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The Arab Mind

Raphael Patai

Cover of The Arab Mind

One of the great classics of cultural studies, The Arab Mind is a journey of observation through the society of a complex and volatile region. The political and cultural entanglements of the Middle East affect the entire world every day. Although Arab culture often seems incomprehensible to the Western world, Raphael Patai's sensitive study unlocks the mysteries of Arab society to help us understand an ancient people.

Drawing on a lifetime of expertise and personal experience, Patai explores the upbringing of Arab children, the intense concern with honor and courage, the treatment of women in Muslim nations, and the Arabs' tendency toward extremes of behavior. Separate chapters are devoted to religion, sex, Arab nationalism, the psychology of Westernization, the Arabic language, and the relation between Arab art and the rest of Arab culture.

First published in 1973 and revised in 1983, The Arab Mind has been recognized as a seminal work in the field of Middle Eastern studies. It provides penetrating insight into the psychology of the Arab world as it faces the turmoil of inter-Arab conflict, the strife created by Islamic fundamentalists, and increasingly precarious relations with the international community.


Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface to the 1983 Edition
Preface to the 1976 edition
Preface: On a Personal Note
A Note on Transliteration
x
xix
xxii
p. 1
p. 8
IThe Arabs and the Worldp. 9
  1.
  2.
Islam, Middle East, Arabs
Who Is an Arab?
p. 9
p. 12
IIThe Group Aspects of the Mindp. 16
IIIArab Child-Rearing Practicesp. 26
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
  6.
  7.
The Issue of Severity
Differential Evaluation of Boys and Girls
Lactation
Early Roots of the Male-Female Relationship
The Boy Enters the Men's World
The Girl Remains in the Women's World
Childhood Rewards and Adult Achievements
p. 26
p. 28
p. 31
p. 34
p. 35
p. 37
p. 38
IVUnder the Spell of Languagep. 43
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
  6.
Arab and Arabic
The Lure of Arabic
Rhetoricism
Exaggeration, Overassertion, Repetition
Words for Action
Time Sense and Verb Tense
p. 43
p. 46
p. 50
p. 52
p. 63
p. 69
VThe Bedouin Substratum of the Arab Personalityp. 78
  1.
  2.
The Bedouin Ideal
Group Cohesion
p. 78
p. 83
VIBedouin Valuesp. 89
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
Hospitality
Generosity
Courage
Honor
Self-Respect
p. 89
p. 92
p. 94
p. 95
p. 100
VIIThe Bedouin Ethos and Modern Arab Societyp. 103
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
Koranic and Folk Ethics
Wajh or “Face”
Shame
The Fahlawi Personality
Aversion to Physical Labor
p. 103
p. 108
p. 113
p. 113
p. 120
VIIIThe Realm of Sexp. 126
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
Sexual Honor
Sexual Repression
Sexual Freedom and Sexual Hospitality
Varieties of Sexual Outlet
Ambivalence and Change
p. 127
p. 136
p. 140
p. 143
p. 147
IXThe Islamic Component of the Arab Personalityp. 152
  1.
  2.
  3.
Religion East and West
Predestination and Personality
Improvidence
p. 152
p. 156
p. 160
XExtremes and Emotions, Fantasy and Realityp. 165
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
Polarization
Control and Temper
Hostility
Three Functional Planes: Thoughts, Words, Actions
p. 165
p. 169
p. 171
p. 172
XIArt, Music, and Literaturep. 177
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
Decorative Arts
Music
Literature
Toward Western Forms
p. 177
p. 180
p. 185
p. 187
XIIBilingualism, Marginality, and Ambivalencep. 190
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
Bilingualism and Personality
Marginality
Cultural Dichotomy: Elites and Masses
Ambivalence
Izdiwãj - Split Personality
p. 190
p. 199
p. 204
p. 209
p. 212
XIIIUnity and Conflictp. 216
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
The Idea of Arab unity
Fighting: Swords and Words
Dual Division
Conflict Proneness
p. 216
p. 221
p. 228
p. 232
XIVConflict Resolution and “Conferentiasis”p. 241
  1.
  2.
Conflict Resolution
“Conferentiasis”
p. 241
p. 252
XVThe Question of Arab Stagnationp. 261
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
  6.
The Message of History
Critical Views
Where Do We Go from Here?
Stagnation and Nationalism
Five Stages
The Enemy as Exemplar
p. 261
p. 263
p. 266
p. 269
p. 271
p. 273
XVIThe Psychology of Westernizationp. 284
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
  6.
  7.
  8.
  9.
  10.
The Jinni of the West
Egypt - A case History
The Issue of Technological Domination
Focus, Values, and Change
Five Dominant Concerns
Western Standards and Mass Benefits
The Sinister West
The Hatred of the West
Arabs and Turks
Facing the Future
p. 284
p. 286
p. 291
p. 295
p. 299
p. 305
p. 308
p. 314
p. 319
p. 322
Conclusionp. 326
Postscript: The Last Ten Yearsp. 333
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.
  6.
  7.
  8.
The Reaction to the October War
Oil, Labor, and Planning
Advances in Education
The Women's Position
New Conflicts
The Quest for Unity
The Federation of Arab Republics: A Case History
Conclusion
p. 333
p. 340
p. 345
p. 347
p. 356
p. 359
p. 365
p. 373
Tables
  1.

  2.

  3.
  4.
  5.
  6.

  7.
  8.
The Arab World: Area and Mid-Year Population Estimates
Gross School Enrollment Ratios in Arab Countries for the First and Second Levels of Education
Higher Education in Arab Countries (Third Level)
Population of Arab Countries by Sex
Birth Rates in Arab Coun tries
Per cent of Illiterate and Unschooled Population in Arab Countries
Female School Enrollment in Arab COuntries
Physical Quality of Life index
p. 379

p. 380

p. 381
p. 382
p. 383
p. 384

p. 385
p. 386
Appendix I
The Judgment of Historians: Spengler and Toynbee

p. 387
Appendix II
The Arab World and Spanish America: A Comparison

p. 398
Notes
Index
p. 403
p. 447

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