Orchestrating Hospitality among the Bedouin

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperResearch

This paper discusses the protective strategies applied in orchestrating hospitality among a settled Bedouin community in Jordan. Protecting guests and members of a household against envy, harm, misfortune, or invisible malevolent forces, while upholding a strict moral code, is pivotal in shaping a hospitable atmosphere among the Bedouin. Previous studies on the material infrastructure of Bedouin hospitality have highlighted the black goat hair tent, coffee paraphernalia, or protective charms and amulets. In contrast, this paper will investigate other means of shaping hospitality and protection, particularly those that have evolved during recent years of settlement, modernization and increased religious awareness. This paper will argue that studying various notions of “presence” in relation to things and phenomena, rather than “meaning” and “symbolism”, may be fruitful perspectives to investigate how people orchestrate hospitality.  
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2008
Publication statusPublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes

ID: 317508583