SUBJECT CODE: IRE 200

COURSE INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Shariq Faraz

Group: Alia Alam, Maryam Bartawi and Ali Al Shamsi

Paper: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Specific Instructions:
9 Academic referencing with bibliography.
9 Word limit is 3000 words

General Instructions:
9 Answer any one of the given questions.
9 The student should submit this assignment in typed format.
9 The student should submit this assignment within the time specified by the
exam dept
9 The student should attach this assignment paper with the answered papers.
9 Failure to comply with the above instructions would lead to rejection of
assignment.
___________________________________________________

D. In context of LGBT communities' acceptance to a large extent

in the mainstream western societies; what in your opinion
inhibits the same with regards to eastern cultures? Support
your points with the course text.

Introduction
People’s worldview are influenced by a number of factors, three of the most important are
religion, culture, and tradition. We state this because our worldview shapes our thought
processes and beliefs.1 It is commonly assumed that people go about their lives according
to how they perceive the world and that perception is cultivated by culture. As Castells
(1997) said, a major influence of identity formation and maintenance is culture. Therefore

1
"Worldview forms some of the most fundamental portions of cultures and serves to
distinguish one culture from another…Worldview thus represents one of the most essential
qualities of culture impacting all aspects of how a culture perceives and recognizes the
environment." (Intercultural Communication: A Reader, Pg. 28)

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we can deduce that identity is socially constructed as a result of culture. This produces a
culturally bound concept of the 'socially appropriate' identity.
An integral part of identity along with race, ethnicity, and religion, is gender. In the current
era, gender is more than dualism – male or female; the age old classification is being
challenged to make room for alternative gender identities and gender orientations.
In this essay, we will touch upon the history of LGBT communities, the emergence of these
groups in western societies and reason why it is not acceptable in eastern societies till date.

History of LGBT
LGBT is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender identities. "In modern
usage, the term LGBT is intended to emphasize a diversity of 'sexuality and gender

identity‐based cultures' and is sometimes used to refer to anyone who is non‐heterosexual

instead of exclusively to people who are homosexual, bisexual, or transgender." (Wikipedia,

2010)
If loosely taken to mean 'gay communities', LGBT communities have been present ever
since Holy Scriptures existed. For example, in Leviticus 18:22, it says - “You shall not lie
with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination" and in Qur’aan 7:80-81, "We
also sent Lot: He said to his people: 'Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation
(ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye
are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.' "
With respect to beliefs, the earlier western societies built upon traditions that were derived
from religion considered homosexuality a disease.2 In 1942, the U.S. military banned all
homosexuals and denied them the right to enter military service by arguing that their
presence would make heterosexual soldiers feel "uncomfortable" and decrease their
efficiency and productivity.
"After the StoneWall riots (1969), gays and lesbians in New York City faced gender, class,
and generational obstacles to becoming a cohesive community. Within six months, two gay
activist organizations were formed in New York, concentrating on confrontational tactics,
and three newspapers were established to promote rights for gays and lesbians. Within a
few years, gay rights organizations were founded across the U.S. and the world."
(Wikipedia, 2010)

2
In 1952, when the American Psychiatric Association published its first Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, homosexuality was included as a disorder.

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In 1989, Denmark became the first country to recognize same-sex unions in the form of
"registered partnerships". In 2001, the Netherlands became the first nation to grant same-
sex marriages.
The public acceptance of gays in the military grew from 51% in a 1977 Gallup Poll to 80% in
2003. Approval of gays as elementary school teachers grew from 27% in 1977 to 61% over
the same period. (Beiderman and Ricci, 2004)

Media on portrayal of homosexuality

"Media portrayals of lesbians and gays have helped both to perpetuate stereotypes and,
more recently to promote tolerance and acceptance." (Intercultural Communication: A
Reader, Pg. 221)
It can be argued that media has, over the years, helped made LGBT mainstream in Western
societies in comparison to Eastern societies.
Let us first examine the stereotypical portrayal of gay men in news magazine stories.
According to Smyth (2004), a study identified four classic stereotypes of gay men: (1) gay
males are effeminate, (2) gay males are 'sick' or mentally ill, (3) gay males are sexual
predators, and (4) gay males are 'violent, libido-driven monsters'.3
An example of the product of such stereotyping would be "Bruno", a comedy film about a
gay Austrian fashion reporter who travels around the world.
Recent celebrities in the media however have been vocal about their orientations and are
rapidly gaining acceptance. Famous examples include, Ellen DeGeneres, who is a renowned
an American stand-up comedienne, television hostess and actress. She hosts the syndicated
talk show 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' which has high viewer ratings.4 Nate Berkus, a well-
respected interior designer, frequents the 'Oprah Winfrey Show' and is popular with the
audience. The audience also sympathized with him on the loss of his partner in the 2004
Indian Ocean tsunami. The show 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' aired on Bravo had 3.5
million viewers in 2003 (Entertainment Weekly, Pg. 42). The film, Brokeback Mountain,
released in 2005 received rave reviews (Empire, Rolling Stone).

3
Since the textbook/author of the essay does not explicitly quote the region where the
study was conducted, it can be concluded that the study was conducted in North America.
4
According to Nielsen Ratings; the show has also won 25 Emmy Awards in its first three
seasons on the air.

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Examining media portrayal of homosexuality in Eastern media, 'Fire' (1996) - the first
Indian film to explicitly show homosexual relations caused riots and vandalism when
screened. A known Indian politician, Bal Thackery, compared lesbianism to 'a sort of a social
AIDS' which might 'spread like an epidemic' (Bearak, 1998).
Pakistani host and actor, Ali Saleem, also known as, Begum Nawazish Ali's 'Late Night with
Begum Nawazish Ali' is a bold attempt at making homosexuality acceptable in the Pakistani
society.
Looking into Middle Eastern societies, issue number 26 of the women's magazine 'Sayyidaty'
talks about transgender issues which shows that the subject of LGBT is slowly veering off
the taboo of discussing about it in the media. In the UAE, reports of sodomy in the media
suggest that homosexuality is underground and covert in the region.5 Article 354 of the
Federal Penal Code of the UAE states: "Whoever commits rape on a female or sodomy with
a male shall be punished by death."
Transgenders6 in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, are known as 'Hijras'. They are
marginalized in the society and have very few employment opportunities. In November
2009, India agreed to list eunuchs and transgender people as "others", distinct from males
and females, in voting rolls and voter identity cards. Likewise in Pakistan, Chief Justice
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary had ordered the government to recognize eunuchs as a
distinct gender in a landmark move towards granting their sidelined community rights. (PK
on Web, 2010)

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/darticlen.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2009/June/theuae_June79.x
ml&section=theuae

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10218234/
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These identities have no exact match in the modern Western taxonomy of gender and
sexual orientation. Most are born apparently male, but some may be intersex (with
ambiguous genitalia). They are often perceived as a third sex, and most see themselves as
neither men nor women. However, some may see themselves (or be seen as) females,
feminine males or androgynies. Some, especially those who speak English and are
influenced by international discourses around sexual minorities may identify as transgender
or transsexual women. (Wikipedia, 2010)

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Proposed reasons for inhibition of LGBT in Eastern societies

The connection between beliefs, values and attitudes –

™ Beliefs can be defined as individually held subjective ideas about the nature of an
object or event. These subjective ideas are in large part, a product of culture, and
they directly influence our behaviors.
™ Cultural values are a motivational force behind our behaviors. Values represent the
things which we hold important in our lives, such as morality and ethics.
™ In relation, our beliefs and values push us to hold certain attitudes, which are
learned tendencies to act or respond in a specific way to events, objects, people, or
orientations. (Intercultural Communication: A Reader, Pg. 13)

Since Eastern and Western societies have different value system and beliefs, the reasons for
the acceptance of LGBT communities in Western societies and inhibition in Eastern societies
can be rationalized through the following points:

Individualism vs. Collectivism

In collectivistic cultures, which are, mostly Asian and Latin American cultures, people are
more likely to think of themselves as part of an interdependent group rather than their
individual self. They use in-group norms to shape their behavior more than personal
attitudes. They pay attention to the needs of others and stay in relationships even when
that is not maximally beneficial to them (Triandis & Gelfand, 1998). Hence, the individuals
in the community try to conform to the norms since they think about the impact of their
behaviors on family, community, and tribe. An LGBT community member thinking of going
mainstream may perhaps then think twice because his/her value system is inclined towards
collectivism and therefore, will think about the consequences of his/her orientation
decisions. People in collectivistic cultures do not want to be pariahs and shunned. They do
not want to stand out.
A person in an individualistic culture, such as North and Western Europe, and North
America7, on the other hand, reflect on the individual self. Priority is given to personal
goals. Individualistic people use attitudes much more than norms as determinants of their
social behavior. Since norms are not the primary determinant of their behavior, an LGBT

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Except Mexico

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member in Western society is more acceptable. (Intercultural Communication: A Reader,
Pg. 19 and pg. 20)

Tightness vs. Looseness

Tight cultures are those cultures which have many rules, norms and ideas about what is
correct behavior in each situation whereas loose cultures have fewer rules and norms. Tight
cultures are such that people may become quite upset when others do not follow the norms
of the society, and may even kill those who do not behave as expected. It is not such in
loose cultures where people are tolerant of deviations from normative behavior. Applying
this to LGBT communities' acceptance, tight cultures like Saudi Arabia would view
homosexual behavior as deviant behavior and would not tolerate breaking of the norms of
the society. (Intercultural Communication: A Reader, Pg. 20)

Universalism vs. Particularism

Universalist cultures are on the notion of treating everyone on the basis of universal criteria.
Taking sexuality as an example, we can say, all competent persons regardless of their
sexual orientation are acceptable employees. Universalist cultures are mostly Western
societies. On the other hand, particularist cultures treat a person on the basis of who they
are, no matter what qualifications a person may have. Therefore, an LGBT member may be
looked upon as who they are and thus, refused to be accepted on universal terms.
(Intercultural Communication: A Reader, Pg. 21)

Emotional expression vs. suppression

People may express their emotions freely, no matter what the consequences, or they may
control the expression of emotions. The free expression of emotion may disrupt
relationships; therefore, collectivists tend to suppress emotions. An LGBT member
expressing the act of coming out of his/her closet may disrupt the relations with family and
society, individualist cultures generally do not think about the after-effects whereas Eastern
societies tend to keep silent on such emotions. (Intercultural Communication: A Reader, Pg.
21)

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Shame vs. Guilt
According to Dodd's (1987) categorization, worldview elements are divided into nine groups,
most of which stereotypically contrast the East and the West. Of these elements, the
element of 'shame vs. guilt' can be applied to the reason of inhibition of LGBT members in
Eastern societies. An Easterner, bringing shame to a group is likely to be cast out of it.
Westerners consider the individual more important than the group. Saving face is important
in the East. (Intercultural Communication: A Reader, Pg. 30)

Conservative worldviews vs. liberal worldviews

Religious beliefs are a significant influence in the creation of worldviews as we have noted
earlier in the essay. No matter how secular a person might be, religious culture does have
its influence.8 According to Emerson (1996), those with conservative worldviews base their
moral and authority in the transcendent. Eastern societies are mostly conservative societies
such as India and UAE. Those holding liberal worldviews participate in the religious and
secular cultures that root their moral and ethical norms in humans. They generally stress
reason and logical thinking. Therefore, an LGBT member in the Western societies, which are
generally liberal, will not consider being homosexual out of norm whereas, in conservative
societies where homosexuality is out of norm will not encourage it. (Intercultural
Communication: A Reader, Pg. 31)

Legal repercussions vs. Freedom of expression

In "On Liberty" (1859) John Stuart Mill argued that "...there ought to exist the fullest liberty
of professing and discussing, as a matter of ethical conviction, any doctrine, however
immoral it may be considered." Mill argues that the fullest liberty of expression is required
to push arguments to their logical limits, rather than the limits of social embarrassment.
However, Mill also introduced what is known as the harm principle, in placing the following
limitation on free expression: "the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised
over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."
(Wikipedia, 2010)
In Western societies, this utilitarian concept and freedom of speech is intrinsic in their
society's constitution and thus, even if being LGBT maybe considered 'deviant' by some, the

8
Those who reject religious faith still follow much of the religious heritage that influences
their culture, (Intercultural Communication: A Reader, pg. 31)

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right to profess such a belief is accepted. It may be argued that some Eastern societies
believe in the exercise of freedom of speech too as laid down by their constitution but the
legality marking homosexuality as a criminal offence purports the view that homosexuality
harms the society.

Conclusion
The acceptance or rejection of homosexuality is, as we can see, a result of differences in
cultural value systems and beliefs in Eastern and Western societies.

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 Works Cited

Samovar, Larry A.; Porter, Richard E.; McDaniel Edwin R. 'Intercultural Communication: A
Reader.' 12th Edition.

Freedom of Speech. Wikipedia. Last retrieved: January 25, 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech#The_right_to_freedom_of_speech_and_e
xpression

Ricci, James; Biederman, Patricia Ward. "Acceptance of gays on rise, polls show." Los
Angeles Times (2004). Sodomy Laws. Last retrieved: January 25, 2010.
http://www.glapn.org/sodomylaws/usa/usnews094.htm

Stonewall Riots. Wikipedia. Last retrieved: January 25, 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots

"A Tale of Two Networks." Entertainment Weekly #1001. July 11, 2008. Pg. 42.

Bearak, Barry. "New Delhi Journal; A Lesbian Idyll, and the Movie Theaters Surrender."
December 24, 1998. Last retrieved: January 25, 2010.
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/24/world/new-delhi-journal-a-lesbian-idyll-and-the-
movie-theaters-surrender.html?pagewanted=1

LGBT rights in United Arab Emirates. Wikipedia. Last retrieved: January 25, 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_United_Arab_Emirates

AFP. "Pakistan move towards eunuch rights." December 24, 2009. Last retrieved: January
25, 2010.
http://pkonweb.com/tag/eunuchs-in-pakistan/

LGBT. Wikipedia. Last retrieved: January 25, 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT

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Nguyen, Minh T. "Civil rights – the history of gay rights." 1999. Last retrieved: January 25,
2010.
http://www.enderminh.com/minh/civilrights.aspx

Homosexuality. Wikipedia. Last retrieved: January 25, 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality

Same-sex marriage. Wikipedia. Last retrieved: January 25, 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage

Hijra (South Asia). Wikipedia. Last retrieved: January 25, 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia)

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