Stepping Through the Wardrobe: Where I Live, Where They Live

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Discussing the transition of going from Morocco back to our home country, the U.S with the group I studied abroad with was difficult. The closest we came to describing our feelings came from the popular C.S. Lewis novel, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." It was like preparing to return from Narnia for the first time. While Morocco is lacking in ice queens, it was a perfect way to describe the alternate realities we faced.

These alternate realities make understanding one another difficult sometimes. It's hard to walk a mile in another's shoes if you can't first comprehend how to put them on and properly tie the laces.

Cultural Differences

One of the biggest cultural differences I noticed was the dependence on material goods in the U.S..  For someone living in Gaza, in constant fear that their home will be bombed, their children taken, and their loved ones killed, the need for material goods here in the U.S. is absolutely absurd.  Yet, if you want a job that will be able to support your family, it's usually necessary to own a nice suit, and a car to transport yourself to and from work. Without these items, and the rates of unemployment, it is possible to loose your home through foreclosure, have your children taken if you are unable to care for them, and have your loved ones killed by illness since you have no health insurance to bring them to the doctors.

Another cultural difference has to do with the family dynamic and sense of community. In the MENA region, it is quite common, and quite desirable for children to live with their parents even after marriage. Here in the U.S. it used to be completely unacceptable for this to happen-- living with your parents at the age of 40 used to carry huge negative stigma. With the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2005, this is becoming more of a necessity but it is not usually a prideful move.

Environmental 

Photo from my trip to the Sahara in Morocco

In terms of environment, one of the biggest differences between the North East USA and the MENA region is the climate. The North East has a clear four season cycle with plenty of rainfall whereas the majority of the MENA region is desert.

Due to the lack of precipitation in the desert, there is a lack of access to fresh water for many people which affects everything from bathing, to international politics over who has access to which source of water.

Philadelphia: found on ilovebricks.blogspot.com

In my part of the United States, access to water is something that is taken for granted. We bathe daily, take long showers without shutting the water off while we lather up, forget to fix leaky faucets, etc. We never have to worry about water whereas some people in the MENA region only have water in their homes on some days of the week. Israel is one of the world leaders in water conservation not out of luxury but out of necessity.

The state of Pennsylvania will never go to war with the state of New Jersey over access to water. However there could be wars between states over access to water sources in the MENA region.

Resources to Overcoming Boundaries

One of the best resources in overcoming environmental and cultural boundaries to understand another group of peoples is to step through the wardrobe and travel. Travel allows you to experience things first hand. While it is not possible to travel to every nook and cranny of the MENA region there are some other resources that can be used to understand "them":

books, films, anthropological studies, academic courses, and of course speaking with the people from the region.

If relying on second hand experience, it is important to remember that some media sources are more truthful than others: everyone has an agenda and nothing is completely unbiased.

All too often we have a tendency to discuss the Middle East as one giant party where everyone is the same but this couldn't be further from the truth. Again, looking at the U.S. as an example, the culture in Philadelphia is different from the culture of New York City and they are only a two hour drive apart. Even the geography is a little different: New York is mostly an island. Environment is a huge factor on the development of civilizations and cultures that someone who lives next to a freshwater lake may have some trouble understanding the life of a nomad in the Sahara desert.