Publication Date: 2003 Group/Culture: North African Arab Tunisian Women Place: Tunis, Tunisia Ethnographic Context: Urbanizing, Developing, Modernizing, Industrializing Muslim Nation State Topic(s) of Study: Kin ties Kinship Women Networks Exchange Reciprocity Gender Roles Marriage Globalization Fieldwork Methods: Participant Observation Interviews Surveys Type(s) of Data: Qualitative Data Unstructured interview, Story Collection, Participant Observation Quantitative Survey collection, statistical analysis
Ethical Issues/ Difficulties:
Confidence to talk to strangers Need to understand how men’s network works can’t get to that Needs to transliterate Arabic … Needs to break social norm to get to ppl, no chaperone
Analysis and Conclusion:
Kin exclusive Neighbor Network Friendship Pattern Determinants (characteristic of woman) education level and income, job, determine who in network – choice (agency) NOT-MIGRATION Importance of network – survival, help, food resources, social support (babysitting, chaperoning, taking care of widows/orphans), Financial Rules Visits have to happen and reciprocated, Reciprocated-gifts/money/ food/meals/tea/cakes; Needs to be face to face; Needs to bring food, hostess needs to give tea and snack (Pine nuts-rich, Peanuts –Poor, Almonds- Middle) Residence Patterns are changing patrilocal patrilocal, extended family, neighborhood (patrilocal residence moving up, out) Formal weddings, death, birth, hajj Drop-ins Individuals, groups, and society Identity-based on their origin (Tunis Swaz??, class diff. understanding husbands, tunis swazz-place of origin), Gender Gender Roles, Education how much western culture influenced Groups Networks Class exclusive Need to have balanced reciprocity Public vs Private Rules Private=outside Public=House Societies and cultures in contact French Colonial History biggest influence on structure of gov’t, language diff according to class, education system, architecture; Travel to Europe and to Tunis Shopping in Europe, Vacationing in Tunis- Europeans Contact through the media, desire for western products Dating before marriage Being Neolocal Language French Marking of Status Migrants Kinship as an organizing principle Descent System Patrilineal – Resinence pattern: Patrilocal But changing Visits, Holidays, Lifecyle events Husbands and Her affinal kins Financial/Social Support Purpose of kin groups Patrilineal Parallel Cousin Kin Endogamous Keep Wealth in the family Use of fictive kin expand networks out of neighbors and friends Floating Widows and Orphans Taken in Kin Core of all networks Political Organization Push to westernize which led to the personal status code and secular gov’t personal status codeGave women more rights Abolished polygamy, divorce rights, voting Friendship wouldn’t have existed Gov’t jobs are considered high status jobs Economic Organization and the Environment Balanced Reciprocity w/ new network Market Exchange in Sooks? Need to understand fair market prices Generalized Reciprocity Parents and children Circumcision party Ideal is women to stay at home, informal economy ok-ish Upper-class more westernized women good to have gov’t job Being maid Bad for lower-class women Systems of Knowledge Code Switching Arab, French, English Communication Visits Public sphere is actually private To have time alone, she went outside to walk around??? ; Dichotomy is switched??? Can express themselves through the foods they cook and the foods they serve Peanuts (Lower class), Almonds (Middle Class), Pine nuts (High Class) Size and Gender of sheep demonstrates status Classify tea, nuts, cakes based on price essentially Cakes baklava, Shared understanding of hosting All revolve around reciprocity of gifts, food, visit itself is reciprocated if not visiting not part of network Rules for going out escort, covered, needs to have separation w/ strangers (men handle strangers) Belief Systems and Practices Practicing Muslims Men-pray, go to mosque, sacrifice sheep, down time to watch football Women-do some visiting, cooking Good practicing Muslim – good Formal Visits on holidays; don’t see them –weak, once see each other- strong, and then again to weak Independence mov’t away from religion Ramadan Modification maybe eat a lot during Ramadan Sunni Muslims Moral Systems Difficulties rights/women Characteristics for good women -escort -modest -should let family choose husband Shameful for man woman to work outside the home Incest taboos No longer considered out of question to date before marriage