Social Interactions 109For rural people, the challenges are somewhat different.
Limited land available for farming means that, in many
cases, some males must migrate to the cities for work. In
these cases, male workers may be ‘target’ workers or may
migrate permanently, establishing new households in the
city. Target migratory workers migrate daily, weekly or for
longer periods. In these cases, married workers usually
leave their wives and children in the home village, stressing
family relationships.
One Egyptian tradition, which crosses all class boundaries,
is the habit of adult children living with their parents until
they are married. It is quite different from the Western
tradition where adult unmarried children establish their own
household. One principal exception occurs with migratory
male workers. Since more and more rural adult males migrate
to the cities to work for wages, increasingly, groups of single
males rent flats in the city separate from their families. The
same is not true for women—it is still an exception for them
to live alone. Young women, even working women, usually
live in the home of their parents or close relatives.
Upper-class or elite families have much more flexibility in
living arrangements than do others. A family frequently owns
villas (houses) and flats (apartments) in several locations
Citadel with high-rise buildings in Cairo. Multi-family fl ats (apartments) may
be larger than single-family residences in the West.