Al‐Ma'brouk in rural Egypt: a socially constructed identity

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate the meaning of the socially constructed identity of Al-Ma'brouk in rural Egypt. Design/methodology/approach -The principal qualitative tool of data collection included intensive interviews with a sample of ten parents from two villages in lower Egypt. Findings -The two main outcomes which emerged from the research were first, the social construction of intellectual disability in rural Egypt has contributed to the emergence of a distinctive culturally-mediated social identity called Al-Ma'brouk, or the "blessed", with ascribed social roles; and second, this socially constructed identity has a positive impact on the families of intellectually disabled children.Research limitations/implications -The first finding concerning the local social construction of intellectual disability corresponds to previous research on how culture shapes "disability". The second finding that ascribed social roles of intellectually disabled children have rooted social rationalizations raises a general question concerning how rural communities in Egypt justify and cope with intellectual disability. Originality/value -Many studies on intellectually disabled children overlook their social roles in society, and mainly envision disability as a barrier and a familial adversity. The paper contributes to the debate that intellectual disability is a social construction rather than a limiting factor.

COVID-19 in a collectivist culture: social isolation and maintenance of social relations

“…In a culture where religion is a dominant aspect of culture, the question as to whether COVID-19 is a blessing or a curse began to emerge, with the assumption that “experiencing hardships performs several functions such as confiscating sins from believers, being a way to examine faith and people's acceptance of God's will, and may be perceived as a form of God's punishment for the mistakes or sins people previously committed” (Hussein, 2011, p. 171). When asking my respondents about the way they interpret COVID-19, and whether it is a blessing or a curse, all of them highlighted the role of religion, revealing the importance of understanding the way religion interprets plagues and calamities in Islam (since all of respondents are Muslims).…”