FAMILY LIFE
The family is the centre of Jordanian life. Many Jordanians consider it a tragedy to be unmarried and without a family. Some parents even change their names on the birth of their first son to reflect their new roles as father and mother. Arranged marriages are still quite common in the rural areas, and even urban Jordanians may have to get their family's permission before marrying. Divorce is rare.
Only the royal family and a few very wealthy people have large single-family homes. Most city residents live in apartments that they own. Wealthy families often hire foreign workers to look after household chores. Rural people live in small houses with two or three rooms, and most have running water and electricity. Some Bedouin still live a nomadic life in goat-hair tents in the desert.

Children live with their parents until they marry. The father is the decision-maker in most families. Women are still expected to look after the home and children. The family hierarchy is important, and respect is shown to elders. Children do not sit down when their parents are standing, or smoke in front of them, for example. Jordanian children call older men "uncle" and older women "aunt," whether or not they are related.

 Did you know?
     
The concept of privacy is alien to Jordanians; the closest word in Arabic translates into the English word "loneliness." An old proverb says, "Where there are no people, there is hell.

   
Meals are often major social events. The midday meal can last several hours. In rural areas, men and women often eat their meals separately, and women are forbidden to eat at a restaurant without a male relative present. In the cities, these customs are changing.

The current population growth rate is very high; almost half of all Jordanians are under the age of 20. The government has established programs to encourage people to have smaller families.