Look before you leap to conclusions!

Katie Dunn discusses the fine line between right and wrong.

''We can be quick to judge and condemn things as wrong. But is this ‘wrong’ label ever the right one. How do we draw the fine line between what’s right and what’s not? Is it even possible?'' ''For many couples, an arranged marriage may prove to be a very happy one and the practice is a feature of many different cultures (including our own, in the past).'' ''Most people see fit to campaign against FGM, but it is an age-old tradition in many cultures, so really what is it that gives us the right to condemn it?''

The world is shrinking - thanks to globalisation and improvements in communication technologies. This means that we are often brought into contact with other cultures: through the media, through living in a multicultural society, and through firsthand experience as travel becomes cheaper.

The advantages of living in such a world are obvious: acceptance of other cultures promotes understanding and leads to great advances in society, especially in the arts and sciences. But sometimes we find aspects of a culture difficult to understand. We can be quick to judge and condemn things as wrong. But is this ‘wrong’ label ever the right one. How do we draw the fine line between what’s right and what’s not? Is it even possible?

The news is always full of stories covering the conflicts that happen when practices indigenous to one culture are deemed unacceptable to another. Such culture clashes are unfortunately, to some extent, inevitable. We all have different ideas about what is, and is not, conventional behaviour. This is applicable on a very small level too. For example, you and your parents may have differing ideas about when you should do your homework, or whom you hangout with. Equally, there are hugely varying opinions about cultural beliefs.

One example of such a practice is that of arranged marriage. To you, it may seem objectionable to marry someone you have never met, selected for you by your parents. But in large portions of the world, this is a commonplace occurrence and the way it has been for a long time (it should be pointed out that arranged marriage and forced marriage are very different issues). For many couples, an arranged marriage may prove to be a very happy one and the practice is a feature of many different cultures (including our own, in the past).

Clearly it is very important to be aware of social and historical contexts before leaping to any conclusions. But problems arise when we try to urge a culture to change its way of life because we believe its actions are harmful to its people. This is an incredibly sensitive issue: when is it ok to campaign against a cultural practice?

Some issues cause instant outrage - for example, female genital mutilation, the seemingly brutal removal of a young girl’s clitoris. Most people see fit to campaign against this, but it is an age-old tradition in many cultures, so really what is it that gives us the right to condemn it? There are, of course, many answers to this question, but what I am trying to point out is that it is extremely difficult to draw a line in the sand between what is, and is not, acceptable.

This article isn’t meant to provide answers. I am raising an incredibly complex debate, and highlighting the difficulties within it. In my opinion, I think it would be better not to try to draw a line between right and wrong, and to instead consider each practice in context, and try to understand its place in the society from which it developed.