Job Discussion Forums

[lagringalindissima]

Full disclosure.. I have not, do not and will not ever be working anywhere in the Middle East.

I understand--and don't object to!!-- people taking jobs there because the salaries are high..and because they are considered professional jobs that are good resume boosters as well. But I am wondering if anyone feels morally conflicted about working in a region where women, gays and non Muslims lack many basic rights. (Of course I know the region is vast and in some countries/areas things are more westernized and progressive so forgive me for stereotyping...but I put this in the general region forum to hear from people working in all areas of the region.)

Do you have the attitude that "I can't change their culture..but they pay me well to teach here so I do"?

Do you think by being there you can promote positive change in the region..especially if you are an educated woman and you teach women English?

Do you feel that by living there you develop a cultural understanding of the region (and the culture and religion) that can help the world "come together" and understand each other better?

Or are the human rights abuses we hear about in the media really not as severe as we (westerners who've never been to the region) think and/or more limited to certain countries than we think?

Thanks an advance for replies.

[veiledsentiments]

No I had no qualms and still don't. What I learned arriving in the Middle East was that pretty much everything that the average American (can only speak for my own here) thinks that they know about this part of the world is perverted through the prism of our media distortions and government propaganda.

I'm not saying that there are not many things there that I disapproved of, but there are also a significant number of things in my own culture and country that could use improvement... often vast improvement. Also, there is huge variation between the different Middle East countries. So many read of the oddities of Saudi Arabia and think that it is all like that. The truth is that it is very much the outlier and the other Arabs dislike the idea of living there about as much as many of us do. I didn't work there because I didn't want to have a dress code and not be able to drive a car. In all of the other countries, there were none of those sorts of restrictions. While I dressed modestly to respect the local culture, it was merely a matter of longer skirts - which are more comfortable in the heat anyway - and sleeves to the elbow. I always had my own car soon after arrival and had full freedom of movement. In fact, I would say that I was in many ways more free in the Gulf than I was in the US because of the lack of crime and violence against women.

The fact is that the women are the bright stars academically, and I had both all female classes at some institutions, and sexually integrated classes in others. They have a completely different outlook on life than we do. I was shocked that they feel sorry for us... they are not yearning for our lifestyles. They know what they want, are getting educated, and with time will change their culture from within with any luck.

At no time did I feel that my life was restricted in the least because I wasn't Muslim... or because I was a female. And I think the fact that in the departments where I taught, the single Western male teachers were about 90% Gay, suggests that they felt in no danger or much restricted to be honest. But of course, for women and Gays, common sense must prevail and discretion is always important.

If you want to know what it is like... go there with an open mind and see that like any culture, it has pros and cons. I never felt that it was my job to change things except in our hopes as teachers that some of our students would go on to make things better for everyone in their country.

VS

[lagringalindissima]

That's all..thanks . I will admit I was thinking of Saudi Arabia as my "standard".. just because I see posts for jobs there constantly and I very rarely see jobs posted for other countries; what I have seen is also usually presented as a volunteer project to help people in Afghanistan or Iraq.

[rtm]

[The Fifth Column]

I kept my compass on "True North" by daily reminding myself that the countries I lived in, as sovereign nations, had the right to conduct themselves as they saw fit within their own boundaries. My approval was not necessary or required. Did I agree with them? Not in a million years! But, I smiled at all their silly antics and survived.

The problem is they are incapable of accepting that when they are in other countries that they, too, must respect the sovereignty of their host nation and are constantly using their petro-dollars (or rather the cessation of the flow of petro-dollars) to change the policies of public & private institutions to suit their narrow-minded view of how to conduct themselves and how others are to conduct themselves.

I get it, though. Unstated non-Gulf Arab policies are to have them pump whatever they have under the ground while we keep the bulk of ours in reserve. When the threat of cessation of petro-dollars will broker them any more leverage, then...

...it'll be their collective "bucket challenge"!

[plumpy nut]

[scot47]

A man has to eat ! "Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral !" (Bert Brecht)

[veiledsentiments]

[psychedelicacy]

I'm a nihilist and don't care.

[Sydney2002]

Hi OP

I understand where you are coming from and I would not recommend the Gulf countries for you. Keep in mind though that the Middle East is NOT the Gulf.

My only experience in the M.E. has been in the Gulf and based on what you stated in your original post, your concerns (which I share), I would advise you to stay away from this region. But that does not mean you should avoid the entire Middle East.

And do not form your opinions of this part of the world based on the western media-- especially if you are living in the U.S.

All the best!

[Gulezar]

[plumpy nut]

When I came to Saudi Arabia, I came to teach English. I came to use the Communicative English method and help students learn to use and understand English. There is nothing immoral about that. English teachers in the Gulf can't be blamed for the ill-natured actions of somebody else. It's the bad qualities of the people in the region that are producing the problems, not me or any other teacher. The people in this region have over a long time been making their beds and the West is now more and more inclined to let them sleep in them.

[scot47]

P-nut,
"the bad qualities of the people in the region"

I see that you have a high regard for the locals!

[The Fifth Column]

[johnslat]

Nothing like a sweeping generalization to get the day off on the right foot.

Regards,
John