenging the status quo or even speaking out against systemic injustices which are able to perpetuate a sense of powerlessness. Altogether, there are compelling reasons which push me towards taking action. First is my personal connection to the issue as well as the empathy which I have developed in me in via this project serving as strong motivators. Through the recognition of interconnectedness and shared h...