Live and Let Live: Diversity in Egypt

"If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity."
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

  • A Country in Transition

    • Egypt is a country well-known for its ancient traditions. However, recent changes within the western world have impacted Egypt and its people. As a result, it is unlikely that many Egyptian children will be able to continue to live in the traditional lifestyles that their parents and grandparents have known. Opinions concerning western modernization in Egypt are mixed, largely due to the diversity within the Egyptian people. There are many sub-groups within the greater Egyptian population with their own distinct styles of religion, education and employment. Many citizens are torn between maintaining the traditional lifestyles they have led for centuries or changing to adapt to a country which is becoming increasingly modern.

  • The Desert Nomads


    • The Bedouins are a group of nomads located in northern Egypt who migrate often in order to find grazing range for their livestock. Bedouin society has a strict code of honor which dictates proper behavior for all members including children. Because of the demanding nature of the Bedouin lifestyle, children are expected to assume a considerable amount of responsibility in order to help their families survive. Although modernization has changed the Bedouin lifestyle somewhat, emphasis is placed on teaching children to carry on traditional ways of life and advancements such as modern technology are not considered important to children's education.

  • Egypt's Peasant Class


    • Much of the agriculture in Egypt is supported by the Fallahin, the people living along the Nile River. When they are old enough, children work with their families in the field, helping with planting, harvesting and transporting food to market. Even young children have a role to play, and accompany their mothers to the marketplace to help tend to booths where the crops are sold. Children raised within the Fallahin population are, like the Bedouin children, often encouraged to carry on the work of their parents and education is focused on teaching children the agricultural skills needed to do so.

  • Children in City Settings


    • It is the children living in urban areas such as greater Cairo and Alexandria who are most affected by changes in modern technology. Because these cities are diverse and heavily populated, they provide the perfect setting for the introduction of new ideas and modernization has had a great impact upon the urban lifestyle. Education in cities places much more emphasis on technology and advancement as a way for children to "get ahead" as Egypt's future competitors in the western economy.

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    References:
    Abu-Lughod, Lila. (1986) Veiled Sentiments; Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society. Los Angeles: University of California Press
    Fernea, Elizabeth Warnock. (ed.) (1995) Children in the Muslim Middle East. Austin: University of Texas Press
    Strom, Robert & Strom, Shirley & Fisharah, Fatma & Samadony, E.I. & El-Khatib, Ali. (1992). Parent Expectations of Egyptian Children. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 19, 291-301
    The purpose of this page is to inform browsers of the diversity within the Egyptian population and the issues that arise as a result. This site was created by Tara Russell and is part of The Children of Egypt web project created by Nicole Friedman, Kristi Oppenheim, Tara Russell, and Erica Tennenbaum for Tulane University's Children and Society English Writing Seminar taught by Professor April Brayfield. You can view other country profiles created by our classmates to see how the lives of children vary in different countries around the world.

    Fall, 1998