Egypt’s Culture

 

 

 

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Egypt’s Culture

Egypt’s culture can be exemplified from several dimensions. Conversation topics are mainly determined by place and people one is interacting with at a particular time (“Egypt cultural insights”, n.d.). However, one should be cautious to refrain from political discourse and adhere to common human values. Some of the popular and non-offensive topics to Egyptians include cultural conversations such as authors and music. Knowledge about the country and its rich history makes it easier to start an interesting conversation. Egyptians are particularly proud of their Pharaoh ancestors from ancient Egypt or their Muslim descent. When communicating, politeness and several salutations are an integral part of verbal exchange so much to the extent that it may become hard for a visitor to grasp. The numerous salutations may delay moving to the main topic of conversation, but they ease the atmosphere and create a sense of warmth and ease. In an encounter, some of the best conversation starters include topics such as family and health, even with relatively unfamiliar people. It is hard for someone to admit that they have not understood what one has said. Therefore it is important to ensure one is properly understood, especially in professional situations (“Egypt cultural insights”, n.d.).

Verbal communication usually goes along with hand gestures. Non-verbal cues are also a key aspect of communication in Egypt, such a courteous smile even when one is being denied a request (“Egypt cultural insights”, n.d.). As very warm and hospitable people, Egyptians will normally hug, kiss and ceremoniously welcome friends and guests. Egypt is a highly conservative society where, despite being emotional people who openly express feelings of sadness, joy, and anger, open display of affection between men and women is highly discouraged. While punctuality is not highly regarded, meetings usually start on time. People with a social or professional status usually delay arriving as a way of communicating their importance. Formality is highly esteemed, especially with superiors, and it is important to affirm a superior’s importance. Colleagues need to maintain informality boundaries to ensure that it does not cause a lack of respect. Maintaining professionalism is necessary as much as sharing a laugh or a cup of coffee. Religion, class, gender and ethnicity are key determiners of attitude depending on the environment, education level, relations, etc. Women do not usually hold the same social status as men in different aspects such as dressing, education levels, job opportunities, freedom of movement (“Egypt cultural insights”, n.d.).

Egypt’s UNDP Index

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reports that Egypt has a human development index (HDI) of 0.707 at position 106 out of 189 countries and territories in the world (“Briefing note for countries on the 2020 Human Development Report Egypt”, 2020). This index ranks the country in the high human development category despite being lower than the global average of 0.737. HDI is a simple measure of human progress in a given country and is based around people’s freedom of choice over the kind of life they aspire to live. The HDI formula is simple yet comprehensive in assessing a population’s average income, longevity, and education. These three basic dimensions of human development are further postulated as along and healthy life, a decent standard of living and access to knowledge. The knowledge level is defined as mean years of schooling among the adult population. The Gross National Income per capita measures living standards and a long and healthy life is assessed by life expectancy. Since 1990, Egypt’s HDI has steadily increased from 0.548 to 0.707, an increase of 29.0% (“Briefing note for countries on the 2020 Human Development Report Egypt”, 2020).

 

 

Consequences of globalization on culture and values

1. Cultural and Religious diversity- Globalization opens up the country to different cultures and religions that could see the traditionally Islamic country infiltration of new religions in the future. New religious beliefs may contradict Islamic beliefs and way of life, leading to religious conflicts where the largely conservative locals feel their Islamic way of life is being corrupted by new religions (Elbeltagi, 2007).
2. Identity loss- Many multinationals are empowered by globalization to set up shop in different countries such as Egypt. Such companies usually lead to more cultural diversity as they hire and train locals and introduce a consumer culture in ways similar to their countries of origin mainly in the western hemisphere. With increased commercialization of media and products, local cultural influences risk being drowned out by new materialistic trends (Elbeltagi, 2007).
3. Misrepresentation and loss of cultural and intellectual property rights- Globalization may lead to unfettered access to Egypt’s cultural and intellectual property as it leads to a much bigger audience who would otherwise not have such access. Unmonitored access to cultural properties risks appropriation, misrepresentation and stereotyping by outsiders who lack a connection, appreciation or understanding of such items (Elbeltagi, 2007).

Benefits of Globalization on Egypt’s Culture and Values

1. Globalization enables the spread of technological advancements, especially in information sharing, which allows Egypt to share her rich culture and history to the world which attracts tourists. Technological empowerment also allows an accurate portrayal of the country’s identity by locals to the world (Elbeltagi, 2007).
2. Globalization enables the flow of foreign investments to the country, creating jobs and infrastructure and empowering Egyptians to improve their living standards and purchasing power. With increased living standards, more Egyptians are more educated and appreciative of their culture and are better enabled to treasure their cultural heritage.
3. Globalization enables Egyptians to learn from other cultures, leading to constructive cultural exchanges such as cuisine and education. Globalization also opens the world for Egyptians to visit, experience and learn about other cultures.

Policies to Preserve Culture and Values

1. Review of all cultural heritage sites, creation of a cultural heritage center where writings and artefacts are preserved. The cultural heritage center consists of a database of monuments and heritage sites and their documentation (Osman, 2018).
2. Enactment of law that regulates local administration, the establishment of NGOs and their functions and responsibilities in managing buildings, sites, or other cultural monuments. The laws issue guidelines and permits for restoration, excavation, conservation and documentation of monuments and heritage sites (Osman, 2018).
3. Building awareness of Egypt’s heritage among local community members through government media and other avenues on the need to protect the rich legacy of all Egypt’s eras from Pharaonic age to the Islamic era (Osman, 2018).

References

Osman, K. A. A. (2018). Heritage conservation management in Egypt: a review of the current and proposed situation to amend it. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 9(4), 2907-2916.

Egypt, cultural insights. GAC. Retrieved 25 January 2021, from https://www.international.gc.ca/global-affairs-affaires-mondiales/services/cfsi-icse/cultural-insights-apercu-culturelles/egypt-egypte.aspx?lang=eng.

Briefing note for countries on the 2020 Human Development Report Egypt. Hdr.undp.org. (2020). Retrieved 25 January 2021, from http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/EGY.pdf.

Elbeltagi, I. (2007). E‐commerce and globalization: an exploratory study of Egypt. Cross-Cultural Management: An International Journal.