North Africa There Is No

North Africa

There is no set definition of North Africa (No author, 2012). It always includes the Maghreb countries that line the Mediterranean -- Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania -- as well Egypt, the Western Sahara and sometimes the Saharan nations of Niger, Chad and Mali. The predominant languages of the region are Arabic and Berber. All North African countries are majority Muslim countries, with only small Christian and Jewish minorities that date from antiquity. The region's history is ancient, and for centuries before and after the Roman Empire the region was politically fragmented. Arabs brought Islam and the Arabic language to the region centuries ago. More recently, Ottoman and French presence in the region contributed some cultural influences.

The NASP (2012) defines culture as "an integrated pattern of human behavior." Cultural artifacts include thoughts, communications, languages, practices, beliefs, values, customs, manners of interacting and roles, and relationship beliefs (Ibid). These arise from the history of influences of the region. As noted, the Muslim religion, Arabic and Berber languages are two important aspects of North African culture. The region's multiple influences (French, Arab, Ottoman, Berber) contribute to the rich culture. Of specific importance in leadership studies, elements like power distance and individualism are also important aspects of the culture. Geert Hofstede's work (2012) on Morocco can be used to highlight these latter two points, if extrapolated to the region at large.

Prior to Islam, North Africa was more seamlessly integrated into the same Mediterranean culture that Europe had. North Africa was part of the Roman Empire and had influences of cultures ranging from Greek to Egyptian to Phoenician, that latter having contributed Carthage, which today lies just outside Tunis. When Islam arrived, it quickly became the dominant religion of the region, relegating Christianity and Judaism to the status of distant minority religions in North Africa. Islam came to North Africa in the decades following the death of Mohammed. Islam cut off North Africa culturally from Mediterranean Europe and this has shaped the prominent role of Islam in North African culture today. Yet, the Islam practiced in North Africa is more moderate than that practiced in the Arab world, though both derive from the Sunni school (Jenkins, 2004). This reflects the influence of Mediterranean culture and Berber beliefs, which temper the hardline Islam of many Arab states.

The Arabic language is another critical element of North African culture. It was brought to the region during the spread of Islam, and gained its prominence as a liturgical language. It serves the function today as a lingua franca, having proven more viable in that role that languages that were introduced to the region later, such as Turkish or French. The Berber language is still spoken, providing a sense of differentiation from Arabic culture, but the use of Arabic as a dominant language places North Africa as a significant part of the Muslim world and connects it with other Arabic-speaking countries, in addition to providing a point of cultural unity between the different North African countries. It is worth noting that in southern portions of these countries, the Berber population does not self-identify with any Arabic identity, and clearly Berber individuals often face discrimination as a result (Mesdoua, 2011).

Power distance is a cultural artifact that reflects the degree to which individuals in society are equal (Hofstede, 2012). North African countries tend to be hierarchical in nature, such that people feel they have a place in society and that roles can be defined by one's position in society. North African culture is generally a collectivist society, as opposed to an individualistic one. Some traits associated with collectivist societies are loyalty and helps to determine relationships in the society, as individual actions are perceived to have an impact on the groups (families, companies) with which one is associated.

A fifth element of North African culture that is worth being discussed because of its contribution to the modern context is the Arab Spring. Knowing that these are hierarchical collectivist societies highlights just how important the Arab Spring is to the evolution of North African culture. The Arab Spring raises significant questions, in light of the popularity of newly-elected democratic governments in places like Tunisia, Libya and Morocco.