Cambodia is a beautiful country, famous for its architecture and landscapes. After almost 30 years of war and destruction, the people of Cambodia are rebuilding their lives, land and culture. They are survivors in every sense of the word. They are very proud of their race, family and country.
Cambodia covers 181,035 square kilometers in the southern part of the Indochina peninsula. It appears almost square in shape and is bounded by Thailand and Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east and south, and the Gulf of Thailand and the country of Thailand to the west. Much of the countryside consists of rolling plains and tropical forests (Tourism, n.d., para. 4).
The ethnic Khmers make up the largest part of Cambodia’s population. There are also the Cham-Malays, the Chinese, the Basques, and 20 distinct cultural mountain nations that occupy the northern mountainous regions. In 2006 the population was 13 million. After all, eighty-five percent of Cambodia’s population lives in small villages and is involved in subsistence agriculture. This country has a very low mortality rate. Unfortunately, this results in a higher infant death rate, and consequently a very low population growth. Male life expectancy at birth in Cambodia is only 57 years, female only 61 years (Factus, n.d., para. 3).
Cambodia’s economy is mainly based on agriculture and tourism. More than 80 percent of Cambodians are farmers. Rice and other crops are grown for their own consumption and subsistence. A small percentage of people work in industries such as: rice mills, fishing, timber, rubber, cement factories, gem mining and textiles .
DISCUSSION.1-Family
While the husband is the head of the nuclear family, the wife still has great influence. husband is responsible for providing entertainment and food for the family and the wife is generally in charge of the family. budget But both men and women are responsible for working in the rice fields and taking care of the family. Most families in Cambodia are extended street vendors, factory workers or tour guides. Because the world recognizes that education is the only true way to guarantee freedom and fiscal security, international and local Cambodian organizations are working to get children out of work and into school (DeSilva, 2000, p.24).
Health and life expectancy are very high in Cambodia. One reason is for healing. Most of the people in rural areas use the same water for drinking and cooking that they use for washing, washing clothes and taking away. waste product As a result, waterborne diseases such as hepatitis are common. Unfortunately, malaria is widespread because the climate is so humid and there are so many mosquitoes. Other common diseases are pneumonia and tuberculosis. These problems are compounded by the fact that there is a shortage of medical personnel in Cambodia to care for these people (Greenblatt, 1995, p.82).
Cambodian children are given a lot of love and freedom until the age of about three or four. At this age they are expected to feed and wash themselves. At the age of five they begin to visit their younger siblings and learn to respect their elders. During the age of ten, boys and girls help the family with household chores or have jobs from the family. Some boys between the ages of eleven and nineteen became temple slaves before becoming a temple novice monk. Boy monks serve from six months to a year to learn the Buddhist religion.
While there are many notable differences between Cambodian culture and US culture, such as mortality rates and available resources, there are some striking similarities. The motives of the unique family found in Cambodia are not unknown to those citizens of the United States. In fact, it is customary for all members of the American family to play a major role in performing household chores, and it is not uncommon for both parents to work. While most Americans do not work in the rice fields, they perform other occupational duties to meet the family’s financial needs. Another commonality between families in Cambodia and those in America is that many children are involved in the care of their grandparents; and therefore the native bird is not unknown to Americans or Cambodians.
DISCUSSION.2-Social Organization
War and displacement of people in Cambodia have made genealogy difficult, if not impossible, to trace more than two generations in family ties. The only exception would be if he was a family member of Illustrious blood. Descent and inheritance of property and land in Cambodia is bilateral. Equally between siblings. But in this case the first-born may inherit more.
The majority of Cambodians live in villages near bodies of water. These people help themselves at the right time. Many people are said to have lived in these towns. They help each other through the cooperation of labor, the sharing of profits and income, and ceremonial obligations as a unit. In these villages, people have a mechanical solidarity for the division of labor practices.
Fortunately, America did not have the great family obsession that Cambodia’s devastating wars had. While America has suffered its share of war, it has not endured the same kind of impact found in Cambodia. Another social difference between the two cultures is that very few American cities or towns are as interconnected as in Cambodia. Here in the US, the sense of community is broad, and isolated. Each county has its own economic assessment and allowance, industry, and elected officials.
DISCUSSION.3-Food
The majority of people in Cambodia still eat what they grow, raise, and catch. Rice is the most famous agricultural product and it takes months of work and patience to cultivate it. Despite the complexity of this crop, rice has been the center of Cambodian culture for centuries. In fact, almost all family members participate in the process of sowing, harvesting, or in some way seasoning the rice. Farmers grow two crops a year, a dry season crop and a dry season crop. Interestingly, families often sell the best rice while keeping the broken grains for themselves, hence mainly for earning money.
In addition, livestock was an essential part of Cambodia’s economic life. Before the rice is planted, oxen, cows, or buffaloes plow and turn the soil. Traditionally, livestock such as water buffaloes, cows and oxen have played a major role in the preparation of rice fields because many farmers simply cannot afford to buy tractors. For this reason, livestock animals are as vital as economy in Cambodia.
Fishing is also an important source of food and income for Cambodians. Most of the fishermen live in the Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake. They use large bamboo cages or nets to catch fish. Some people have fish where they feed cornmeal and other foods until they are big enough to eat or sell. Fish were sold either alive or dried (Greenblatt, 1995, p.88).
There are apparent differences between American culture and Cambodian culture when it comes to food. To begin with, very few Americans who grow up either eat or stir food every day. Such routines are usually seen as fun, especially when one can drive to the nearest butcher and choose from a large selection of groceries, meats, and dry goods Another big difference is that most Americans are involved in foreign occupations with the food industry, so there is no focus. American culture is similar in Cambodia.
DISCUSSION.4-Art
Cambodia has a multifarious way of expressing itself and its character. They do this through silk weaving, architecture and dancing. The colors of the silk dress are interpreted as old. Bright purples, yellows and reds are for the younger ones, and deeper colors for the older ones. In the past, only the finest silk cloth and royal patterns were available (Khmer, n.d., para. 13). Today, officials attending ceremonies at the Royal Palace follow the same traditional practice of wearing a different color on certain days. The silk is spun by the cotton worms that eat the mulberry leaves. Whole families work together to weave silk. Daughters begin to learn how to weave silk when they are seven or eight. To become master weavers, students attend a school in Phnom Penh where they learn to mix dyes and create complex patterns. These silk cloths are works of art that take months to complete (DeSilva, 2000, p.72).
The national dance of Cambodia is the Lamthon. The Khmers developed this dance during the Angkorean Empire. This is when he captured the Thai dancing girls from Ankor Thom in 1431 and brought them back to Thailand. There, the Thai folk dancer changed their simple costumes into the most beautiful silk dresses with silk shawls. After two hundred years, the Lamthon dance returned to Cambodia. Many of the dances are based on fairy tales or folktales. Both music and dance are an important part of Cambodian culture.
Cambodian architecture is admired around the world. An excellent example of this would be Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat was the residence of monks and nuns. This monument was designed by King Suryavarman II, and was built by workers, laborers and servants. stones and bricks for this ancient temple were made from soil in Cambodia. Workers dig up the soil, make bricks, and dry them in the sun. The only tropical soil has an iron oxide that gives the soil its red color, called laterite. Structures built of brick have stood the weather for centuries. Angkor Wat took thirty-seven years to build. The measurements and placements of the buildings are precise and have magical and cosmic significance to the Khmer (Lutgens, & Tarbuck, 2006, p. 126).
In every culture there are always artistic achievements that are viewed as icons. Cambodia also has its own and the Americas obviously. The only difference is that in America many of the icons of the arts are a combination of cultural beauty doctrines; hence, America is the cause of the world. Therefore, the definition of the exact achievements of the arts is difficult because many people in American culture have such definitions of beauty. Some, Washington D.C. with all their pious monuments and monuments they can be beautiful, while other historical buildings have their own small town feel artistic significance. So, while both cultures share the joy of artistic expression, the definition of reality is an issue.
DISCUSSION.5-Family
Most Cambodians are Theravada Buddhists. This religion was started by an Indian prince named Siddhartha-gautama, who in the sixth century B.C. He spent his entire adulthood trying to understand why people’s lives were full of pain and what could be done about it. The conclusions reached are known as the Noble Eightfold Path, which are a series of rules that stipulate that if one follows these rules, they will lead a person to enlightenment (DeSilva, 2000, p. 47).
A Buddhist sees the world and all life as part of eternal change. Buddhists believe that man is continually reborn in human and non-human form, according to his actions from his previous life; Earning merit is an important cycle to reach nirvana. This is done by visiting shrines, celebrating holidays days, giving money, goods and works to temples; or by providing food to the monks. Children can earn from temple servants or novice monks. Women should earn if their children live among the monks to serve.
Many Cambodian Buddhists believe that supernatural spirits inhabit natural objects. They call these spirits when they are sick or sometimes in crisis. They abduct evil spirits to small altars, and offer food, flowers, and other things to the contented spirits; Many Cambodians believe powers to bring them omen and ward off evil spirits.
While Buddhism is not the main religion in America, it certainly has a significant presence as well as other popular American religions, such as Catholicism and Christianity. While in Cambodia it is rare to practice any religion other than Buddhism, in America it is very common to have many different faiths in one place. Catholicism has one thing in common with Buddhism, because this religion has many saints; the followers of this religion wear medals and pray to these supernatural beings.
CONCLUSION
The new politics and government established in Cambodia are gradually trying to rebuild the economy and culture. With the help of the United Nations, the Kingdom of Cambodia was established in 1993. Cambodia’s government is a multiparty, liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy. King Norodom Sihanouk and Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The cultural change of families and societies was caused by the violence of wars. During the Khmer Rouge in 1975 through 1979, many people migrated to the country to work in the rice fields (Blakely & Blakely, 2007, p. 146). Professional people were killed by the Khmer Rouge army. Unfortunately, children at this time did not have basic education, so the illiteracy rate affected about 40 percent of the population. Even now, after the rehabilitation of the country has begun, schools have shortages of playgrounds, laboratories and equipment. Under the rule of the Khmer Rouge, people were not allowed to wear bright colored clothing. All black, blue, or purple. The roads and streets of the city were badly damaged by holes and craters in the war. This made the journey very difficult for the people. The Khmer Rouge banned all religion in Cambodia, so temples were destroyed and monks worked in the rice fields or were killed. Later, many of the cultural artifacts of this period were smuggled out of the country and sold to private traders. The Cambodians took their families, religion, homes and culture from them. Thankfully, however, the people finally rested in peace. With this new peace, the complete return of the king, and the privilege of culture, the people of Cambodia are united.
The United Nations helped the Cambodian people put their destruction behind them in the war. Both the United States and Canada have given millions of dollars in aid to Cambodia. This money was used to rebuild the economy and help the people. The United Nations helped build a democratic government, encouraged economic development, and brought Khmer Rouge leaders to trial for crimes against humanity. Many refugees were sent to Canada and the United States to start a new life, and for these people the road was easy. When refugees arrived in North America, they used to have a lot. Many did not know how to read or write. Still, they had jobs to support their families. Furthermore, they were not used for cold, running water, or electricity. Today, the children of Cambodian immigrants have improved themselves with higher education and a more stable lifestyle. Organizations have been established to preserve Cambodian culture for Cambodian Americans.
A lot has been achieved in Cambodia in the past years, but we still have a lot to do. Governments around the world are trying to provide investors to set up businesses or provide financial assistance. The people of Cambodia have suffered greatly in the past two decades. Cambodia is a small, poor country trying to recover from the effects of war. It remains to be seen what will happen. With the new establishment of government, culture and diplomatic relations, this region is well positioned for success.
REFERENCES
Books
Blakely, P. & Blakely, T. (2007). Seeing Cultural Anthropology Through Film. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
DeSilva, D. (2000). Countries of the World: Cambodia. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Gareth Stevens Publishing
Greenblatt, M. (1995). Enchantment of the World: Cambodia. Chicago, Illinois: Children’s Press, Inc.
Lutgens, F. & Tarbuck, E. (2006). Questions of Geology. Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Websites
Tourism of Cambodia (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2007, from http://tourismcambodia.com/TripPlanner/General/index.asp?PID
Things about Cambodia (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2007, from http:// facta.us/Cambodia.htm
The Khmer (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2007, from http://countrystudies.us/Cambodia/42.htm=Geography&View;=Full
