By allisonray94
It's project week! That means no classes, field trips, and lots of knowledge! Basically, our program is split into three groups: Tribes and Tribalism, Refugees, and Developmental Organizations. We spend the week researching our topic and going to lectures and events related to it. My group is Tribes, and I've mainly been focusing on Tribalism in Jordan as a symbol of Jordanian national identity (as opposed to pan-Arab identity or Palestinian identity).
So I'd like to explain the concept of Jordanian tribes for a second, because I feel like there are a lot of incorrect assumptions in America when people hear the word "tribes." No, most of them don't live in tents or ride around on camels. Instead, today in Jordan tribes connote a primarily political context. Instead of fighting for land and resources, they're fighting for seats in Parliament. For better or worse, tribes are as much a part of Jordan's modernity as of its tradition -- and in my opinion are so influential in part because they bridge the gap between the two.
Anyway, the week hasn't just been lectures. We had an interesting visit to Parliament, where we met with a representative who spoke at length about how the tribes have no role in government (not quite true) and how Parliament in Jordan is changing. He also asked us specifically to tell Americans that Jordan is not part of Israel (very true), so consider yourselves informed. The next day, we went to the Jordan Museum. The Bedouin exhibit there was interesting because it seemed sort of lost in time; lights glowed like stars on a black ceiling and the walls were covered with pictures of a traditional Bedouin camp. Unlike the other exhibits, though, there weren't any temporal markers written down. Despite the changes to the way Bedouins and tribes have lived in the past, I think even here there is a sense that the traditional life is deeply connected to Jordan's past, present, and future.
Stray Observations of the Week:
- Sometimes the best restaurants have the dirtiest tableware.
- Badminton is apparently popular here? Which is saying something because sports are not big in Jordan. At all.
- Smoking argileh is the best thing for the mid-semester funk.
- Happy birthday to my host sisters!