MONGABAY.COM
Mongabay.com seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics, and finance on conservation and development (more)
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
|
|
Lebanon
Index
The major reason for marrying is procreation. A wife without
children, or even one without male children, is an object of
sympathy. Also, among those Christians not under the Holy See and
among Muslims, she is threatened with divorce. The importance
placed on having sons is reflected in the festivities attendant
upon birth. At the birth of a child, the father will give a feast;
if the child is a boy, the feast will be more lavish and the guests
more numerous. It is always made clear within the family that male
children are preferred and are given special privileges.
When the first boy is born to a married couple, friends no
longer address them by their given names alone but call them by the
name of their son; for instance, "father of x" and "mother of x."
They continue to be addressed by the name of their first-born son,
even in the event of his death. With respect to naming children,
traditionally one male in every generation is given the name of his
grandfather to pay respect to the older man and to honor his memory
after his death.
Child-rearing practices in Lebanon are characterized by the
severe discipline imposed by the father and overprotection by the
mother, who strives to compensate for the rigidity of the father.
In Arab society parental control does not stop at age eighteen
(when a child is considered independent in most Western societies),
but continues as long as the child lives in the father's residence
or until the child marries. Furthermore, the practice of the father
and mother making major decisions on behalf of their offspring
pertains to marriage, especially the son's marriage; the daughter
comes under the control of her in-laws. Arranged marriages are
still practiced widely across the socioeconomic and sectarian
spectrum.
Children are not trained to be independent, and expect their
father to care for them as long as they are loyal and obedient.
Punishment can be in the form of intimidation (takhjil,
literally to incite fear and shame) or physical punishment. A study
of the impact of the war noted a decline in parental authority due
to extensive involvement of young men in armed militias.
Data as of December 1987
|
|