19 OBSERVATIONS ON THE CULTURE OF JORDAN
*Disclaimer: These are merely observations made from nine
months living in Jordan. I am no expert
and am not seeking to draw conclusions at this time. I am just noting things that stood out to me
as different from life in America. *
General Cultural Observations
#19 Greetings
When people see friends or family members, they typically exchange several
verbal greetings (How are you? How’s your family? How’s your health? etc.). They also kiss each other on the cheeks, once
on the first cheek and usually two or three times on the second cheek (men with
men and women with women only).
#18 Daily Schedule
Jordanians eat their main meal around 2pm. Dinner is later in the evening and very
light. Breakfast is eaten midmorning.
#17 Hospitality
In Jordan, it seems that people do not plan visits in advance. When they want to visit their friend, they
simply show up at their house. Guests
are typically invited in, and it is normal for company to stay for several
hours. Tea and then coffee will be
brought out on a tray, often with other snacks as well. The general rule seems to be that if you
don’t want to host company, you don’t answer the door.
#16 In the Street
It is socially inappropriate to draw attention to yourself in the
street. This means no laughing or
talking loudly. This is especially
important for women. Walking outside
with wet hair is also socially unacceptable, as is wearing shorts or anything
else that shows a lot of skin. Also, it
is common to see young children playing in the streets with no supervision or
running errands for their parents.
#15 Shepherds and Bedouin
Even in the city, it is normal to see a shepherd walking around with a
herd of sheep or goats. They often live
in tents outside the city and move around regularly.
#14 Women’s Rights
Although women in Jordan are able to work outside the home, drive, go to
university, etc. they still do not have as much freedom as women in other parts
of the world. Based on my interactions
in Jordan, it seems that many women detest the lack of freedom and long to move
out of the country.
#13 Health
Smoking is very common in Jordan (among men, women, and teens). There are not many restrictions about where
you are allowed to smoke. Exercise and fitness
is also less common. There are men’s
gyms and women’s gyms, but sports are not popular, and you do not see people
going on runs, riding bikes, or walking for fitness.
#12 Taking Turns
Jordanians have less of a concept of “waiting your turn.” Lines often look more like masses of people,
and those who are passive in line will never get a turn. Sometimes people skip half the line
altogether and simply force their way into the middle. Driving is similar. Intersections are a free for all. Rules such as right of way, staying on your
side of the road, and speed are much less firm/regulated.
#11 Long Live the King
Jordan is a monarchy. In general,
the public seems to love and express loyalty to the king. However, because of the Palestinian/Jordanian
divide and the divisions amongst tribes, there are entire families/groups that
oppose the king and his government.
Although there are also legislative and judicial powers, the king seems
to have more power than a president in the west. In addition, he sponsors tons of programs
throughout Jordan (hiking trails, sports centers, etc.), and has MANY things
named after him.
#10 Treatment of Animals and Nature
“Being green” is not an idea that has come to Jordan yet. There is no recycling, and it is not uncommon
to see people throwing trash on the street or even out the window of their
house. In addition, most people do not
particularly like animals and see them as dirty. Wild animals are teased/harassed by children
and adults. Pets are uncommon.
#9 Tribes
Tribes are a very important part of Jordanian culture. People have fierce loyalty to their family
tribes, and often do not want their children to marry outside the tribe. Because of this, it is common for people to
marry their relatives, especially cousins.
Tribal closeness also means that family events are very important. Funerals and weddings are huge because
typically the whole tribe (extended family, etc.) will be invited, even if they
do not have a personal connection with the person being celebrated.
#8 Family Bonds
It also seems that siblings and parents have closer relationships than
many of those in the West. Adult
siblings often visit each other frequently, teenaged siblings hang out
together, etc. In addition, children
usually do not move out of their parents’ house until they get married. Thus it is common for adult siblings to still
live together with their parents.
Families work hard to support each other, which is especially important
because one salary is usually not enough to cover the cost of rent.
#7 Tawjihi and Job Choice
During senior year of high school, all students take a standardized test
called the Tawjihi. They take tests in
roughly 15 subject areas and must pass all of them to receive a high school
diploma. Students who don’t pass may
take the test two more times, but must wait a full year between each test
session. In addition, Tawjihi results
directly affect students’ job choice.
Each career has a minimum score. If you don’t attain that score, you
cannot study that major/field in college.
#6 Reaction to Diversity
People in Jordan seem less accustomed to diversity. People (especially youth) frequently stare,
comment about, and/or tease people they see in the streets that stand out as
different, such as foreigners or people with special needs.
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Cultural Observations Related to
Faith
#5 View of Muslims
It seems that most Christians see Muslims as “bad people.” They do not want to be their friends, spend
time with them, or get to know them.
They don’t trust them at all and also don’t express compassion or a
desire to lead them to Christ. In
general, it seems that most Christians want to separate themselves from Muslims
as much as possible.
#4 Evangelism
Many Jordanian Christians hold the belief that not all Christians are
responsible for preaching the gospel.
They believe that only those with the spiritual gift of evangelism should
be attempting to lead unbelievers to Christ.
Those without the gift should be able to answer questions about
Christianity when asked, but they should not evangelize.
#3 Reading the Bible
The Bible is written in Modern Standard Arabic, not in the colloquial
language that Arabic speakers actually use to converse. Because many of the words are not used in
daily language, the Bible is very hard to understand. Literate Arabs are able to read it, but it is
sort of like Shakespearian English, very far from what is spoken today. Because of this, many Jordanian Christians
don’t read the Bible for themselves but instead rely only on teachings from
priests/pastors.
#2 Being Born Into a Religion
Many people in Jordan express the idea that each person is “born into” a
religion. You are born Christian, or you
are born Muslim. They do not see
faith/religion as a personal choice, but simply a result of what family you are
born into.
#1 Results of Becoming Christian
Although Christians in Jordan are free to worship openly in churches,
there are intense consequences for those who convert from Islam to
Christianity, as well as for those who lead them to faith. If a Muslim converts to Christianity, there
is a high chance that their own family will try to kill them. Our friend expressed it this way, “If you
convert a Muslim to Christianity, their family will kill you, your family, and the
one you converted.” This actually goes
the other way as well. Christian
families have also been known to kill their own relatives who converted to
Islam.
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Conclusion
Living in Jordan has been a very eye-opening experience. We were not just visiting or travelling. We actually lived among the people, built
relationships, and experienced Middle Eastern life first-hand. The experience has changed our perception of
the region, of politics, and even of missions.
We are grateful for all that we’ve learned, and believe God has used
this time to refine and shape us. It has
truly been an unforgettable experience.
