Bedouin+-+FA11

Darren Miller Pd.-1 8/30/11   Bedouin Culture


 * Language:** When you translate the word “Bedouin” from their language to ours, it literally means “those who lie in the desert.” Some of the Arabic dialects that this culture uses are Najd, Bedawi, and Hassānīya. The Bedouin dialect is different from the dialects of the Syrian and Egyptian people. It is more grammatically correct and pure. All speakers, though, agree that the letters should be pronounced exactly as they are, whether that means they have to specifically emphasize one insignificant letter in a word or not. The reason the Bedouin’s dialect is so unique compared to the others is because it is much more practiced. It’s not practiced the way we practice it though, it’s simply practiced by poetry and usually by the adolescent.


 * Beliefs:** This culture is run by hierarchy. They believe that most things should be settled by themselves and amongst the ones involved only. They also believe that everyone, whether a group or just a single person, should be responsible. Some of the Bedouin tribes early on followed Christianity, some of which still do. Currently, though, the main religion there is Sunni Muslim. The Bedouin’s also believe in good and bad spirits that can haunt them and their children. Because of this they give the children amulets to wear. These amulets are thought to protect them from the spirits they believe to be there.


 * Values:** The Bedouin culture is part of the Arabian culture. They mainly live in the desert with the rest of the Arabian tribes. This culture’s justice system is almost like what we call “the honor system.” These people have very good honor codes, which is what keeps trust and peace among them. According to “Bedouin Key Values,” the Bedouin’s key values consist of harmony, kinship, solidarity, honor, and hierarchy. They put family first but believe just about the same things as each other when it comes to work, money, problems, etc.


 * Behaviors:** Usually the Bedouin people are separated into tribes or clans. The typical family contains about three or four grown-ups and their children. (The other one or two adults other than the parents could be their parents and/or their siblings.) This culture is split up into a few different tribes, or groups. These groups would be based not just on family, but economical status as well. So if one member struggled then the rest of the group could help them out. New members to the tribe are also very welcome if they are of the same culture to begin with.


 * Cultural change in the Bedouin society:** This culture was started thousands of years ago and yet it continues to go on today. It thrived on trade routes with their camels through the desert and Mediterranean. They have even become the role model of Arabic values as they are kind and peaceful. They continue to try to be this way today but it constantly grows more difficult with the increase of “modern nation states” and their governments. These governments don’t like the Bedouin nomads to enter their territory for trade when they avoid taxes and legal trade routes. The economy of this culture also is beginning to plunge because of the demand for trucks now-a-days, not camels as they like to use. This is putting the Bedouin culture at risk and if they wish to keep their culture alive then changes must occur.


 * Cultural change in my society:** Things have changed a lot in our society over the years, and they still are. Things that cause this are forces within a society, contact between societies, and changes in the natural environment. Some of these forces could include the loss of some parts of a certain culture and inventions. Inventions is probably one of the biggest technological factors that effects how a culture changes. The invention of new technology over the past forty years has changed our culture a lot. Also, a loss of culture could be just a great of a change. Usually the loss of culture is due to something new to replace and/or forget about it, but sometimes it’s just not common knowledge like it used to be. Globalization is also beginning to change our culture, possibly for the worse. Other countries are finally starting to communicate with each other, open businesses and markets, and get education all online. This enables them to invent new technology just like us, if not better. It’s bad because soon we won’t be the top technological country anymore due to how outnumbered we are compared to all of the countries catching up to us.

//Primary Sources:// “Lifestyle and Values of Modern Bedouins Struggling in Arabia” helped me to understand what was changing about the Bedouin culture. Considering it isn’t as influential or big as others, we don’t see or know everything that is changing about the Bedouin culture. This helped me to grasp just a little part of what we know is changing about their culture. “Bedouin Key Values” helped me see what the true values of the Bedouin society really are. It let me know that they are not a violent people and that their culture is very old, which they must like. //Secondary Sources:// “Bedouin” (Wikipedia) was very helpful to me as it helped me get a relative idea of who the Bedouin people really are. It helped me get started and gave me a lot of helpful information on their beliefs, values, and behaviors. “Countries and Their Cultures” helped me because it summed up what the basic religions of the Bedouin’s are. It also gave me information on their spiritual belief, literally. “Processes of Change” made me realize what the real causes of cultural change are. It’s not just for our culture either, it’s for all cultures. I learned that technology is one of the top factors of cultural change. //Book Source:// “Notes on the Bedouins and Wahábys” told me what I believe to be everything important I should know about the Bedouin’s specific dialect. It let me know that their dialect is unique to the one that the Syrians and Egyptians practice and that they practice it by poetry. Works Cited

"Bedouin Key Values." //BEDAWI Sustainable in Sinai//. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. <[]>.

"Bedouin." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. 22 Aug. 2011. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. <[|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedouin - Traditional_cultures]>.

Burckhardt, John Lewis. //Notes on the Bedouins and Wahábys//. H. Colburn and R. Bentley, 1830. //Google Books//. 3 Mar. 2009. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. <[]>.

"Lifestyle and Values of Modern Bedouins Struggling in Arabia : Loving Muslims Through Prayer | Www.30-days.net." //30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World |// //Christian Guides for Ramadan//. 31 Aug. 2011. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. <[]>.

"Processes of Change." //Culture Change: Processes of Change//. 19 Oct. 2006. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. <[]>.

"Religion and Expressive Culture - Bedouin." //Countries and Their Cultures//. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. <[]>.