Egypt (Essay Sample)

Student's Name Instructor's Name Institution Affiliation Cultural and Ethnic Studies Date Egypt This paper will help in giving valuable information about the country Egypt t the researchers of values, culture, manners, customs, etiquette, and an understanding of Egyptians better. The capital city of the country is Caro. The country's climate is a desert. The region has hot and dry summers that have average winters. The religion of Egypt is dominated by Muslims who make up to 94% of the population while the Coptic Christians and other religions sum u to 6% of the population. Geographical location Egypt is a country that is found in the northeast of the corner of Africa. Te country is found along the Mediterranean Sea and is bordered by Sudan, Libya, Israel, and the Red Sea. Looking at the size of the country, it is almost one-half of Texas City. The country is divided into two unequal parts that are separated by the dominant landscape feature which is River Nile (Robert). The Nile River is found between two cities in Egypt that are Port Said and Alexandria. Language In more than thirteen centuries, the language that has been written and spoken in Egypt is Arabic. But, before the Arabic language, Coptic was the language used by religions and all the entire population of the country. Both Muslims and Christians use the Arabic language in Egypt. The Arabic language has eventually become a derivative of French and English in Egypt. Social and Welfare Issues The level of class in Egypt defines the degree of power and position a person can have in the society. The social classes are defined by the wealth owned by the people. The richer have more access to power and other privileges in the society compared to the poor. The social classes are divided into three levels that are; the upper class, the middle class, and the lower class. Even though wealth can give a family access to many things, the background of a family gives more definition of the status. There is very little social mobility in Egypt. Marriages In the Egyptian law, marriage is considered to be a contract entered by two people of an age that can get married. The recommended age for marriage is set at seventeen years for women and eighteen for the men. To foreigners who live in Egypt, the only kind of marriage recognized by the law is a civil marriage. Women are given the privilege to determine n the legal conditions that can be included in the marriage contract during the negotiation stage. Gender Roles and Statuses The women are regarded to be the caregivers to the children whole the men offer security and work to feed the families. Even during the struggle for independence, the women were kept at a distance from the war zones and left at homes to take care of the children. Family Hierarchy A family is an important unit of the in the society of Egypt. The Egyptian culture recognizes both the nuclear and the extended families. As a family member, nepotism is the key factor that indicates the patronage of a person's interest to the community. A person does not only serve the family where s/he belongs but to tribe and group as well. One of the major roles that are valued by the Egyptian families is the importance of kinship. Etiquette and Customs in Egypt The Egyptian people believe in having handshakes that are accompanied by an eye contact. The handshakes are in most cases shared by the people of same sex. The people who share a greeting are allowed to kiss on the cheek provided that they are of the same sex. In cases where the greeting is between people of the opposite sex, the feminine gender must stretch the hand first if not, the man can only bow his head as a sign of sharing a greeting. The mode of dressing code that is meant for business is conservative and formal. Customers get attracted to the impression that business people give in the way they dress. When attending to meetings, men are supposed to wear are colored clothes and lightweight more so to the first meeting (Mona). The jewellery and other kind f ornaments must not be exposed by the male gender while in business matters. The feminine gender is supposed to wear skirts or dresses that must cover the knees as a sign of due respect. Also, the tops must cover the larger part of the arms of women. Whenever a guest is invited to an Egyptian home, they should come with them gifts. The kinds of gifts to bring depend much on the event or occasion of the visit. When the invitations are for dinner, the guests are supposed to come with good chocolates, pastries for the hostess and sweets. A little gift for the children symbolizes affection to the family. Always gifts are delivered by the right hand or using both hands when the size of the gift is heavy to lift by one hand. All gifts that are given must not be opened until the guests are gone. Food Any invitation to an Egyptian's house is followed by the rule of removing shoes before entering the house. It is believed by many in the world that right handed people perform much of the tasks by...