ABSTRACT
Theories of personality developed in the West only after the emergence of the individual as an independent entity. The sociocultural climate within which Arab people grow up is different and does not lead to individualism; in fact, this climate rejects this trend. Melanie Klein and Margaret Mahler describe development in terms of object relations. Development of the self involves separating from the mother and becoming an individual, independent of others. Arab children are oriented toward interdependence, accommodation, conformity, cooperation, and affection rather than toward individualism, intellectualization, independence, and compartmentalization. Separation of the individual’s identity is not encouraged. Individuals are mainly perceived and valued as part of the unfolding history of their families. The unindividuated self finds its expression in social relationships. In Arab society, social relationships are familial rather than interpersonal. Self-control is to learn to delay gratification and inhibit impulses.
