Today, as a matter of fact, most of Gulf Arab tribalism from Iraq to Kuwait to Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE (and most of Saudi Arabia and beyond) do not reflect traditional concepts of nomadic life . That is, as tribes emerged from the desert, Dr. Al-Haddad notes, they left nomadism behind.
On the other hand, Dr. Al-Haddad emphasizes, "The best social organization to arise in the desert is tribalism." When the tribes of the Arabian peninsula emerged from the desert and left their nomadic practices and way of life behind, the social structure of tribalism remained. That is, they brought the rules of behavior of group to the more urban world they finally settled and have adapted to.
In Kuwait today, tribalism is notable only by the individual's preferred self-identification, "I am from 'A' tribe." Or "I have a genealogical identification in common with others in Tribe 'A'." Blood brotherhood means related by birth and identity comes from one's tribal heritage.
Naturally, other definitions of tribe in anthropology involve a group's:
-feelings of unity,
-awareness of belonging
-consciousness of being of one like kind
-common language
-common religion
-common dress
-common enforcement of leadership and administration.
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