Free Custom «Elements of Culture and the United Nations» Sample Essay

Part One

Culture can be defined as the features of a specific group of individuals living at a particular place at a particular time. Culture is defined by everything that concerns that group of people such as etymology, faith, cuisine, social tendencies, songs and arts, among other things (Andreatta & Ferraro, 2013).

There are seven elements of culture with relation to a society. The seven cultures are customs and tradition, religion, language, arts and literature, the types of government, social organization, and the economic systems.

Language

The official language of the United Arabs Emirates, as in all other Arabic countries, is Arabic. The other languages that are widely spoken, apart from the official language, are Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, and Filipino, that is usually spoken by the immigrant population. English is the language that is mainly used for commercial transactions in the country. Farsi is mostly spoken in Dubai, while Urdu is mostly used by the huge populations of Pakistani immigrants living in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Cuisine

The traditional food in the UAE is Middle Eastern fare of fuul, falafel, houmos, and shwarma. Soft drinks are available, although alcoholic drinks are only served in bars and restaurants affiliated with big three star hotels or hotels of higher status, and the prices are cheaper in comparison to other parts of the world. Alcohol is, however, not sold at all in Sharjah.

Religion

The religious practices in the UAE are relatively accepting and relaxed, although the country is firmly rooted in Islam. The majority of the Emiratis adhere to the Sunni sect. All matters concerning marriage, divorce, inheritance, governance and individual conduct are influenced by the Sharia law (United Arab Emirates yearbook, 2006).

Arts and Literature

The country sponsors arts and literature by offering financial support to authors, portraitists, performers, and traditional dancers. Sharjah is specifically vigorous in progressing culture and was selected by the UNESCO as the capital of Arab culture in 1998.  Poetry and storytelling remains a strong part of the oral tradition. Most official events feature poetry readings. The popularity of written literature is also on a steady increase.

Part Two

A society can be defined as a group of people, who have common interests and may have unique culture and institutions.

The western society can be referred to as a body of knowledge originating from reason. This basis has made it possible for the accumulation of comprehension associated with realism. The realism is expressed in numerous essential values such as individualism, rights, capitalism, and technology. The society can be regarded as a progressed society considering that its values encourage the growth and maintenance of advanced civilization.  The continued development of the Western society led to the discovery of the scientific revolution, the industrial revolution and the modern revolution. The culture has expanded to numerous countries but was predominant in Western Europe and North America. The society is founded on reality and global human nature, thus making it open to several other societies. The culture transcends race and region since some aspects of it originated in different parts of the world (Diamond, 2013).

Both Australia and New Zealand have a distinct combination of customs and influences brought about by the initial inhabitants. Today, it is estimated that approximately 30 per cent of people of the two countries were born abroad. The immigrants have influenced life in the two countries in significant ways and have similarly been impacted by the tolerant, unofficial and widely democratic society. The cultural diversity of the two countries creates unity by allowing them to freely express their culture and take part in the domestic life. The society is egalitarian implying that there are no class divisions, and everyone has the opportunity to prosper. A majority of the populaces reside in urban centres and are true lovers of sports. Though English is the national language, other common languages are Italian, Greek and Mandarin. The countries are mainly Christian though societal diversity allows for other religions (Griswold, 2008).

The South American society has its unique culture, tradition and heritage though it has been significantly influenced by other cultures. The Incan Empire is the most recognized culture though it was greatly impacted by the African culture. The society observes a unique religion that is an integration of traditional beliefs from Africa. The Carnival is an instance of a distinct festival held yearly in the South America drawing many citizens and tourists. Portuguese and Spanish are widely spoken in the regions due to colonization. Marriages between the locals and colonizers led to the emergence of Mestizo, who fought for independence.

Judeo-Christian refers to certain sets of principles and ethics upheld by Judaism and Christianity. The values include free will, which is the ethical responsibility of the person and not of the group, the spiritual importance of being just and acting accordingly, the being of the true ethical ruling in the lessons of Jesus and the prophets from Jerusalem. Together with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they form a political and cultural foundation of the founding fathers (Fassbender, 2009).

The term "United Nations" was used for the first time during the Declaration by the United Nations in 1942 when agents from 26 countries guaranteed their administrations to push on the battle against the Axis Powers. The organization was formed with the objective of finding peaceful solutions to conflicts thereby preventing wars and classifying guidelines of the war. The United Nations Charter was drafted and signed by representatives from 50 countries in 1945 and officially became binding on the 24^th of October. The United Nations Day is held every year on the 24^th of October.