Sharjah airport in 1937 and Dubai airport today

The first video was talking about Sharjah in the past . It was  the bridge between East and West in the world, and was  the first airport in the Arab region .

It was quiet and people were simple and their lives were dependent on trade and navigation in addition to agriculture, fishing and hunting. The Europeans preferred  the Gulf and the Red Sea as the major  link between the Middle East and India In1932 the British government set up a runway for aircraft landing in Sharjah on their way from India to Britain. This was the first airport in the UAE and is still in use today. This was the airport, when it was founded,  located in the desert two miles from the city

  

The second video showed people dancing; it shows what is different between 1937 and 2011; the situation has been changed completely. 51 million people are traveling in Dubai Airport in 2011 with different nationalities. People who were dancing are called a flash mob; those types of people are making very good shows for the passengers to make them happy and to break the daily routine.      

Reflection

There is an imbalance in the population structure in the UAE and we rely on foreign workers directly and this leads to a significant increase in the population in the UAE and to avoid these problems we must reduce foreign labor and rely  on the citizens and  to find alternative means for workers to provide self-service help.

Definitions

1. Affluence = wealth.

Abu Dhabi is an example of an affluent society.

The opposite of affluence is poverty.

2. Ethnicity.

Your ethnicity is determined by factors such as race, religion, language.

3. Ability= skill.

He has the ability to get very high grades.

4. Diversity = the quality of being different.

This course is about cultural diversity, which means people of different cultures living and working together.

5. Assimilation = absorption

Cultural assimilation is the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs.

6. Demographics = composition of a population.

The demographics of the UAE are discussed in our first post. You can analyse demographics according to race, religion, age, wealth, etc.

7. Religion = a set of beliefs.

Religious people try to live according to the teachings of their religion.

8. Race = a group of people with similarities, particularly physical appearance.

You can a similar nationality but a different race.

9. Multiculturalism = many different cultures.

A multicultural society is one where people of different cultural backgrounds live and work together.

10. Personality = individual character.

She has a very nice personality: kind, patient, tolerant and loving.

11. Prejudice = bias.

Apartheid in S. Africa was based on racial prejudice against black people.

12. Acculturation = the mixing of different cultures.

If a foreigner here in the UAE says he does something like an Emirati, then that would be an example of acculturation.

13. Bias = prejudice.

Bias is a negative opinion of a person or group based on race, colour, culture or whatever.

14. Discrimination = treating people differently.

Apartheid meant discrimination in favour of whites and against blacks.

15. Fringe = edge, margin.

A fringe group is a small minority, usually expressing an extreme opinion.

16. Population = the number of people.

A census is a count of the number of people in a country.

17.Stereotyping = making assumptions or generalisations about a person or group of people.

Americans are rich, while Mexicans are poor.

18. Gender = sex.

There are two genders, male and female.

19. Resistance = opposition.

There have been many signs of political resistance to established governments in the Arab spring of this year.

20. Advantage = a favoured position.

If you are an expatriate, being able to speak the local language is a big advantage.

colour21. Racism = hatred of another person or group of different race, often based on.

The apartheid system in S. Africa was an example of racism.

22.Ethics = morality, i.e. what is right or wrong.

Ethical behaviour is honest behaviour.

23. Productivity = the ability to produce something.

The company's productivity rates are rising.

24. Behaviour = the manner of acting/conduct.

The students' behaviour is very good.

25. Belief = confidence, opinion..

I have great belief in her.

Tibetans believe in re-incarnation.

26. Majority = most.

The vast majority of Arabs are Muslim.

27. Income = salary.

All employees have a monthly income.

28. Adverse = bad, harmful.

We didn't go on a picnic because of the adverse weather conditions.

29. Values = beliefs.

I value honesty very highly.

30. Traditions = customs.

They are handed down from generation to generation.

31. Generation = group of people born at about the same time.

In some societies people talk about a generation gap; each generation has its own ideals & standards.

32. Sensitivity = empathy, awareness of someone else's feelings.

She's very sensitive. She cares about how other people feel.

33. Slang = slightly improper language.

Have a shufti at my blog.

34. Ethnocentrism = seeing everything from the viewpoint of your own culture.

An ethnocentric viewpoint is narrow and limited.

35. Stratification = rigid division of society.

The Indian caste system is an example of social stratification.

36. Socio-cultural = relating to society & culture.

Language, ethnicity, religion are all socio-cultural factors.

37. Resident = someone living in a particular place.

Khalid, Aziz and Hedley are all Abu Dhabi residents.

38. Poverty = being poor.

The opposite of poverty is affluence or wealth.

39. Nationality = the country you belong to.

You can have different race or ethnicity but the same nationality.

40. Minority = less than half.

Christians are a minority of the UAE's population.

41. Class = group.

You can have upper class, middle class, lower class.

42. Globalization = worldwide connectivity.

Global brands or logos today are recognised worldwide; we all know the logos of Nike, McDonald, Mercedes etc.

43. Virtual = not real, imaginary.

Computer games create a virtual world which is not real.

44. Barriers = obstacle.

To make progress you have to climb over or go round or go through barriers.

Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism

What types of cultural diversity are present in the movie?

Tibetan youngsters (Tibetan language, Buddhist religion).

German lady who set up a blind school : Christian culture.

Erik and his father = American.

What are some of the challenges people in the movie encounter?

The challenge of climbing Everest blind

The challenge of communicating in a different language .

Traditional Tibetan view of blindness : a punishment for bad things you did in a previous life. Re-incarnation.

What are some examples of stereotyping, prejudice, bias and/or discrimination in the video?

Discrimination :Tashi, the street kid had trouble gaining acceptance from the ather.

What challenges do people face as a result of personality rather than culture?

People who are in this problem think they are incomplete and they can't  make Contact .

 contact with other people.

Certain kids finding it more difficult to climb the mountain than others.

What  benefits are there for the people in the movie as a result of their differing culture?

Learning the different languages.

Knowing that people from different cultures have different personalities.

Cultural Diversity

Nowadays you can see many different cultures in one country. But 50 years ago you could not see this much cultural diversity in one place. I think because of people's migration from their place to another to find a better life style. For example in Abu Dhabi there are more than 50 different cultures and this makes for the cultural diversity. People have their religions,languages and life styles.

UAE ethnicity

UAE Demographics

Introduction to Diversity

UAE Demographics:

Ethnic Groups Percentage 2,ooo

Arab 48.1%

12.2% UAE Arab

9.4% Bedouin

6.2% Egyptian Arab

4.1% Omani Arab

4% Saudi Arab

South Asian 35.7%

Iranian 5%

Filipino 3.4%

White European 2.4%

Others 5.4%


Religions Percentage 2000

Muslim 62% (80% Sunni)

Hindi 21%

Christian 9%

Buddhist 4%

Others 4%


Source: http://www.worldstatesmen.org/United_Arab_Emirates.html