Today I had the chance to sit and talk to the Provost of FC College (also known as the Vice Rector or chief academic officer), Dr. Marcia Grant. She is an American who has lived all over the world and has her main home in France.
Among other things, we discussed "tribalism" in Pakistan. People often think of tribalism as a term only applicable to indigenous people, but it applies more broadly to all types of social structures (as opposed to individuals) based on religious, cultural, ethnic or other identity factors. It's all about having feelings of identity for your "tribe" in society - like the concept of fraternities and sororities in American higher education.
Pakistan has "tribes" in many ways. Clearly there is the religious context and working at a Christian college the tribalism on campus is felt strongly. There is a sense of peace and calm on campus among those who are Christian - they are with like minded people and have fewer challenges in the workplace. As I've learned, there are also many "sects" in Islam and they tend to affiliate, too. And, there is great ethnic tribalism here among people from various regions across the five provinces in this country. The northerners (in the mountains between India and Afghanistan are very different from the southerners in Karachi - which is not so different from those from Boston and Savannah. In many ways, our countries (and their various tribes) are not that different....
Among other things, we discussed "tribalism" in Pakistan. People often think of tribalism as a term only applicable to indigenous people, but it applies more broadly to all types of social structures (as opposed to individuals) based on religious, cultural, ethnic or other identity factors. It's all about having feelings of identity for your "tribe" in society - like the concept of fraternities and sororities in American higher education.
Pakistan has "tribes" in many ways. Clearly there is the religious context and working at a Christian college the tribalism on campus is felt strongly. There is a sense of peace and calm on campus among those who are Christian - they are with like minded people and have fewer challenges in the workplace. As I've learned, there are also many "sects" in Islam and they tend to affiliate, too. And, there is great ethnic tribalism here among people from various regions across the five provinces in this country. The northerners (in the mountains between India and Afghanistan are very different from the southerners in Karachi - which is not so different from those from Boston and Savannah. In many ways, our countries (and their various tribes) are not that different....
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