This section aims to identify the social and cultural characteristics of Egyptian people because these are significant in framing the potential for the collaborative ecotourism planning process. Egyptian people have differing social and cultural patterns according to their way of life, social fabric and economic activities. There are many techniques to classify a community’s characteristics but this research focuses on four of them, i.e. those most related to the research objectives: the lifestyle, i.e. the manner in which individuals or groups live; the social fabric, which can be used to describe the relationships between people in the community such as ethnic and tribal affiliations (Mostafa 1991); architectural style; and, economic activities. Consequently, Egyptian people can be classified into four broad groups (Table 4-1).
Table (4-1) The characteristics of the four main groups of Egyptian people
group
Classification criteria and features
Lifestyle Social fabric Architectural style Economic
activities
First Bedouin One homogenous
component and coherent
Primitive architectural style and appropriate to the
environment Primitive and simple activities Second Rural Multiple coherent components and homogenous Conventional and conventional complex architecture style Traditional productive activities Third Semi- urban Multiple coherent components but heterogeneous
Conventional complex and modern architecture style
Modern economic activities Fourth Urban Multiple heterogeneous components and incoherent
Modern architecture style
Modern investment
activities Source: The author
The first group is the Bedouin tribes, whose lifestyles are characterised by unique customs, folklore and a cultural legacy. The social fabric of the Bedouin communities represents a good example of a coherent and homogenous people. The Bedouin community structure is composed of tribes that contain kinships, clans and extended families (grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) all living nearby or in the same household (see Figure 4-3). Each component of the structure has a leader or chief below the tribal chief (sheikh). This sheikh is the most important person in the tribe’s structure, who alone has the ability to negotiate regarding tribal assets, crops
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and livestock (Fathy 1995). The sheikh will play a significant role in the collaborative planning process because he should be obeyed and followed by all tribe members. Moreover, the tribal community has a distinct administrative system with a senate composed of tribal chiefs who will discuss public affairs, take decisions and resolve conflicts within the tribes themselves, and between tribes and others through their own rules that have been derived from their customs and religion. Rarely does the state government or the police need to become involved to resolve local disputes within these tribal communities (Fathy 1995).
Figure (4-3) Bedouin community structure Source: The author
Figure (4-4) Example of Nubian houses and folklore Source: Salem (2010)
Regarding the architectural style, it can be described as simple, primitive and appropriate for the environment, where the materials used are environmentally friendly. The houses are generally scattered and take many forms, including tents for the Sinai tribes, wooden and palm leaf kiosks for the Burullus lake fishermen, and brick houses for the Nubian tribes in the south (see Figure 4-4).
The economic activities are traditional, comprising what may be described as simple activities such as grazing, agriculture, fishing, collection of medicinal plants and traditional handicrafts designed to meet basic needs (El-Khodary 2000).
The Bedouin tribes in Egypt are not one type but can be further sub-divided into three sub-categories:
- All Sinai tribes (settled and unsettled); these are often undeveloped and poor communities. Some of these tribes engage in violence and abuse of the natural environment as a result of their being excluded from national development strategies partly owing to the unstable political situation in these areas.
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- All oases communities such as those located in the northern part of the Fayoum Governorate, alongside the coast of the Red Sea, and around the lakes. These communities are more developed and stable than those of Sinai, and the natural environment is respected as it represents a source of livelihood.
- The Nubian tribes are found in southern Egypt, from south of the Aswan to the north Sudan border. They have a very special culture: Nubian people are not allowed to marry anyone from outside their community, their language is Nubian and many cannot ever understand the Arabic language (Egypt’s official language).
The second group comprises rural communities, whose lifestyle is relatively static, quiet and stable, and not stressed or crowded, unlike urban areas. Their social fabric usually consists of extended families. The communities in this group are coherent and homogenous as a result of maintaining the old cultural customs. The oldest man of the family acts as the key person who should be followed by all family members. So he should play a crucial role in any network building as part of a collaborative process (Essa 1984). However, these communities also suffer from many social problems, such as high illiteracy rates and low incomes. This can represent a big barrier to them becoming involved with, and collaborating in, the development process. The architectural style for the majority of the rural houses is conventional, made from mud and brick with wooden roofs. In the last two decades, the architecture has been changed to a more complex yet still conventional style, with walls made from red brick and concrete roofs. Moreover, buildings heights have increased, with more than two floors becoming common (El-Kady 2005). The dominant economic activities of these communities include agriculture and livestock management, which represent the main source of income. These rural communities are mainly located on the old agricultural lands in the Nile Valley, Delta and majority of the Fayoum Governorate.
The third group is the semi-urban communities, which are characterised by migrants from rural to urban centres or small cities. Although they live in an urban environment, the lifestyles of the majority of these people are still close to the way that traditional villagers live. They live in specific areas of the city in groups based on extended families or their place of origin (as residents of village X or Y). The social
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fabric, despite the community containing various extended and nuclear families originating in different places, is still coherent. However, it is considered the weakest social fabric, depending on ethnic affiliation (El-Kady 2005; Mostafa 1991). Consequently, this group requires special efforts to identify its key actors and establish a stakeholder network able and willing to engage with the planning process. The architectural style contains two building modes. The first is the conventional complex, with walls made from red brick with a concrete roof. The second comprises modern buildings with a concrete skeleton, many floors and modern forms. Economic activities are varied. They include commerce, services and some small-scale handicraft activities based on agriculture and livestock production (dates, cheese and handmade carpets, etc.) as well as touristic activities, especially in the coastal areas and around the protected areas. These semi-urban communities are located in small and medium-sized cities in the Nile Valley, Delta and the Red Sea coast.
The fourth group describes urban communities who live in the main and metropolitan cities such as Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and the capitals of several Governorates. The lifestyles in these cities have become competitive, overcrowded and stressful due to the extremely high cost of living. The social fabric of these communities consists of nuclear and small families from different origins, backgrounds and cultures, who have migrated there in anticipation of secure employment opportunities. Accordingly, these communities have lost loyalty to their traditional society, and have become heterogeneous and incoherent. Therefore, these communities require great effort to identify key actors and a stakeholder network to be engaged with the planning process. The architectural style is dominated by modern styles which are often not appropriate for Egyptian conditions. In addition, this group is characterised by ‘slum areas’ which have appeared as a result of migration from rural areas to the main cities (GOPP 2012). The economic activities are dominated mainly by industrial, commercial or touristic activities. Recently, national policy has been encouraging a transition towards a knowledge-based economy (El-Tanany 2013).
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Synthesis
Egypt has four broad distinct social and cultural groups. The Bedouin and the Rural groups have an obvious social fabric and there are already key people who can help the conveners to build a stakeholder network. Moreover, these communities have a unique lifestyle, which attracts a significant proportion of the ecotourism market. Their economic activities and house styles blend into the locally distinctive natural environment. However, the other two groups require special efforts to identify their key actors and establish a stakeholder network able to engage with the planning process. The residence styles of these communities are not matched with the environment. In addition, they contain ‘slum areas’ which appeared as a result of migration from the rural areas.