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Seher Mir
Jordan
May 2004
Challenges and Accomplishments
I have made significant progress on my studies. However, I have not accomplished as much as I had expected by the midpoint of my stay. In general, I’ve found that it can take more than twice as long as I would expect to complete a task in Jordan, compared to the time it would take at home in the United States. I’ve learned to plan for this; if I were to get something done in a day in the U.S., I budget at least three days here in Jordan.
A factor that I did not account for when I originally planned my trip is the difficulty of finding written resources on women in Jordan. Moreover, as there are few people who specialize in “women in Islam,” I have not been able to contact as many people as I would have liked.
In fact, by far the most challenging issue I have had overcome to date is attempting to contact people I can speak with for my project – numerous sources have canceled meetings several times before actually meeting with me. I initially thought that I would have no difficulty in collecting data and speaking with specialists in the field, but this challenge has led to my biggest accomplishment: learning to be very persistent in rescheduling when need be! I have adjusted my interviews accordingly and now have a clearer understanding of how my publication will be organized.
The biggest barrier I have had to overcome thus far in Jordan is learning the societal ‘confines’ of a woman. I have learned to be observant and respectful of local culture in regard to women. For example, I never walk out alone at night -- it is an uncommon sight, and can invite unwanted attention.
I’ve found that the biggest misconception Jordanians have of Americans is that we all think the same way on political issues. For example, if a Jordanian were to read something in the newspaper stated by a governmental employee, he or she often would assume that all Americans necessarily agree with that statement. When this takes place, I usually explain my point of view on the issue, and elaborate on why it is difficult, especially in such a heterogeneous culture as America’s, to develop a view of the entire country based on the opinion of a single individual.
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