Tunisian
families are, due to their number of children, very
large and
pervasive. Even today, families with 5, 6 and more children are not
uncommon, although in higher education circles, the trend towards lower
number
of children (2-3) can be observed.
The relationship between the family members are often complicated
and to outsiders, especially from abroad, difficult to understand.
In any case, even when family members are divided amongst themselves,
they will stand together strong against outsiders, and they
will always offer their members (only) basic assistance in an
case of emergency, such as accommodation and
meals.
The complete absence of parts of the social care system
(unemployment assistance, social assistance, social benefits) require
people to rely on family bonds. This guarantees, on one hand, the bare
existence of almost anyone in Tunisia, but, conversely, it
also means that someone who is expelled from the family will most
probably not be able to receive any help.
This also causes a different understanding of the terms " possession"
and "decision" - since the individuum is always just a part of a
community (family, tribe, township, nation, islamic community)
- "individuality" or "egozentrism",
as it is known and normal in the western countries, is strongly
discouraged in such a system.
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At first
glance, this social behavior will quickly be interpreted as if
there is a "great
importance to the family" embedded - but in reality, it is not. It is
rather just a learning experience, social contraints and group dynamics
that is causing it - the behaviour would look completely different when
and if family members were independent and of a bigger sovereinty when
it comes to family matters. In other words, this behaviour is not "in
the genes", but merely a result of a social steering.
Changes in the way of life begin increasingly to break up the
old traditions
of the family and provide for some irreconcilable differences
between the members.
These include specifically the working of women (especially if the
husband
is unemployed), but also the education specifically for
women, as well as a major influence by television from other countries
(notably the USA), by tourists and by family
members who live abroad in western countries. Also, the increasing
secularization and democratization of
the country stands in a sharp contrast to the old traditions.
Overall, there run major cracks through the Tunisian society,
which become, in the recent years, increasingly wider
and forming new offshoots faster than large parts of
the population can understand and embed the changes.
Traditionally, the oldest man of the
family is the head of the
family and other family
members, especially if they are not married, are bowing to his rulings
and will to a large extent. The following ranks are the other
male family members,
then the wife, then the female family members, and finally the little
children. |
This
hierarchy gets shaken now, because the rapidly evolving changes
in the country cannot be comprehended by many anymore even
after one generation, and the old
hierarchies, based on masculinity, knowledge, experience and
relationships are now becmoing undermined in many ways, if not even
rendered obsolete.
This explains primarily why Tunisians develop a
bigger affinity to "Europe", why a large number of young women trying
to
emancipate themselves and why values of
morale and family, which have been valid for centuries,
decay at a great speed. In fact, the speed is so fast that it can even
be observed in real time. People, who live in
Tunisia,
or visit Tunisia very often, know what I am refering to, because
somtimes, changes take only a few months to become visible in the
public already.
"Blood revenge" and "honor killing" is banned in Tunisia and
has no social
acceptance, thus cases of blood revenge are virtually
unknown. In the cases of an "undesirable" relationship of a woman, it
can happen, though, that she will be detained
for "house arrest", beaten or "expelled" from the
family.
Real serious and
lasting restrictions are, however, virtually impossible (and illegal)
and may only occur in very rare cases in remote areas. More and more
people, especially women, know their "rights" and the growing
education is only fueling this development.
Bringing a family member "back into the ranks" happens almost
exclusively these days by their acceptance within the family (threat of
or the actual "expulsion") - which, as described above, can be
an elemental, life-threatening, risk that most people do not want to
take.
So, almost all of the people even with "very western
views", or who pretend to be "Western", will, at least still
for the time being, ultimatively step down and will not risk a serious
confrontation with their family. |
