Introduction
Jordan was internationally acknowledged as a nation in 1921 and went on to become an entirely independent country in 1946 with its biggest city, Amman, being declared its capital. A great fraction of the country’s population constitutes Arabs, hence the national language being Arabic (however, Palestinian population, who are regarded as citizens, is on the increase) (Hejlen, 2011).This study affirms that Jordan is a cultural/ ethical nation. This will be affirmed on the basis of the people’s descent, their culture as well as their governance.
Descent
According to Suleiman (2003), one of the characteristics of a cultural nation is its people’s common origin. This is clearly evident in Jordan, with majority of its population being Arabs. This follows a great invasion of Palestinian Arabs into the countries, who settled as refugees and were later recognized as citizens of the country by registration.
The county’s initial inhabitants, the Bedouin, who also consist a great number are also Arabs, with both groups having a common language; Arabic (Advameg, 2011).As voiced by Suleiman (2003), common descent contributes to a sense of belonging and sense of patriotism. This is evidenced in the fact that Arabs are easily identified regardless of where they may be found.
Culture
Common Culture is another aspect that constitutes a cultural nation. A common culture is exhibited by sharing of common beliefs, values and collectively, the way of life that contributes to nationalism. Jordan reflects the same characteristics as explained by Advameg (2011), who mentions that the dominant religion is Islam, with a mere percentage being Christian.
He further states that religion’s leaders, referred to as Imams, are also involved in political governance of the citizens in more remote areas of the country. The people also have a sense of cohesiveness as observed in the presence of a common national calendar that is followed by all Muslim religion followers.
The governing body also plays an active role in encouraging national celebrations such as festivals and spear head campaigns which emphasize on conservation of culture, as well as the county’s heritage. Another aspect of their culture is defined roles in the family unit. Both men and women as well as have specialized roles that contribute to their harmonious cohabiting. Collectively, these factors contribute to cohesiveness of people as one nation.
Governance
Another assumption on which a cultural country is formed is the governance. According to Suleiman (2003), a cultural country chooses to identify a difference between the nation and its governance (p.24).Nonetheless, a cultural country acknowledges that a nation and its governance work in collaboration with each other. In most cultural countries, a monarchy is prevalent.
Such leadership is found in Jordan where for the longest time, kings have ruled the country. However the monarch works in collaboration with a panel of members of a governing body. They have worked hand in hand to carry out policies that have brought better living standards to the people.
Conclusion
Jordan, an Arab country, with most of its inhabitants being Arabs exhibits the characteristics of a cultural county. This is depicted in presence of common origin thus having a common language as well as many aspects of a single culture.
These include the Islamic faith, which has many followers and has led to the unity of the people as well as common traditions observed through an Islam calendar. Another factor is the mode of governance that is common practice in most cultural counties. These factors among others, lead to the conclusion that Jordan is a cultural country.
References
Advameg. (2011). Countries and their Cultures. Web.
Hejlen, M. (2011). The Country and People of Jordan. Web.
Suleiman, Y. (2003) .The Arabic Language and National Identity: a Study in Ideology. Australia: Edinburgh University Press.