Sociocultural Constraints In Afghanistan
A mixture of constraints determines the development of movement skills in early
life. Three areas of constraints define how one develops. These three areas involve the individual, task and environmental constraints on a young person. Social and cultural influences are part of one’s environment and can therefore act as environmental constraints. Factors such as religion, cultural norms, morals and ideals make up a culture. These factors have a bold affect on a society’s infrastructure and economic status, which also plays a role in the development of movement skills. It should come as no surprise that a less developed country, such as Afghanistan, produces people with very different levels of movement skills than those of a country such as Canada. By examining the many unique sociocultural constraints of Afghanistan, it is possible to imagine how a young person growing up there might develop movement skills that differ from other parts of the world.
Religion plays a major role in a culture. Its affects are especially noticeable when there is a dominance of a single religion in a group of people. In Afghanistan, about 99% of the population is Islamic (Qazi, 2008). Islam is the second most popular religion in the world (Religious Tolerance, 2008). Those who practice Islam are called “Muslims” or “one who submits to God”. The traditions of Islam touch all areas of life including dietary laws, banking and warfare (Wikipedia, 2008). Some of these traditions can have a profound affect on a developing child.
In Islam, the treatment of women differs greatly from that of other religions. The man is expected to be the financial supporter in a family and therefore the development and education of women is often overlooked at young ages. The result is a decrease of motor skills in females. For example, a young girl who stays at home will not get a chance to throw a ball and will likely never achieve proper...