5 - Solidarity and Competition: The Socio-Cultural Foundations of Life in Jeddah

Summary

This chapter examines the social fabric of Jeddah by focusing on the urban social institutions that provided the basis of interaction and integration. These are considered by starting at the level of family and household. Quarter and professional associations and their venues, notably coffeeshops, are another important field of urban interaction. They also included regular religious ceremonies and the gatherings of Sufi orders. In the early twentieth century, cultural associations evolved. In this context, the educational and journalistic fields are examined. Finally, sports, particularly football, became an important integrating factor. The chapter thus engages the inclusive, as well as exclusive, aspects of the multicultural urban society of Jeddah.