EASTERN & WESTERN CULTURE REASEARCH

Pakistan:
Ethnic makeup: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch, Muhajir (immigrants from India at the time of partition and their descendants) Religion: Islam Language: Urdu is the official language of Pakistan however English is also a common language used mainly by government ministries. It is also an education policy to be taught the language in school. Urdu is closely related to the Hindi; the official language of India, however certain words are pronounced with an accent or depends on the dialect. Pakistani Society & Culture Islam: The religion is practised by the minority of Pakistanis and governs their personal, political, economic and legal lives. Certain obligations states that Muslims should pray five times a day. Friday is the Muslim holy day. Everything is closed. During the holy month of Ramadan, all Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk and are only permitted to work six hours a day.

The Family The extended family is the basis of the social structure and individual identity. Pakistani families are more private than many other cultures. Female relatives are protected from outside influences. It is inappropriate to ask questions about a Pakistanis wife or female relatives. Families are quite large by western standards, often having up to 6 children.

Hierarchical Society Pakistan is a hierarchical society. People are respected because of their age and position. Other people are viewed as wise and are granted respect. In a social event they are served first and their drinks may be poured for them. It is important that elders or people with status are called with their surname until invited to use their name.

Etiquette & customs in Pakistan Meeting and Greeting Men shake hands with each other. Once a relationship is developed they may hug as well as shake hands. Women generally hug and kiss. It is a social norm to ask about the persons health, family and business success.

Jamaica:
Ethnic Make-up: Black 90%, East Indian 1.3%, White0.2%, Chinese0.2%, mixed 7.3%, other 0.1% Religion: Christian, Jehovahs Witness Language: English (Official), Creole. English is the official language of Jamaica. However, Patois (Creole), a combination of English and some African languages, is spoken in rural areas and is used increasingly in urban areas. Jamaican speech, even in English, has a distinctive rhythmic and melodic quality. Jamaican Society & Culture The Family Trust Jamaicans have a healthy distrust of those in authority and prefer to put their faith in those they know well. The basic requirement of the partner is trust. To become a member of the elite group, a person must be recommended by a friend or relative. Jamaican Family includes a close-knit web of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. Families are close and provide both emotional and economic support.

Religion Religion is fundamental to Jamaican life, which can be seen in the references to Biblical events in everyday speech.

Rastafarianism Rastafarians believe they are one of the lost tribes of Israel who were sold into slavery and taken to Babylon (Jamaica) and that they must return to Zion, which they hold to be Ethiopia. There are three types of Rastafarians in Jamaica. The one most relevant to us is: Members of the Nyahbinghi sect focus mainly on Emperor Haile Selassie and they proclaim that he is the incarnation of the Supreme deity. They push for their repatriation to Ethiopia, from where they believe all black people came. Ethiopia plays a major role in this sect (Wikipedia).