Customary Laws and Social Order in Arab Society

This book presents the findings of socio-anthropological field studies on customary laws and social order in Egypt. The first chapter presents comprehensive documentation of “Al Awayid”, the customary laws of the Awlad Ali tribes, which prevail and govern political, kinship, and economic relations in the tribal semi-Bedouins and rural communities in the western desert and the Al Beheira governorate. It also traces changes in these laws that have occurred during the last forty years as a result of ecological, demographic, economic, cultural, and administrative changes in the region.

The chapters which follow concentrate on such specific and relevant subjects as customary laws; criminal responsibility judgments and peaceful relations; women’s rights in tribal communities; economic development and the Arab family; Arabic writings on homosexuality and lesbianism; youth and innovation in rural culture; and violence in contemporary societies. The book concludes with a chapter on the 2013 Egyptian rebellion as a result of deviation in the Arab Spring.