Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood

Although millions of Palestinians are refugees, separated from their homes and homeland, they are united by a shared cultural identity.

Palestinian culture is generally patriarchal and follows traditional gender roles: Men are the heads of the household and work outside the home to generate income while women stay home and cook, clean, and care for children. This structure varies, however. In urban locations and in households with higher levels of education there is generally more flexibility and greater social and personal freedoms than in rural villages and among families with lower education levels. Honor, or “Sharaf” is important in Palestinian culture, and the father, as foremost authority in the family, is typically responsible for protecting the women in the family “who carry greater expectations of social compliance than men” from scandal (Evason, Nina. “Palestinian Culture: Family.” Cultural Atlas, 2020). Teenage Ibtisam relates that Father follows her to school in part “to see how I behave on the streets when I am alone” (13). Since the end of the 20th century, more women have entered the workforce and are heads of their own households, but gender inequality remains a pervasive problem for many Palestinian women.

Family is paramount in Palestinian culture.