Jordanian Cultural Markers and Misconceptions

Assalamualaykum from the Arabian dessert dunes of Jordan! Allow me to escort you to your tent with my Camel and sweeten the Knafeh for desert while I ask Khadeeja to get your Sheesha ready. A day in the Middle East you may ask? Maybe whats shown on the media , but definitely not our reality today. 

According to Scribt.com, Language is known for being a "Communicative act that is social which is tied to cultural context as culture is shaped through our language use." With out a doubt, this leads to my point on how cultural markers are events or facets of our society that illustrate or reveal cultural or societal norms, and shifts in those norms.

Being part of the Arab community, I believe that most of Arabs share similar cultural aspects and traditions. This includes culture markers like being family-oriented and conservative people. Although I lived in the UAE for all my life, I still identify myself as being part of the Jordanian culture. An important culture marker in our society is spending quality time with family and friends in the desert alongside our delicious desert called Knafeh. This means you'll find us in desert areas like Wadi Rum and Wadi Alqamar. With out a doubt this is something that is important to us because as Jordanians, we believe we should take pride of our Bedouin historical context as it is part of our tradition to hold onto our customs and values. 

However, a misconception I think people have based on this cultural marker is that Jordan is not civilised in terms of infrastructure (houses and buildings) where most people still camp in hot desert dunes. Although Jordan isn't as rich in goods like oil, it is a civilised country with a relative high literacy rate as its illiteracy rate remains among the lowest in the Arab world with 9.1 per cent of residents aged above 13 classified as illiterate, according to the 2015 Population Census. As of the weather, Jordan's Winters are generally short and cool with temperatures of 5-10°C. One digit celsius? Yes, it does get this cold in Southwest Asia. 

To justify, understanding this cultural marker will promote more effective communication with one another where people would be able to talk to us normally without having to either translate what they say to Arabic or talk slowly in English. Not to mention how some tourists that I know of would pack their bags with shorts and sunglasses expecting a hot summers day during January.  Little did they know that Jordan has four seasons and they would come back freezing! Being aware of such aspects like weather and the development of the country/ people would allow people to not only pack a more suitable set of outfits but also would gain a wider perspective on the cultural norms and development throughout history. Unfolding such misconceptions and cultural markers develops an educated society where we are able to express and share our culture with one another.