Honor culture in the Middle East refers to an underlying social system that shapes societal values in the region.Gregg, G. S. (2005). The Middle East: A cultural psychology. Oxford University Press. Such honor cultures are defined by the relative importance attributed to social prestige and image, as well as the evaluation made by other individuals. Virtuous behavior, personality integrity, and good moral characteristics factor in this system.Üskül, A. K., Cross, S. E., Alözkan, C., Gerçek-Swing, B., Ataca, B., Günsoy, C., & Sunbay, Z. (2014). Emotional responses to honour situations in Turkey and the northern USA. Cognition and Emotion, 28(6), 1-19. Likewise, the values of collective pride, social commitment, and men and women's honor are also features of an honor culture.Öner-Özkan, B., & Gençöz, T. (2006). Gurur toplumu bakış açısıyla Türk toplumunun incelenmesi. Kriz Dergisi, 14(3), 19-25. This is contrasted with other societies where honor is perceived as an individual value and a personal matter, shaped by differing perspectives and commitments.Dilmac, B., Aricak, O. T., & Cesur, S. (2014). A Validity and Reliability Study on the Development of the Values Scale in Turkey. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 14(5), 1661-1671.
Impacts In the Middle East, social rewards, as an aspect of honor culture, may diminish the competitive aspirations of individuals.Ramirez-Marin, J. Y., & Shafa, S. (2018). Social rewards: The basis for collaboration in honor cultures. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, 25(1), 53-69.
In regions where governments cede control to tribes, violence associated with honor culture may appear implicitly condoned.Lasson, K. (2008). Bloodstains on a Code of Honor: The Murderous Marginalization of Women in the Islamic World. Women's Rts. L. Rep., 30, 407.
The impact of honor insults is linked to defensive reactions and coping mechanisms related to shame.Merkin, R. (2023). Shame from a Middle Eastern Perspective. In Cultural Perspectives on Shame (pp. 157-172). Routledge.
Honor culture in these societies also influences neighboring regions such as Turkey, and Sudan.Mauwa, J. K., & Kiyala, J. C. K. (2024). “Honour Culture” and Rape Denialism in the Southern Sudanese Culture: A Prospective Response from Ubuntu and Restorative Justice. In Climate Change and Socio-political Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Anthropocene: Perspectives from Peace Ecology and Sustainable Development (pp. 495-534). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. Nevertheless, honor cultures may vary significantly from one another.Van Osch, Y., Breugelmans, S. M., Zeelenberg, M., & Bölük, P. (2013). A different kind of honor culture: Family honor and aggression in Turks. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 16(3), 334-344.
Terminology Sharaf and ird (Bedouin)
See also Culture of honor (Southern United States)
Further reading Abu-Lughod, L. (1986). Veiled Sentiments: Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society. University of California Press. Gregg, G. S. (2005). "Honor and Islam: Shaping emotions, traits, and selves". In The Middle East: A Cultural Psychology. Oxford University Press. 90-133. Abu-Rabia, A. (2011). Family honor killings: between custom and state law. The Open Psychology Journal, 4(1), 34-44. Lang, S. D. (2013). Sharaf Politics: Honor and Peacemaking in Israeli-Palestinian Society. Routledge. Linquist, S. (2016). Which evolutionary model best explains the culture of honour?. Biology & Philosophy, 31, 213-235.
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