Generation Gap in Tunisia

Tunisia is in a tumultuous time right now, having a newly elected provisional government after a revolution that was carried out by the youth of the country. The revolution began mostly due to high unemployment among young people, which was at over twenty percent (Tapscott). There has been a growing population bulge tending towards the young in Tunisia, where over forty-two percent of the people are under twenty-five (Goodhart). The high unemployment of the youth in conjunction with a large generational gap between young and old means that the young in Tunisia see themselves as Tunisia's future and plan to create a new country that makes it so.

Things weren't all that bad before the revolution, however. Ben-Ali actually did wonders for women's rights and education, improving the education rate among women from just 11% to 55% in only 25 years (Unicef). This 44% rise in education among women shows that Tunisia has been committed to being well-educated and liberal in regards to women's rights. Unless the country can solve the problems of unemployment for the youth of the country, though, stability does not seem to be much of an option.

Sources:
Goodhart, David. "Bridging The Generation Gap." Prospect Magazine. Web. 10 Jan. 2012. http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/tag/bridging-the-generation-gap/.
Tapscott, Don. "Tunisia, Egypt and the Coming Generational Explosion." The Globe and Mail. 27 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2012. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/commentary/don-tapscott/tunisia-egypt-and-the-coming-generational-explosion/article1885446/.
"The Generation Gap." UNICEF. 1994. Web. 10 Jan. 2012. http://www.unicef.org/pon95/wome0009.html.

News in Tunisia

Based on an article published today on Tunisia in Voice of America, the outlook is grim, but still hopeful. The economy of the country is failing and several people are self-immolating in protest of the recent lack of real change in the country. Jobs are even harder to come by and protesters still take to the streets and universities, despite the fact that the old President Ben-Ali faces murder charges. Foreign aid has been promised, but not received due to reservations over the new Islamist government.

There is a high-note, however, in that a new government has been elected and efforts are being made to draft a new constitution, which is far better than many countries involved in the Arab Spring. In this article, there are many references to how tense the entire situation is in Tunisia, suggesting further reforms (Bryant). It is my hope, though, that an agreeable situation can be attained in a country that sacrificed many lives to gain freedom from its oppressive leader.

Source:
Bryant, Lisa. "Tunisia Is Tense Ahead of Revolution Anniversary." Voice of America. 06 Jan. 2012. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Tensions-Simmer-in-Tunisia-Ahead-of--Revolution-Anniversary-136832973.html.

Music and Dance of Tunisia

The classic, cultural music of Tunisia is called mezoued which is more commonly known throughout the Middle East as mizwad. The word literally means "bagpipes" but it is used in Tunisia to refer to a type of music (Sensagent).

The favored, traditional dance in Tunisia is a type of belly-dancing, which is "often performed on the balls of the feet" where "twisting motions of the hips and waist are predominant" (BellyDanceUK). Here is video of this type of dance, performed to the traditional mezoued music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuKvSVNcbhc&feature=related

Sources:
"Mizwad: Definition of Mizwad." Sensagent: Dictionaries and Translators. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. http://dictionary.sensagent.com/mizwad/en-en/.
"Tunisian Dance." Belly Dance UK. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. http://www.bellydanceuk.co.uk/pagetunisiandance.html.

Literary Art in Tunisia

One small but vibrant form of expression in Tunisia is francophone literature, or literature that is written in French (Wikipedia). Since it was once a French colony, it makes sense that some of the literature from Tunisia would be written in French. In fact, the use of French is touted as allowing Tunisian literature to expand into different parts of the world rather than being contained to the Middle East. Some authors, such as Abdelwahab Meddeb, attempt to utilize the classic lyrical nature of Arabic writings and poems and apply those same principles to their French novels, poems, plays, etc (Wikipedia, CultureBase).

Sources:
"Abdelwahab Meddeb." Culturebase.net | The International Artist Database. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. http://www.culturebase.net/artist.php?3588.
"Abdelwahab Meddeb." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdelwahab_Meddeb.
"Francophone Literature." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Jan. 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francophone_literature.

Art and Architecture in Tunisia

A mosaic on stone that has been left in Tunisia since Roman times (Getty).

The art and architecture of Tunisia is incredibly diverse, since it has been controlled by a number of different conquerors. It was ruled by Carthage until the Romans conquered Carthage, and was held until it traded hands a few times, eventually being conquered by Arab Muslims in the 7th century CE.


The Zitouna Mosque in Tunis, it was first built in the 8th century CE and contains columns from conquered Carthage (Wikipedia).

The Muslims mostly maintained control, until the Ottomans gained control and influenced some of the Gothic architecture. Eventually, nearing the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, Tunisia became a French outpost into Africa, and some examples of this influence still stand today.


The Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul, a mixture of Byzantine, Gothic, Muslim, and European influences (Wikipedia).

Over the years, Tunisia has come to host many rulers, and the examples of this diversity are available for all to see.

Sources:
"Al-Zaytuna Mosque." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Zaytuna_Mosque.
"Cathedral of St. Vincent De Paul." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_St._Vincent_de_Paul.
"Roman Mosaics from Tunisia." The Getty Museum. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. http://www.getty.edu/museum/conservation/partnerships/roman_mosaics/mosaics_5_lg.html.
"Tunisian History and Architecture." Islamic Architecture. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. http://www.islamic-architecture.info/NA-TU/NA-TU.htm.

Women in Tunisia

Tunisia has always prided itself on the freedom of its women, going back to when the country first gained independence from France. Women in Tunisia have the right to vote, seek office, open businesses, pursue higher education, ask for divorce, get an abortion (before American women could), and the woman's consent is required for marriage (Wikipedia). Also, according to Keljein (LookLex), the women in Tunisia are very friendly to visitors and premarital relations are not as shameful as in other Middle Eastern countries. In recent times, women have even played an integral part in the revolution in Tunisia that sparked the Arab Spring (Beardsley), which is surprising since much of the revolution was led by Islamists, who will likely infringe upon the rights that women enjoyed before. The women are well-educated, though, with a literacy rate of over 71% (Beinhold), which hopefully means that the women will work hard to maintain there previous position in the country. In the end, the women in Tunisia are far better off than many of their Middle Eastern counterparts in terms of progressive policies regarding women in Tunisian society.

Sources:
Beardsley, Eleanor. "In Tunisia, Women Play Equal Role In Revolution : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio. 27 Jan. 2011. Web. 31 Dec. 2011. http://www.npr.org/2011/01/27/133248219/in-tunisia-women-play-equal-role-in-revolution.
Beinhold, Katrin. "Women's Rights a Strong Point in Tunisia." The New York Times. 22 Feb. 2011. Web. 31 Dec. 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/world/middleeast/23iht-letter23.html.
Kjeilen, Tore. "Tunisia- Relations." LookLex Travel Guides. Web. 31 Dec. 2011. http://looklex.com/tunisia/z_sex_relations.htm.
"Women in Tunisia." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 31 Dec. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Tunisia.

Religious Traditions in Tunisia

Tunisia has a long history of being open-minded about some of the more strict policies of Islam, namely to do with women and the faith placed in religious leaders. Tunisians place much more faith in their own families and would rather take advice from a family member than from a religious leader. In general, though, the country follows the basic tenets of Islam, with many businesses closing during the daily prayers. The traditional Islamic celebration of Ramadan and the demonstration of Ashdura are also common.

Various religious holidays hold extraordinary importance in Tunisia. One such holiday is the Feast of Sacrifice, which "coincides with the annual pilgrimage to the holy places of Mecca and Medina" (EveryCulture). During this holiday, every household is supposed to sacrifice a ram in the same way Abraham's son was spared as a sacrifice and a ram was used instead. Another festival is the Prophet's Birthday, which is the celebration of the birth of Muhammad. These celebrations seem to hold more significance in Tunisia, although the reason for this appears to be unknown.

While Muslims in Tunisia do have their own set of traditions as compared to other countries, the freedom of religion that is enjoyed in the country allows other beliefs to flourish. There are still pockets of Jews and Christians scattered throughout the country, keeping their own individual faiths and traditions alive in a country that is overwhelmingly Muslim.

Sources:
"Culture of Tunisia - History, People, Clothing, Traditions, Women, Beliefs, Food, Customs, Family." EveryCulture- Countries and Their Cultures. Web. 29 Dec. 2011. http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Tunisia.html.
"Tunisia: Daily Life and Social Customs." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Dec. 2011. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/609229/Tunisia/93667/Daily-life-and-social-customs.
"Tunisia: Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette." Kwintessential- Professional Translation Services | Interpreters | Intercultural Communication & Training. Web. 29 Dec. 2011. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/tunisia-country-profile.html.