To date, there are 6 Syrian refugee families that now call the South Okanagan their home. Many Canadians are proud of the contribution that our country has made to accommodate these newcomers and are anxious to help in any way that they can. To better assist Syrians adapt to their new surroundings, it is important to know a little about their culture and social norms.

Linguistic Affiliation
The Syrian dialect is very similar to Jordanian, Palestinian, and Egyptian dialect sharing with them a very similar grammar and vocabulary.

Education
The Syrian population is relatively well educated, and quite young, with a median age of 22.  It is estimated that almost 60% of Syrians lived in urban areas before the fighting caused massive displacement.  Many resettled Syrians will have a basic knowledge of English, but only a small number will be proficient in the language.  Those who have studied a Roman alphabet-based language (for example, French or German) will learn to read and write English more easily than those who can read and write only Arabic.

Greetings
Greetings hold great social significance. They are often lengthy, including questions about health.
Men and women both shake hands but close friends and family members usually kiss once on each cheek.

Physical contact between unrelated men and women is very uncommon and it is offensive for religiously observant men to touch women and vice versa.  It is not acceptable for men to shake hands with women.  Placing the right hand on the heart when meeting someone, or an opposite gender, is a signal of regard and/or affection.  Syrians are very affectionate people.  Men walk linking arms or holding hands and hug a great deal, as do women.  Close physical contact in public is more common between people of the same gender than it is between girlfriend and boyfriend or husband and wife.

Family
Syrians identify very strongly with their families, both immediate and extended. Families are generally large and include grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Among family members, there are close bonds of love and support as well as responsibility and supervision.  Family reputation is as important as individual freedom.  Children are highly valued as a blessing from God. The more children one has, the more fortunate one is considered, as children will ensure that their parents are taken care of in old age.  As in other Arab societies, names in Syria reveal family relations.  On a document, a child’s given name is his or her first name, and the second name is the father’s first name, while the last name is either the family name or the first name of the grandfather on the father’s side. A woman does not take her husband’s name in marriage.

In general, Syrian society is patriarchal, and everyone is under the protection and authority of the oldest man.  Women are believed to be in need of protection, particularly from the attention of unrelated men.  Although older men are the family decision makers, women and younger men engage in a great deal of negotiation and non-confrontational actions to achieve their own goals.

Communication Style
Men and women socialize separately except on occasions when the whole family is involved. Talking is a favorite pastime, and the art of conversation is a prized skill.  It is common to hear people speaking in loud voices because Syrians are very expressive people.  Interruptions in conversation are common and they typically run off topic.

Occupational Background
Syrians are known in the Arab world as skilled in construction and other types of manual labor in the hospitality, agricultural activities and service sectors. In pre-conflict Syria, there were many small business owners as well as a professional class made up of doctors, bureaucrats, teachers, university professors, and social workers, among others.

Punctuality
Their vision of time is different from that of Canadians. They do not know urgencies or at least they manage them differently—waits and delays are part of their culture.

Healthcare Beliefs and Practices
Syrians highly value Western medicine, though their health care beliefs, practices, and preferences reflect their own culture and social realities.  They prefer to be seen by same-sex health care providers.  Women will choose the services of a midwife over those of a male gynecologist. Syrians may be embarrassed by personal questions, particularly those having to do with sex.  For reasons of modesty, female hospital patients usually prefer long hospital gowns that cover the lower legs.  Training to be a nurse is less rigorous in Syria than in Western countries. As a result, Syrians tend to have less confidence in nurses than people in the West have.

Learning a little about Syria and its culture will go a long way in making new friends.  Keeping an open mind and being tolerant of other cultures will also earn you their respect.

Source: SOICS