The Arab Mind

The Arab Mind

Arabs

Since its original publication in 1983, this book has been recognized as one of the seminal works in the field of Middle Eastern studies. This analysis unlocks the mysteries of Arab society to help us better understand a complex, proud and ancient culture. Discusses the upbringing of a typical Arab boy or girl, the intense concern with honor and courage, the Arabs' tendency toward extremes of behavior, and their ambivalent attitudes toward the West. Chapters are devoted to the influence of Islam, sexual mores, Arab language and Arab art, Bedouin values, Arab nationalism, and the pervasive influence of Westernization.--From publisher description.

Raphael Patai

I. The Arabs and the world : -- Islam, Middle East, Arabs -- Who is an Arab? -- II. The group aspects of the mind -- III Arab child-rearing practices : -- The issue of severity -- Differential evaluation of boys and girls -- Lactation -- Early roots of the male-female relationship -- The boy enters the men's world -- The girl remains in the women's world -- Childhood rewards and adult achievement -- IV. Under the spell of language : -- Arab and Arabic -- The lure of Arabic -- Rhetoricism -- Exaggeration, overassertion, repetition -- Words for actions -- Time sense and verb tense -- V. The Bedouin substratum of the Arab personality : -- The Bedouin ideal -- Group cohesion -- VI. Bedouin values : -- Hospitality -- Generosity -- Courage -- Honor -- Self-respect -- VII. The Bedouin ethos and modern Arab society : -- Koranic and folk ethnics -- Wajh or "face" -- Shame -- The Fahlawi personality -- Aversion to physical labor -- VIII. The realm of sex : -- Sexual honor -- Sexual repression -- Sexual freedom and sexual hospitality -- Varieties of sexual outlet -- Ambivalence and change -- IX. The Islamic component of the Arab personality : -- Religion East and West -- Predestination and personality -- Improvidence -- X. Extremes and emotion, fantasy and reality : -- Polarization -- Control and temper -- Hostility -- Three functional planes: thoughts, words, actions -- XI. Art, music, and literature : -- Decorative arts -- Music -- Literature -- Toward Western forms -- XII. Bilingualism, marginality, and ambivalence. ; -- Bilingualism and personality -- Marginality -- Cultural dichotomy -- elites and masses -- Ambivalence -- Izdiwaj--split personality -- XIII. Unity and conflict : -- The idea of Arab unity -- Fighting: swords and words -- Dual division -- Conflict proneness -- XIV. Conflict resolution and "conferentiasis" : -- Conflict resolution -- "Conferentiasis" -- XV. The question of Arab stagnation ; -- The message of history -- Critical views -- Where do we go from here? -- Stagnation and nationalism -- Five stages -- The enemy as exemplar -- XVI. The psychology of Westernization : -- The Jinni of the West -- Egypt--a case history -- The issue of technological domination -- Focus, values, and change -- Five dominant concerns -- Western standards and mass benefits -- The sinister West -- The hatred of the West -- Arabs and Turks -- Facing the future -- Conclusion -- Postscript: the last ten years : -- The reaction to the October War -- Oil, labor, and planning -- Advances in education -- The women's position -- New conflicts -- The quest for unity -- The Federation of Arab Republics: a case history -- Conclusion.

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