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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 7
Publication Date: July 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/assrj.107.15099
Abulhul, Z. (2023). The Concept of Disability in Libyan Culture. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(7). 243-251.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
The Concept of Disability in Libyan Culture
Zeinab Abulhul
Georg Mason University, United States
ABSTRACT
The author delves into the perspectives of Libyan parents regarding children with
disabilities. The article highlights the impact of Libyan culture on the kind of
disability and how society views children with disabilities and their parents in the
Libyan community. An analytical thinking framework was used to analyze the
extent to which societal culture has impacted the social lives of Libyan citizens.
Some people's attitudes toward having children with disabilities in their families or
relatives are influenced by their family structure, while others are influenced by
their social connections and norms. Furthermore, the article examines how
members of the close Libyan family, such as mothers, fathers, and siblings, perceive
disability and how their opinions affect individuals with disabilities. The aim of this
article is to educate social workers about the impact of societal culture on the
treatment of children with disabilities. This knowledge can help them advocate for
these children with the government and utilize resources more effectively.
Keywords: social connections, norms, social workers, parents, culture, community,
society, treatment, advocate, government, resources.
INTRODUCTION
Culture is a complicated concept that has various meanings. According to the definition given
by Edward B. Tylor (1871), culture is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief,
art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of
society” (as cited in Spencer-Oatey, 2012: Tylor, 1874 digitalized 2007). Culture involves
people’s lifestyles, thoughts, and impressions. Therefore, culture helps individuals visualize and
understand social concepts based on their interactions with each other within their social
environment. In this way, people conceptualize disability according to their thoughts and
beliefs, which are influenced by the thoughts and beliefs of others with whom they share a
culture.
Some parents who have a child with a disability believe that their child’s disability is a
consequence of something wrong the parents have done in their lives. Meanwhile, other parents
believe that having a child with a disability is not a cause for concern. They recognize that their
children’s growth is slow, but they feel that the child will catch up with time (Diken, 2006). This
cultural inventory presents itself in people’s experiences, social norms, and the religious values
of society through informal social institutions (e.g., family, school, friends, and neighbors),
which influence how people think, dress, eat, interact, and behave around others (Danseco,
2006). These influences, in turn, are reflected in people’s political decisions and economic plans.
Most Libyan people are Muslim, and they are aware that Islam urges Muslims to take care of
vulnerable people, including those with disabilities. However, their behaviors may still be
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influenced by the Arab culture as much or more than by Islamic instructions, which has been
attributed to ancient historical roots (Crabtree & Williams, 2011). According to ancient Libyan
culture, having a child with a disability is attributed to acts of witchcraft – such as the casting of
a spell on a family – God’s will, and supernatural occurrences (Etieyibo & Omiegbe, 2016). The
nature of these beliefs has prevented people from having open and public conversations about
having children with disabilities and the related needs and rights. When parents do find
themselves in a situation in which they must speak about a child’s disability, they tend to stay
silent to maintain a peaceful social atmosphere and to avoid being pointed out as having a
disability in their family (Alghoul, 2016). This is especially true when the child is mentally ill or
female (Al Khatib, 2016).
IMPACT OF THE LIBYAN FAMILY STRUCTURE ON THE TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS
WITH DISABILITIES
Family Structure
There are four types of family units in the family structure of Libyan society. The “nuclear
family” includes a father, mother, and their children. The “extended family” includes a father,
mother, adult children, unmarried children, along with married children (and their children);
an extended family lives together in one big house. The “big family” includes many nuclear and
extended family members. They have the same last name and live in separate houses. The final
family unit is the “tribe,” which includes several families with different last names but a shared
line of descent (Hammad et al., 1999).
There are four factors that contribute to the formation of Libyan families’ attitudes toward
individuals with disabilities. First, social values are essential in Libyan culture. For example, a
strong family reputation allows a family to be proud of their members among other families,
but any stigma connected to one person in a family can affect the whole family’s reputation.
Second, the Libyan family structure encourages family members to create strong social ties
through, for example, altruistic behaviors and collective efficacy. Thus, if any member of a
family does something shameful, their family’s social ties could be negatively affected. Third, if
a family, or one of its members, does not respect social norms and creates a stigma or a feeling
of shame around the tribe, the entire tribe could be negatively affected for many years. Fourth,
most Libyan families are Muslim and practice Islamic instructions. This factor has a positive
impact on Libyans’ attitudes toward individuals with disabilites and may cause their attitudes
to fluctuate (Benomir et al., 2016).
Parents of children with disabilities usually depend on their relatives to assist them, as social
institutions consider disabilities a family issue. Family assistance emerged in Libya based on
two ideas. The first is the Islamic idea that all Muslims should act as one body and help each
other; the second is the cultural ideal that if a family member is stigmatized because of an
impairment, it should affect the child’s extended family’s members. Thus, family members assist
one another to protect the family’s reputation (Madi et al., 2019).
Treatment of children with disabilities by their families
Raising children with disabilities without support burdens Libyan families psychologically,
physically, and financially. Parents who rear children with disabilities work hard to provide
appropriate care to their children, which is often associated with feelings of shame. This feeling
increases the stress involved in meeting children’s needs, particularly in terms of the roles and
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contributions of mothers and non-disabled siblings during social occasions. In many Libyan
families, fathers assign the responsibility of raising a disabled child to their wives, believing that
it is the wife’s fault that their child is disabled. Some husbands instead consider getting
divorced, which increases the pressure put on a mother. In turn, the mother might reflect her
negative feelings regarding her poor treatment toward her child (Reichman et al., 2008).
In many cases, mothers give up their work and withdraw from social contributions to allocate
the time required to raise their children. They do this because they believe that their primary
role is to help their children in the home while leaving working outside the home to their
husbands. This way, the family can cover the expenses of raising the child while avoiding social
interaction. These negative attitudes toward individuals with disabilities may lead to feelings
of guilt. They may think that their disability prevents their parents from social engagements,
and they feel that they are the cause of their family’s social difficulties (Gharaibeh, 2009).
Libyan mothers may reject a newborn upon realizing that the child is disabled. Groce et al.
(2014) suggested that some mothers may not breastfeed children who they do not think will
contribute to their life. Families are afraid of failing to display social qualities that have been
deemed acceptable by Libyan society and that improve a family’s social acceptance and social
status (e.g., health, wealth, generosity, and family reputation) (Lawson, 2011; Benomir et al.,
2016). Parents’ negative expectations of their children’s social productivity and ability to be
independent may shape their attitudes toward the personality of their child. This restricted
impression may lead individuals with disabilities to think that they are useless to their families
and that there is nothing they can do to change their parents’ negative attitudes and meet their
expectations (Coleridge, 2009).
Consequently, many Libyans pity families who rear children with disabilities and look upon
them with somewhat shameful feelings. As a result, families may try to keep their children at
home and teach them social skills before they are integrated into society. They believe that
isolation preserves the family’s reputation and prevents negative feelings (Crabtree & Williams,
2011). Furthermore, many parents believe that individuals with disabilities cannot be
independent. Many parents also believe that they can provide the best conditions for their
children at home and that they know what is best for their children. Thus, they make decisions
on behalf of their children without consulting them in any way (Saad & Beszta, 2019). This
situation leads some individuals with disabilities to voluntarily accept segregation, while others
feel that they are forcibly prevented from having a social life.
Cultural Context, Social Ties, and Social Norms
Meeting Social Standards:
According to Patel (2000), an individual’s identity is formed by several social elements, which
play a significant role in one’s interactions with their community. These social elements are
associated with individuals’ biological and social appearances. These appearances influence
their personality and are reflected in their impressions about their community, their
interactions with others within the social environment, and their behaviors in various social
contexts. In addition, these social elements foster commonality and social ties among
individuals living in one community based on shared experiences and knowledge about their
community’s history and social systems. As such, these elements shape people’s individual
identities (as cited in Masolo, 2002).
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The roots of ancient Arab culture contain values that have influenced Libyans’ identities, as
described by Patel (2000). These cultural roots – which are reflected in one’s bravery,
generosity, pride, reproductive capacity, family status, and other characteristics – are still valid
in Libyans’ character today. Libyans consider these values a measurement tool for social status,
family reputation, and social acceptance. Thus, Libyan people strive to obtain an ideal social
image. The reasons for this go beyond factors related to social image itself. For example, a
negative social image affects a family member’s marriage prospects. Also, it affects what kind
of children they expect to have and their social future (Mitchell, 2005). Therefore, most Libyan
people work hard to achieve the ideal social image while denying anything that would harm
their image. This desire for a positive social image can cause parents to ignore or hide a child’s
impairment.
Shame and Family Honor:
Feelings of shame guilt, embarrassment, discomfort, and inferiority are especially unpleasant
when they are part of a social punishment for failing to meet a perfect model determined by
society (Golden, 2017). Therefore, many Libyan families make painstaking efforts to hide their
social problems to avoid shame and embarrassment. According to Libyan culture, Libyan
people perceive a family who raises disabled children as pathetic. They see a disabled child as
a sign that the family has many historical, social, and health issues that have negatively affected
their luck and their children’s future. This extends to their marital prospects and family honor.
As such, if a family includes a disabled child, this can negatively affect other member’s potential
marriages because it is believed that the disability is inherited from their original family and
will be passed down to their future children. In some cases, fathers of a disabled child take a
second wife to ensure that they do not have more children with disabilities (Al-Krenawi &
Graham, 2000).
Denial:
Libyan families who know that they have a disabled child commonly deny the disability and
tend to blame those who diagnose their child. For example, a schoolteacher who expresses
concern about a child’s understanding and behavior and then advises the parents to visit a
pediatrician is often blamed for not providing suitable teaching strategies to evaluate the child’s
understanding (Logsdon, 2019).
Many Libyan parents are reluctant to acknowledge that they are rearing a child with disability.
However, some parents are proactive if nearby families exhibit tolerance (Mitchell, 2005).
Other families refuse to rear disabled children to avoid bad luck. According to Crabtree (2007),
many people believe that having disabled children is a sign of divine punishment. This is
especially true of husbands who blame their wives for and then distance themselves from their
wives (as cited in Raddawi, 2015). This situation instills a feeling of guilt in the wives, who are
made to believe that they did something wrong.
Fatalism:
Fatalism is the belief, common in Islam, that a person’s conditions are beyond their control,
meaning that a person is not to blame for problematic events (White, 2015). Thus, some Libyan
families believe that raising children with disabilities is the family’s fate and a sign of God’s
reward to increase their wealth and success. According to Dala and Pande (1999), Berry (2005),
and Nirit and Shunit (2013), people believe in fatalism, meaning that a family who has a child
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with a disability attributes the disability to God’s will and perceives it as a way to be closer to
God. Thus, many people who think that having a child with a disability is the family’s fate and a
result of God’s will do not expect professional intervention to make any difference in their
child’s life (Mitchell & Brown, 2013).
FAMILY MEMBERS’ PERSPECTIVES OF DISABILITY
Mothers’ Perspectives
Libyan family members have strong social ties, which makes each family member aware of their
social roles in relation to each other. Mothers take care of their family members’ affairs, while
fathers provide for family needs (Marini & Stebnicki, 2017). The influence of Islam makes
Libyan parents think that having a child with a disability is a test from God and that they should
be responsible for their children’s well-being. This leads many Libyan mothers to accept the
role of caretaker to their disabled children out of fear of punishment from God (Ahmed et al.,
2013). This causes many disabled children to become marginalized as a result of their parents’
negative expectations and lack of knowledge about disabled children’s needs (Madi, Mandy, &
Aranda, 2019: Matt, 2014).
Fathers’ Perspectives
There is not much research about father’s attitudes towards disabled children, as most research
on disabled children treats the father and mother as one unit. Libyan fathers consider childcare
the primary responsibility of mothers, with fathers playing a secondary role in children’s well- being. The primary roles of fathers are to be good providers and decision-makers for the family
and to serve as role models for their children (Navalkar, 2004: Learning disabilities, LD OnLine,
2019). Some fathers who have a newborn with a disability attribute the situation to God’s will
and accept it as their personal fate to avoid social stigma (Al-Aoufi, Al-Zyoud, & Shahminan,
2012). Fathers often feel stressed, disappointed, and neglected when their wives give
considerable attention to their disabled children, leaving no room for intimacy between
husband and wife. As a result, divorce is usually considered (Ritchie, 2013).
Fathers tend to be passive in such situations and remain silent, rarely expressing their feelings
to their wives. These feelings cause fathers to avoid social obligations by working long hours
under the pretext that they are helping their family financially (Pelchat, Lefebvre, & Perreault,
2003). Fathers reject their child’s impairment and overlook the daily care by avoiding social
situations in which they could compare themselves with parents of non-disabled children who
are overtly proud. Fathers of disabled sons do not expect the disabled child to become healthy
men who meet the social norm that dictates that a son should be healthy and strong like his
father (Peters, 2013; Responsible Fatherhood Spotlight, 2010). According to Sharpet et al.
(2006), some fathers of disabled children fall into a vicious cycle of self-blame and rejection,
which can turn into negative attitudes toward the disabled child (as cited in Beatty & King,
2008).
Siblings’ Perspectives
Siblings’ attitudes toward their siblings with disabilities differ based on age. Siblings are
expected to play, speak, and do activities together, as well as to express their feelings, joys,
curiosities, and fears. When a non-disabled sibling does not have these kinds of interactions
with a sibling, they start to worry. They then start to compare their disabled sibling with other
siblings and relatives, as well as with their neighbors and peers at school. These comparisons
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lead non-disabled siblings to infer that there is something wrong with their disabled siblings.
The non-disabled sibling is often curious to find out what is wrong by asking their parents
questions about their sibling’s disability.
When non-disabled siblings are relatively young, they might feel jealous that their parents pay
more attention and provide more care to their disabled siblings. This can occur even if the
parents explain the situation to the non-disabled child. The subsequent feelings of unfairness,
worthlessness, and rejection cause non-disabled children to isolate themselves and assume the
role of observer of the family’s interactions (Brinkmann, 2019).
As non-disabled siblings grow older, they come to understand the situation from experiencing
their parents’ and close relatives’ attitudes toward their disabled siblings. Thus, they try not to
behave like their disabled siblings as to not upset their parents. They might hide their feelings
in an attempt to act based on their parents’ attitudes toward their disabled siblings. They might
even start to share their parents’ feelings of shame when their disabled sibling does not act
according to social expectations. Thus, they will often try to formulate excuses for the
misbehavior of their disabled siblings (Meltzer & Kramer, 2016; Milevsky, 2014).
The cultural perspective shows how Libyan attitudes toward children with disabilities have
been influenced implicitly by ancient history and Islamic religion as present Libyan culture
CONCLUSION
This article discusses the definition of culture as presented by Edward B. Tylor in 1871. It
emphasizes how social interactions within a specific environment shape people's
understanding of social concepts. In Libyan society, cultural components affect how individuals
perceive their societal culture, particularly in regard to attitudes toward children with
disabilities. The article delves into how cultural influence shapes the views of special needs
children's parents towards their disabled children and their expectations surrounding the
disability. Attitudes towards children with disabilities are influenced by family structure,
relationships, social connections, and norms. The article aims to provide social workers with
insights into the importance of cultural considerations when working with special needs
children. It also aims to equip them with practical strategies to advocate for their educational
rights and support their parents in providing greater independence for their children with
special needs while helping them feel included in their society. Additionally, the article calls for
social work researchers to investigate the impact of community culture on attitudes toward
special needs education and to enhance community libraries with literature on people's
perceptions towards children with disabilities.
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