The Change in Engagement Ceremonies in three Villages in the Northern Area of the West Bank According to Husbands

The Change in Engagement Ceremonies in three Villages in the Northern Area of the West Bank According to Husbands

Iyad Amawi

iyadamawi@hotmail.com

Received : 26-11-2006 , Accepted : 05-08-2007

Language: Arabic

Abstract

The main aim of this research is to follow up the changes that have occurred on marriage ceremony in Palestine village regarding engagement ceremonies as a result of economic, political, social and ideological changes that Palestine has experienced since the 1950s up to current times, through offering descriptive analysis. To achieve this aim, the researcher benefited from both Social Survey and Case Study methodologies. He used the questionnaire as execution of the Social Survey method, and the open deep interview as execution of the case Study method. The purposive sample used classified into two sections: The first consists of (250) persons subjected to the research, whom the researcher has met when he distributed the questionnaire research form; the second consists of (15) persons whom the researcher deeply and openly met. Thus the number of individuals in the sample is (265), who constitute (8.5%) of the research population containment all married males in villages (Bala, Dir Alqusoun, Ektaba) whose number mounts to (3114) married persons. The most important results of the research show that there are some changes in wedding tradition such as sending the crew – jaha to the bride's family house before engagement, also the way of inviting men to the engagement ceremony shifted from oral and papered invitation written by hand to printed ones. The place where attendance and guests are welcomed changed to public halls as diwans and public wedding halls instead of houses. During Jordanian Phase the attendance were served with "Ma'moul" pieces, then changed to a piece of chocolates in the 2nd Intifada phase. Also there is a change toward allowing the "bridegroom" to sit and go out with his fiancé alone without any objection from parents or society, after it was impossible in the past. Finally, the results didn't show any changes neither in the way of proposing to the bride since the bridegroom's father was the only responsible for such role, nor in the length of engagement which averages from 1-6 months.

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