Urbanization and social identities in Jordan: The case of Irbid

This study examines the relationship between urbanization and the development of social identities in Jordan using the anthropological methodology of conducting field research in Irbid city. The following are the main results: -Primordial tribal attachments have constantly been reproduced as basis for the urban or national identities. The major difference between identity in Irbid in both pre and post-urbanization periods was that relations between individuals became impersonal in addition to the personal ones. Individuals had ethnic, national and class affiliations beside the tribal ones. - Moreover, considering that the collective national sense prevailed before independence and before the Palestinian exodus, process of producing and reproducing a collective Jordanian national identity cannot be considered as counter practice or strategy against other groups of communities.