Middle East Issues - Get Contextual

If the word 'contextual' was invented to describe one particular culture, the Arabs would certainly compete with the Chinese. In this article, I wish to go beyond Hall's excellent 'High/Low Context Model' by suggesting that Arabs are highly sensitive to the circumstances that surround any event. They are more likely to show flexibility, be intuitive and be more tolerant of uncertainty in relation to their European counterparts. This, unfortunately, means there are less hard and fast rules in the Arab book of culture.

Inshaalah is a phrase that Muslims and Arabs will use frequently, and it reflects deep-rooted beliefs on pre-destination and fatalism. Literally translated, Inshaalah means God willing. Taken in its everyday use, or abuse, it could mean yes, or no, and it could mean leave it with me, can we talk about this on another occasion or please drop the subject. It is a highly contextual phrase, and its precise meaning will depend on the request or issue being discussed, the relationships, power distance, and naturally body language and intonation. It is thus no wonder that it defeats most newcomers!

Do's and taboos is another area where there are few absolute truths in the Arab culture. Take for example common advice given to newcomers. This tends to urge them to accept coffee offered by their Arab hosts, to shake hands with Arabs, to engage in pleasantries and small talk, to show patience before launching into business, and to avoid paying personal compliments. Whilst generally true, there are many circumstances where shaking hands becomes impractical or undesirable, paying compliments is expected and refusing coffee is used as a sign of dissatisfaction. In this respect, relationships, gender, age and power distance are some of the factors that can play havoc in defining correct and incorrect behaviour.

Contracts and procedures represent the ultimate relative tools in the Arab culture. It is difficult to ignore the fact that the Arab motto runs along the lines of 'for our friends we interpret the law, and for our enemies we apply the law'. Words such as Waasta and Ma'rifa which mean mediation tend to be picked up by newcomers within a few weeks of arriving.

Perhaps, in conclusion, there is a hard and fast rule in the Arab book of culture - always consider the context of your words and actions.

Original article from http://www.intercultural-training.co.uk/articles/middle_east/middle_east_issues.asp