Syria
The five ways that I would prepare my self to be culturally
responsive towards any family
1. To learn the family primary language.
Arabic is
the official language. . The Syrian dialect is similar to Jordanian and
Egyptian and varies little from Modern Standard Arabic.
2. To learn the families ethnic relationship.
The majority of the country is Arabic and Sunni Muslim. This
makes for strong cultural unity. The most important observation in the Islamic
calendar is Ramadan.
3. I would want to know who cares for the children and what
their goals are for their child.
Children are
considered a blessing and highly valued. A great deal of affections is shown
toward children. There is a special bond between mother and son. (Especially with
the oldest son).
4. I would want to learn about family eating habits and
foods that the family eats.
Wheat is a staple
food. Dairy, fruits ( figs, dates, plums & watermelon) and vegetables are eaten. Lamb and chicken is
eaten and prepared specially “halal”. Some dishes include hummous
, a puree of chickpeas and
tahini (ground sesame
paste); baba ganouj, an eggplant puree; meat rissoles; stuffed
grape leaves; tabouleh (a salad of cracked wheat and
vegetables); falafel (deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas); and
pita bread. Olives, lemon, parsley, onion, and garlic are used for flavoring.
Food is an important part of holidays and celebrations.
5. I would ask the family for family pictures and
information that they would like to share with our program.
: http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Syria.html#ixzz2cGJw16pp
Joy I enjoyed reading your blog post this week on Syria. The information was very enlighten to me because most of the time the information I hear on the country of Syria is negative. I will be doing more research on the bond between the mother and the oldest son and why the bond is so valued.
ReplyDeleteI had a family from Syria and Iraq last school year. I wish I had known this information. It would have been very helpful my staff and the families.
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