Social Changes in Iraq

Social Changes in Iraq

Introduction

The term social change is used to refer to a shift in the human aspect of biological development which encompasses; social behavior, community relations, nature, social structure, and social institutions to mention a few. A social change starts with a slight change of thought, then behavior, this will then culminate into deviation from the inherited cultural values and finally a rebellion between the conservatives and reformers of an already established social order. The consequences of a shift from a current social structure may either be beneficial or detrimental to society. This essay will look into the possible social changes in the Iraqi culture and what might have triggered such changes. It will also go further to outline some of the noted effects of the shift and determine whether they were innovative or diffusion.

The culture of the Iraqi people has undergone a series of metamorphic processes over the years; it can be unanimously agreed that most of the resultant effects of these changes have been of little benefit to the Iraqi Community, particularly women and children.

Culture

At the beginning (the 1970s), Iraq was one of the countries with a stable economic status in the entire Middle East, but that was before their human structure and natural resources were shaken to their bare foundation by the war with Iran and the United States. The two wars left the country in a state of socio-economic turmoil, insecurity and not to mention corruption under the then-president dictator Saddam Hussein.

The culture of Iraq is one of the oldest in the world. Iraq is the root of the world’s civilization which later spread into other Asian countries and the West: It has the richest heritage ever recorded in any single country in the world. Iraq is the source of some of the world-class sculptures, poets, and painters; their fine architectural works are evident in the design and construction of the old Mesopotamian buildings showing that their excellent mastery of art dates back to ancient times. The country has never stopped celebrating its great achievements of the pre-Islamic times. Before the modernization of the Iraqi culture, the country was strictly Muslim based, different from the current times where it playing home to a variety of religious groups like Christians, Jews, Assyrians, and many others. It has been a common practice in Iraq to spot a quintessence grouped together to take tea in what they called “siesta”. The Rites of passage of a child depends on how much the child can read and interpret the Quran.

The Iraqi culture respects old age so much, and it is considered a big disgrace to insult any older person, especially in public…the Arab culture from which the Iraqi derived theirs believe that wrinkles bring wisdom, and more of them one has, the more respect he/she is supposed to get. Divorce cases were very few and the institution of marriage was accorded a lot of respect. And just like in any Muslim-dominated country, the women have been discriminated against and are viewed more so like children than adults. The Iraqi political stability seemed to be reverting back in an attempt to recapture its former status before the United States in collaboration with the British forces succeeded in bringing down Saddam’s regime and restored the sovereignty of Iraq once more (Ismael, 2007 p.337).

Other practices found in the Iraqi culture are so contrary to what people are used to in the West; these practices have persisted for years on end, and they seem not to be ready to fade in the near future. Some of them include:-Their religious practice which is based on the Islamic culture which honors the five pillars of doctrine practice (charity and alms, prayers, faith, pilgrimage to Mecca, and Fasting), their women are ever in a headscarf and wherever they go, they must be escorted by their male relatives or family friend, Their women should never be touched, or stared at, women great with their fingertips not using the palm of their hands and finally, before initiating any business with an Iraqi man, shake hands first. The hand-shake should neither be too tight nor too meek.

Forces of Change

The infiltration of the pure Iraqi culture by other cultures in the wake of Industrialization marked the rebellion between the die-hard social conservatives and the reformers. The ancient social practices were dealt the last blow by the two aforementioned wars which disinterested the social system a great deal. Apart from the reported disruption of the economic growth, the religious practices also took a completely new direction from the initially Muslim culture…some people converted to Christianity, Buddhism and some even resorted to Paganism, civil society groups also emerged to push