Understanding Arabs: A Contemporary Guide to Arab Society

320 Pages·2012·12.52 MB·English

by  Margaret K. Nydell

Advance Praise for
Understanding Arabs: A Contemporary Guide to Modern Society
“Margaret Nydell blends her informed understanding of Arab history and
contemporary politics with deep and thoughtful insight into Arab culture and
psychology. Many authors know much about the former, and a few know much
about the latter, but only Understanding Arabs conveys a deep understanding of
the synergies of both. This is essential reading for those working in—or with—
Arab countries, or seeking to understand Arab society.”
— Lawrence R. Velte Associate Professor of Near East South Asia Center
for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, and Associate,
Washington Center for Protocol, Inc.
“This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to comprehend the Middle East.
The writing is fluid, full of examples, and updated to include the Arab Spring.
Dr. Nydell, a world renowned linguist with decades of practical experience in
the field, is an authoritative voice. She provides profound insights into Arabs’
perceptions underlying political events, and our interactions with each other.”
— Elizabeth McKune, Executive Director, Sultan Qaboos Cultural
Center, and Former US Ambassador to the State of Qatar
“For her understanding of the Arab mind, her expertise in teaching, and her skill
in crafting this book, Dr. Nydell is truly a national treasure. Understanding Arabs
should be required reading for any professional or policy maker who is involved
in any way with working with Arabs or on matters impacting the Middle East.”
— F.L. Rusty Capps, Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, and President
of Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence Training Partners LLC.
“This is an important and fascinating book, especially for Americans in the cru-
cial time in U.S.-Arab relations. Dr. Nydell presents a timely, lucid, and engaging
guide to the values and cultures of the Arab world, based on her many years of
working and living there, and on her training as a professional linguist. This can-
did and wonderfully readable book captures the contrasts and the characteristics
of this great civilization and brings them vividly to life for a Western audience.”
— Karin Ryding, PhD, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Professor of Arabic, and
Chair of the Department of Arabic Language, Georgetown University
“Still the only volume of its kind. This timely and needed volume supports
serious-minded efforts to learn, understand, and communicate with Arabs and
Muslims. Nydell combines her many years of experience living in the region
with her special linguistic expertise to offer today’s students insights they are
obliged to critically consider before study or research abroad. The accessible
presentation succeeds in humanizing as it reveals both the difficult issues and
the abiding values that govern peoples’ experiences. Nydell reminds us that in
the Middle East and North Africa there will be much more to grasp as continued
rapid change alters those lives daily.”
— Terrence M. Potter, Visiting Associate Professor,
Georgetown University
“This latest edition of Understanding Arabs is a great introduction to the Arab
world for both the general public and college students who wish to expand their
knowledge of the region. Nydell’s book is of tremendous use in the classroom,
as it engages the cultural, linguistic, religious and political diversity of the Arab
peoples and the Arab lands.”
— Douja Mariem Mamelouk, Assistant Professor, French and
Arabic Literatures, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Praise for Previous Editions of
Understanding Arabs
“For fifteen years, Margaret Nydell’s Understanding Arabs has been used by
countless Americans preparing to work or live in the Arab world. It is a unique
source; there is nothing like it. Written with wit as well as seriousness, it pro-
vides a sound cultural appreciation and basic data on the region . . . Her personal
message of the tragic events of September 11 should be required reading by all
who make decisions or write commentary on the Arab world.
—Max L. Gross, Joint Military Intelligence College
“Middle East specialists have long relied on their worn copies of Understanding
Arabs for insights about Arab social behavior . . . A whole generation of U.S.
diplomats were introduced to the subject by Dr. Nydell in the 1970s and 1980s.
In this concise and practical guide, she shares her wealth of scholarly and real-
world experience, and she does so without the psycho-babble that too often
dominates the other surveys of the subject.
—Ambassador David L. Mack, Vice President, Middle East Institute
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understanding
A r a bs
fifth edition
A Contemporary Guide to Arab Society
Margaret K. Nydell
I N T E R C U L T U R AL P R E S S
an imprint of Nicholas Brealey Publishing
BOSTON • LONDON
First published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing in 2012.
20 Park Plaza, Suite 1115A 3-5 Spafield Street, Clerkenwell
Boston, MA 02116, USA London, EC1R 4QB, UK
Tel: + 617-523-3801 Tel: [phone]
Fax: + 617-523-3708 Fax: [phone]
www.nicholasbrealey.com
© 2012 by Margaret K. Nydell
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in
any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher,
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or
reviews.
Printed in the United States of America
16 15 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN: 978-0-98395-580-1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nydell, Margaret K.
Understanding Arabs : A Contemporary Huide to Arab Society /
Margaret K. Nydell. — 5th ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-98395-580-1 (pbk.)
1. Arabs. I. Title.
DS36.77.N93 2012
909'.04927--dc23
2011044169
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Brief Contents
A Message from the Author xi
Map of the Arab World xxii
Preface xxiii
Introduction: Patterns of Change xxix
Chapter 1 Beliefs and Values 1
Chapter 2 Friends and Strangers 5
Chapter 3 Emotion and Logic 17
Chapter 4 Getting Personal 23
Chapter 5 Men and Women 33
Chapter 6 Social Formalities and Etiquette 47
Chapter 7 The Social Structure 59
Chapter 8 The Role of the Family 63
Chapter 9 Religion and Society 73
Chapter 10 Communicating with Arabs 87
Chapter 11 Islamic Fundamentalism (Islamism) 99
Chapter 12 Anti-Americanism 111
Chapter 13 Arabs and Muslims in the West 127
Chapter 14 The Arab Countries, Similarities and
Differences: The Arab Countries in Africa 145
Chapter 15 The Arab Countries in the Center 169
Chapter 16 The Arab Countries in the Arabian Peninsula 189
iii
iv Brief Contents
Conclusion 211
Appendix: The Arabic Language 215
Notes 223
Bibliography 247
Index 265
About the Author 277
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Contents
A Message from the Author xi
The Arab Spring xii
Terrorism xiv
Looking to the Future xx
Map of the Arab World xxii
Preface xxiii
Introduction: Patterns of Change xxix
Modernization xxix
The Arab Human Development Reports xxxiv
The Effects of Change xxxiv
The Muslim View xxxvi
Islamic Education xxxvii
Facing the Future xxxviii
Chapter 1 Beliefs and Values 1
Basic Arab Values and Attitudes 3
Basic Arab Self-Perceptions 4
Chapter 2 Friends and Strangers 5
The Concept of Friendship 5
Reciprocal Favors 5
Introductions 7
Visiting Patterns 8
Business Friendships 10
Office Relations 11
Criticism 12
v
vi Contents
Intermediaries 13
Private and Public Manners 14
Chapter 3 Emotion and Logic 17
Objectivity and Subjectivity 17
Fatalism 18
What Is Reality? 18
The Human Dimension 20
Persuasion 21
Chapter 4 Getting Personal 23
Personal Questions 23
Sensitive Subjects 24
Social Distance 25
Gestures 27
Names 28
Chapter 5 Men and Women 33
Social Interaction 33
Displaying Intimacy 35
The Status of Women 35
Women’s Right to Vote 38
Women in Government Positions 39
Women’s Power in the Family 39
The Headscarf and the Veil 40
Polygamy 43
Traditional Gender Roles 44
Western Women 45
Looking Toward the Future 46
Chapter 6 Social Formalities and Etiquette 47
Hospitality 47
Time and Appointments 49
Discussing Business 50
Sharing Meals 51
Smoking 54
Rules of Etiquette 55
Contents vii
Chapter 7 The Social Structure 59
Social Classes 59
Image and Upper-Class Behavior 60
Dealing with Service People 61
Chapter 8 The Role of the Family 63
Family Loyalty and Obligations 63
Relations Among Family Members 65
Marriage 67
Divorce 68
Child-Rearing Practices 69
Talking About Your Family 70
Chapter 9 Religion and Society 73
Religious Affiliation 73
Religious Practices 73
The Religion of Islam 75
Sunni and Shia 79
The Sharia, Islamic Law 79
The Qur’an and the Bible 81
Passages from the Qur’an 84
Chapter 10 Communicating with Arabs 87
Varieties of Arabic 88
The Superiority of Arabic 89
The Prestige of Classical Arabic 90
Eloquence of Speech 91
Speech Mannerisms 93
Pleasant and Indirect Responses 94
The Power of Words 94
Euphemisms 95
The Written Word 96
Proverbs 97
Chapter 11 Islamic Fundamentalism (Islamism) 99
Definitions and Numbers 99
Jihad 104