Political Culture

 The Road to Political Culture: A Changing Canada or a Cranky Canada: As a democratic country, Canada should have trust in its government. Though it is decreasing, the support for RCMP decreased by 7 %. During the pandemic, this situation became worse. Many controversies came on lockdown, vaccine mandate, mask mandate, etc. Freedom convoy came to Ottawa to protest.

Explain the meaning of political culture and its antecedents: One person will be selected from a city.

What is Political Culture: Political culture changes frequently. Every culture has some symbols that reflect its culture.

 Important Canadian Symbol: Americans used their flag to show America is great. Monarchy is a controversial symbol in Canada, which Quebec refused to accept. The Charter of Rights is an excellent symbol of a united Canada. Another one is the Canadian Health Care System. The value of the symbols can be changed with time like many statues had been removed.

In Search of Canadian Political Culture: Every country has its unique political culture, though, at the same time, it can resemble other countries, too. Canadian political culture has with other British colony countries, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA, the only neighbouring country. Canadians and the USA share the same long border.

Analyzing Political Culture: Discuss the theories used to explore Canadian political culture: Canadian political scientists used two approaches to describe Canadian Political Culture. One is based on history, and the other is a sample survey.

Theoretical and Historical Approaches to Understanding Political Culture: Political Culture is like an umbrella where different ideologies may exist. In Canada, we have three significant ideologies:

Conservatism, Liberalism and Socialism. Founding Fragments Theory: Canadian Ideologies should be divided into English and French. Formative Events Theory: The birth of the country significantly impacts the Ideology. Canada slowly disengaged from the British. However, Canada didn’t go against its mother country.

A National Political Culture: Common Beliefs and Values: 76% of Canadians said they are satisfied with their democracy, whereas the USA was 46%.

Views about Government and Politics: Only 4% of Canadians have a favourable opinion of politicians. Trust in government and political institutions is decreasing. Though 67% of Canadians said, they somewhat trust the government.

Rights and Freedoms: Canadian Rights and Freedoms were established in Canada in 1982.

Tolerance: the adoption policy of multiculturalism in 1971 was the first in the world, in Canada.

Diversity and Political Culture: Provincial and Regional Political Cultures: Canadian politics are regional.

Quebec Political Culture: They are the master of their financial institute. They first introduce laws to die (For ill patients), not accepting head cover for Muslim women for public service.

Indigenous Political Cultures: Canada is neglecting Indigenous values.

Ethnicity: Canada has different ethnic groups.

Youth: Canadian youth has a different view than the aged generation.

A Redundant Border: Determine the extent of the similarities between Canadians and Americans: Canadians living in a shadow of the USA culture. We have over 9000km of border, language, and culture.

Global Cultural Trends: Some think Canadian political values are closer to Europe than the USA.

Being vocal

“Just because you don’t require a lot to be happy doesn’t mean you deserve the bare minimum.”

I don't like to ask for anything. Anyone who wants to give me anything should deliver me from their heart. I shouldn't remind, ask or force them to have anything. "Mang kar liya, to keya liya". This includes everything, like my daily necessities, food, dress, salary, travel or heart.

Only because of this nature, in the family, many times, when everybody gets something, only I missed. It hurt me, but I still didn't ask anyone to give me. In my career, this happened most of the time. My expectation died in my heart.

In Canada, culture is vocal. You need to ask. If you don't ask, you won't get anything, not even your right. Now, you may understand how my condition is over here. I am trying to change myself a bit. Maybe just for once, I will ask; if they give, great. Otherwise, I have to let it go.

Oh, why do I have to ask for everything? Why people just don't give others what they deserve? Let's not wait for their asking.

Biography 88: One big plate

 If you go to any market in Saudi Arabia, you will see they are selling big size plates. Those are not just serving plates. People eat on those plates.

Whenever we visited anybody's home, they serve us food with fragrant rice and meat. In South Asia, we called in Biriyani. But Saudi people made it in a little different way. They put lots of tomatoes in it and all cooks mainly with Garam masala. That rice is called Kapcha. Maybe because of Garam masala, the fragrance of the food is amazing and the taste is very delicious.

First, They put the plate on the carpet, then they will put rice on that big plate and at the top, they will put the meat. It could be chicken or Dumba (A kind of lamb). Salads will be added. Then all the people will sit around that plate. Some plates are too big that 30/40 people can eat at a time.

As far as I understand, it is the joy of eating together. In Saudi, there is no rule that men will eat first, then women. Like we see in South Asia. Over there men and women will eat at the same time in different rooms. The host will join too. All take food together. The host always keeps an eye on the guests, who are liking which item (All items are mainly mixed with the rice).  Then the host will give more of that item to that guest before they ask for it. After taking food all guests helps the host to clean up everything. Then they sit together and enjoy the time, mostly by talking with each other.

Little different culture than the Bangladeshi or Canadian. But nice and warm. This tradition is not only for the guests. The family members also eat like this. 

They are also aware of other cultures. Sometimes they offer us small plates, as we were kids and not eating much. The host noticed and guessed maybe we were not used to eating on the big plate.

Biography 32: Baakhit

 In Alkaseem (Saudi Arabia) we lived in an extension of a clinic. It was at the end of the clinic. After our rooms, there was a high clay-made wall. We knew that was the house of a doctor from the clinic. His name was Baakhit. He came from Sudan or any other country, he was black. According to his culture, kids uses to call him by his name. His colleagues asked him to teach his kids to call him DAD/Abu (In Arabic). He had a couple of kids. Whenever anything needed at home his kids use to sit on the wall/roof and called him. We could see them and hear them clearly from our room.

The kids first started calling him by saying "Abu!". He didn't answer, maybe he wanted all to listen that his kids aren't calling him by his name. After a couple of times calling "Abu," they directly call, "Baakhit!". Whenever they called "Baakhit" he always replied immediately. He didn't want anyone to listen to this. :)

When we went to visit his house, we saw a clay-made two storied house. There were a couple of kids in the house. Some of them are teenagers, the rest were kids. In the front open area (In Bangla, uthan) there is a bed (In Bangla, choki). His wife was sitting on it. She welcomes us with a big smile. They were very nice and caring to us. She asked her older kids to bring food for us. Her children took very good care of the guests. When we left she said goodbye from that bed. She was overweighted. Someone told me, no one saw her walking or standing. She was always staying in bed.

The way I heard, I felt she is lazy, as she doesn't move, she became overweight. But now I'm thinking, maybe she has some medical condition, that's why she was in bed always.

Biography 21: A common question to make fun

 I don't remember when I went to Saudi Arabia. My mom uses to do a government job in Saudi, so she had got a visa to take us (I and my older sister) to her. A black man was working in the airport. He helped us with our luggage. In the end, he pointed to me and ask my mom, "Can I marry your daughter?" My mom said, "NO". He was disheartened and said, "Is it because my skin is black?" My mom understood she shouldn't be so direct. She replied, "No no, we are also black. My daughter is too little to think about marriage". Just to inform you, my age was 4+

Later my mom understood, this is a common fun dialogue for everybody. Doesn't matter what is your or the other person's age, whether the man is married or not. Whenever they see a girl, will propose. It happened with my 1-year-old sister too. We started taking offers nicely.

This is cultural differentiation. When you don't know enough about the culture, just looking at it once you might get the totally wrong impression.

Taking other culture’s activity

Me, in Nepali dress, at Darjeeling

In this world, there people, from many culture. Some don’t mind if a woman sat on any man’s lap open in bar, some don’t like if a woman and man talk with each other openly. In some culture, people kill other people directly and show the body of the victim open to all. In some culture they torture, kill and do all kind of harm inside jail, not open, not in front of general people.

Mainly, the culture, people try to follow is who are economically came in a good stage and who are very entertaining in media. But still people like to hold their own culture too, no matter where they go or where they live. This is becoming very difficult. Now a day media and communication are very good and fast. People can easily see and know about other side of world’s news and other activity. Which are directly influencing them.

Taking other cultures good things (which is good for human) is good. And taking bad habit is always bad. For example, long time back some people took bad habit to take cigarette from South America which finally became very bad method for health. On that moment they thought it is for pleasure only. But finally, this habit spreader to all communities of the world and no matter how hard we want, really difficult to get rid of it.

So, when we start to follow any other cultural activity, we should think first, in the long run, will it be good for us? That may help us to reduce following bad activity.