Culture Shock! Egypt - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

74 CultureShock! Egypt

women, who rather than seeing an opportunity for personal

expansion, perceive working to be a necessity which keeps

them from fulfilling their expected responsibilities for the

family and home.

Lower- and lower middle-class women usually get

work in the service industry,

for example, as hotel maids

or restaurant servers. Upper

middle-class people are also on

the move. Among this group,

males and females now often

receive a university education

and work outside the home,

thereby expanding opportunities for both partners.

Although nothing is cast in stone, usually the eldest

female occupies the role of senior person responsible for

the household whereas the senior male provides for the

family (or their portions of the extended family). If the

father dies, usually the remaining parent continues to head

the household, even though many responsibilities pass

to the oldest son if the father passes first and the son is

of an appropriate age. If the mother dies first, one of the

daughters may assume many of the responsibilities of the

household for their father’s well-being. If the children are

all grown and married, the remaining parent may move

in with the family of one of the children or may remain

alone if none of the married children live in the family

household. Upon the death of both parents, responsibility

for younger siblings and/or grandparents generally transfers

to the eldest son.

Honour

Never discount the value of honour in Egyptian society.

Honour denotes respect, admiration or esteem for another.

It can be seen as a right or as due. Intricate interactions

among honour, family and family honour constitute some

of the most important facets affecting Egyptian life.

In Egypt, an individual’s honour cannot be separated from

that of his or her family. As such, the actions of one family

In Upper Egypt, women rarely
work in the fi elds as is seen in
the Delta region. The main reason
is that farming in Upper Egypt
is very small scale, whereas in
the Delta there are larger farms
where people from villages go to
work for wages.