Studying the Correlation between Social Behavior and Urban Development for Tribal Residential Communities

Abstract

Future urban development projects have always lacked a clear vision that takes into consideration the social behavior of clan and tribal communities who have their own special social structure, consisted of basic social units controlling their urban formation; as a result, the desired social development is negatively affected, in addition to the other various side effects on both urban and economic development. In this sense, there will be no actual contribution to the urban development of the clan, tribal or Bedouin areas, unless it is through providing more spatial stability for the tribes residing at these areas; an objective which can only be achieved by studying the real reasons behind their reluctance to settle at the residential units specified for them by the government. In light of the above, this current study will first discuss some of the main concepts related to the human social behavior, with a special focus on the Bedouin communities; taking into account the relationship between human behavior and the surrounding environment that constitutes such communities, as well as the nature of the relationship between residence in general and the places affected by the private social status of man; and that is in an attempt to understand these special social organizations, within which the individuals of these communities live, as well as the characteristics and patterns of the social relations governing the movement of those individuals, hence affecting the general urban fabric of these residential communities. In this regard, this research will address the urban formation of these residential communities, based on a comparison between the government's general planning and the urban field investigation of the areas in question. Furthermore, this display will include maps for the land utilizations and maps for the urban fabric in detail, in addition to the outcome of the field visits to the Bedouin villages and their surroundings, as well as the questionnaires filled by some of the inhabitants and the tribal sheikhs. That is to say, the main objective of this research is to prove that the social clan formation of the Bedouin communities affects the general form of these residential gatherings significantly; and that is trough identifying the general and private urban formation, the fabric's form, the social status, the community's urbanization, and the impact of all these elements on the desired urban formation. In this context, this research shall conclude some of the characteristics and standards of the current formation at the Bedouin communities, as well as their counterparts of tribal features; and that is in order to conclude and determine specific recommendations for the general urban development of these communities. Hence, the government could pay more attention to the Bedouin communities by understanding their actual needs, in order to help them to settle without prejudice to the private social formation of each tribe.