| |
CULTURES - SOMALIAN
History:
Located along the eastern coast of Central Africa, Somalia, despite
its limited resources has always been a hotbed of military conflict.
During the Cold War, Somalia was a pawn in the political partition
of the world. At one point, the country was allies with the Soviet
Union. This friendship died in the late 1970s as the Soviet Union
began to support Ethiopian revolutionaries who had deposed Emperor
Haile Selassie. Following a Somali invasion of Ethiopia by Mohamed
Siad Barre, the Somali leader who dreamed of a "Greater Somalia,"
the Soviet Union withdrew its military and financial support in
Somalia. Vast internal repression coupled with the end of the Cold
War, signaled a change in Somali politics as the country reverted
back to Tribalism. The two most powerful clans, the Habr Gedir and
the Abgal, ousted Barre. This rising tension between clans erupted
into a full scale Civil War as the country was ravaged by tribal
conflict and famine. Military rule controlled the country hampering
the relief efforts of international humanitarian organizations.
Immigration:
Somalis have had a
long history of immigration into other countries ever since the
early eighteen hundreds. Entrance into the United States first began
in the 1920's when Somalis began settling in New York. These immigrants,
gaining employment by becoming sailors or steel workers, mainly
came from Northern Somalia. After becoming U.S. citizens, many aided
and supported Somali leaders joining the United Nations and gaining
independence in 1960.
Following the independence movement Somali students began immigrating
into the U.S. funded by relatives or scholarships offered by the
United States or the UN promoting advanced education. Once they
completed their schooling, many returned to Somalia in order to
help improve their native country. Beginning in the 1980's, several
refugees from Somalia were allowed to enter the United States, a
figure that grew substantially after civil war broke out in 1990.
Refugees arriving into the U.S. have heavily populated New York,
Washington, D.C., Boston, Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, and San
Diego.
Language
The national language of Somalia is Somali. Other spoken languages
include: Arabic, English, Italian (spoken by educated Somalis),
and Swahili. Somali is a member of the lowland Eastern Cushitic
languages spoken by people in Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti,
and Kenya. Depending on the spoken region, Somali has two dialects.
The first dialect is basic Somali, spoken by most Somalis. The second
dialect is Digil/Raxanweyn, spoken by southern Somalis, which maintains
similar characteristics to the basic dialect, but is distinct. Along
with dialect interpretations, Somali has integrated many Arabic
and Qahtani words into the language.
The written language of Somali was newly created in 1972 when Somali
script became based on the Roman alphabet. Until this time, only
the well educated, government officials had been able to use a written
form of the language. Since the creation of the written word, the
Somali government has stressed the importance of literacy for Somali
citizens.
Education
Somali education increased after the written alphabet was created
in 1970. Before this development, Somali children were taught by
an Islamic curriculum rooted in the early colonial periods (learning
theology, Arabic, and Islamic practices), and then influenced by
western style education providing skill training in agriculture,
aviation, administration, and technical jobs. Although education
reflected the advancing Somali culture in the 1970's, most of the
Somali citizens had not completed secondary schooling. Still, many
Somalis attend technical or trade school specializing in their intended,
future job.
Religion
The predominant religion of Somalis is Sunni Muslims with Islam
being the main foundation of the Somali culture. In accordance with
Islamic beliefs, Somalis accept that if they do not follow the correct
path in life, God will punish them with social disorder. Furthermore,
the only way to amend their relationship with God is to repent for
their errors and encourage others to follow the Islamic philosophy.
Culture
In the Somali culture, family and tradition are great influences
on an individual's life. Typically the family is seen as "the ultimate
source of personal security and identity", which is as Putnam &
Noor (1993) suggest is why "What is your lineage?" is
such a common question for Somalis. The importance of genealogy
and respecting ancestral descent is instilled in Somali children.
Traditional families of Somalia: live in nuclear families, have
prearranged marriages, and wives reside in separate quarters from
their husband. Men tend to be the center of the Somali culture,
being in charge of household affairs, while the women are responsible
for household chores, helping in farming or businesses, and child
rearing.
Resources:
Putnam, D., & Noor, M. (1993). The Somalis: Their History
and Culture. Washington, D.C.
The Refugee Center.
Peterson, S. (2001).
Me Against My Brother: at War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda.
New York, New York: Routledge.
Click here for scenarios
specific to this culture
|
|
|
