Standpoint theory by Georg Hegel analyzed the master-slave relationship. The theory discusses people's belonging positions. The purport of the theory is that people’s experiences, opinions, and knowledge are shaped by the social groups they belong to. That means that the social groups we belong to shape how we see the word and how we communicate.
According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, standpoint is “a position from which objects or principles are viewed and according to which they are compared and judged.” The theory contained many elements such as society structure, social location and experience, cultural structure, power and access to power, and reality.
To illustrate what Hegel meant in his theory, He assumed that slaves are happy with their lives as long as the masters provide them food, clothes, drink, and places to sleep in. Also, he assumed that slaves, who were oppressed and harassed, can eventually reach a state of freedom of consciousness as a result of their realization of self-consciousness through struggles against the master, and by getting involved in physical labor in projects that help them to find their ways in life. Moreover, he assumed that slaves have a different perception of chains and punishment.
Standpoint theory has been argued and criticized by many researchers. First of all, researchers believe that formulating a standpoint is a conscious and active process. To obtain a standpoint, a person must recognize and evaluate others experiences and social position and circumstances they have had. researchers think that standpoint relies on essentialism. Because it focuses on locations of the social groups, it does not apply to universal levels. In addition, the theory ignores that in the same social group there are some different cultures (SOWELL, 2004).
I was born in Riyadh, which is the capital of Saudi Arabia. It is a very big city, and it has many foreigners who represent many races from different countries. Unlike what many people around the world think, Saudi Arabia is a very peaceful country that welcomes everybody, not just Muslims. Saudi society is diverse despite they all are Muslims. For example, the southern part has its culture that is completely different from the northern part. My neighbors are Saudis, and the whole community is Muslim. People, there are very simple, and they do not have any sharp racial issues.
Regarding my standpoint and views about different races, many things have shaped my standpoint. Islam is the first factor that shaped my standpoint. In I slam, people are equal, and there is no difference between black and white, Arab and non-Arab. People from different races go together to the mosques and worship God. There are no designated mosques for a certain race or color. In Islam also we are not allowed to discriminate against non-Muslims just because they are not Muslims. Islam also taught me that God has created everything; so no one picks his color or race. On the other hand, there are no laws in Saudi Arabia that give a certain group or color any privileges.
The second factor is my father. He taught me that all human beings are the same. The only thing that makes people different is their manner, nothing else. The third factor is education. When I studied and read history, I learned that people are the same, even if they belong to different races. We all seek peace and happiness. We all love our families and work hard to make them happy. We all have the same nature. Conflicts appear when we ignore other’s rights and do not respect and understand the differences between us. The fourth factor is traveling. I have been almost everywhere in the world, and that gave me the chance to meet different people from different races and broadened my mind. I found it very interesting to know about different cultures and races, which I enjoyed. The fifth factor is my own perception of color and race. For me, it does not make sense that a race or color would give such a privilege.
Those factors together have shaped my views about race and made my mind so open. They encourage me to approach others and initiate friendships. They made feel more comfortable and relaxed wherever I go.
Back to Saudi Arabia, people there have no racial issues, but there are some people who have privileges, which brings them more respect by others. For example police officers, doctors, and businessmen receive more attention, and people respect them more than they respect low- wages workers, like janitors, which is completely unethical and inhuman.
Currently, I live in Michigan, United States, which is completely different from Saudi Arabia. Despite the fact that the American president is black, the issue of race in the U.S.is a hot issue. In the previous semester, I was taking a course, and the professor asked us to divide into groups. Within seconds, the students divided up into groups according to the color, which shocked me, and I ended up alone. Finally, I joined African-American students.
In 2009, I was traveling from Columbus, Ohio to Washington. D.C, and I was the only middle-eastern passenger. The security strip-searched me before I got on the plane.

References
Swell, S. (2004). Doing Gender/Teaching Science: A Feminist Poststructural Analysis of Middle School Science Teachers' Identity Negotiations. Retrieved from The Florida State University DigiNole Commons.