Abstract
One primary feature of Arab countries is a social culture based on Islamic values and principles, shaping a well-defined intergenerational support system. Prescribed by the Islamic code of conduct, promoted by stakeholders and the law and internalized by the individuals, the family continues to be the cornerstone for the support of older people. Yet, family cohesion cannot be assumed as secure in face of new demographic, social and economic realities as well as emerging health needs, undermining its efficacy and efficiency.
This chapter explores trends in ageing and older-adult care in Arab societies in the context of significant recent changes in procreation and family formation and composition. Because improvements in life expectancy have preceded the decline in fertility, accelerated ageing of the population in the Arab region over the coming decades is imminent. Governments should therefore review their social and health policies and pay greater attention to the growing needs of their ageing populations while capitalizing on existing systems of cultural capital and social resources.
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- 1.
Egypt, with the largest population (over 84 million), tops the list, followed by Sudan (43 million), Algeria (35 million), Morocco and Iraq (each with around 32 million), Saudi Arabia (26 million), Yemen (24 million), and Syria (22 million). The population of each of the remaining countries (Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates) does not exceed 10 million.
- 2.
Some countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, have vast oil reserves and oil-dependent economies; others, such as Djibouti, Somalia, and Sudan, have much poorer economies and rely heavily on agriculture and young industries.
- 3.
For example, the rebellions, demonstrations, and protests of the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, the internal war in Libya, and the civil uprisings in Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria.
- 4.
“Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or more attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say, my Lord! Bestow on them Thy Mercy, even as they cherished me in childhood” (Qur’ān 17, pp. 23–24).
- 5.
“In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth”. (Qur’ān 46, p. 15).
- 6.
A young man once consulted the Prophet Muhammad about taking part in a military campaign. The Prophet asked the man if his mother was still living. When told that she was, the Prophet said: “Then stay with her and serve her, for Paradise is at her feet” (Al-Tirmidhi).
A man once asked the Prophet Muhammad, “To whom should we show kindness first?” He answered, “Your mother”. Then he was asked again, “And after that, then whom?” Muhammad again replied, “Your mother”. He was asked yet again, and he gave the same reply again: “Your mother”. Only after that, when he was asked one more time, did he answer, “Then, your father” (Sunan of Abu-Dawood).
- 7.
In his recent paper on age structure transitions from 2000 to 2050, Saxena (2008), using a number of ageing indices (old-age dependency, oldest-old age dependency, and an index of ageing), classifies the Arab countries into three groups: ‘fast’, ‘medium’, and ‘slow’. The ‘fast’ group includes the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon, Algeria, Libya, and Morocco; the ‘medium’ group constitutes Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Oman; and the remaining eight countries, Djibouti, Mauritania, Iraq, Sudan, Comoros, Palestine, Somalia, and Yemen, are classified as the ‘slow’ ageing group.
- 8.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States have, overall, the highest life expectancies in the region (range of 72.2 and 78.3 years), while Iraq (57.7 years), Sudan (57.4 years), and Somalia (49.6 years) have the lowest.
- 9.
For instance, between 2000 and 2003, 39% of young Lebanese, 34% of Jordanians, 20% of Yemenites, and more than 14% of Algerians, Moroccans, and Tunisians opted for emigration (Chaaban 2009).
- 10.
For instance, article (21) of the Permanent Constitution of the State of Qatar explicitly states that “[t]he family founded on religion, morality and patriotism is the basis of Qatari society”, and the Qatari Association upholds the role of the family in elder care. Likewise, Egyptian law, founded on Islamic sharia, stipulates that sons are obliged to take care of their poor and needy parents.
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Sibai, A.M., Yamout, R. (2012). Family-Based Old-Age Care in Arab Countries: Between Tradition and Modernity. In: Groth, H., Sousa-Poza, A. (eds) Population Dynamics in Muslim Countries. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27881-5_5
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