Hiring Wet Nurses and Child Rearing in Arab Tribes: A Comparative Study with the Modern Era

Abstract

Breastfeeding of wet-nurses was once a widespread custom among Bedouins in the Arab tribal societies. This paper is dedicated to this epic lifestyle tradition. It will explore the reasons that lay behind the fact that it was needed in nomadic life and discuss the variety of roles the wet nurses undertook on top of the mere breastfeeding. This section follows by considering the importance of extended family in the raising of children among the tribes and the process value of the cultural transmission. The article then alternative these ways of the older generation with our modern era among fall of wet nursing due to cultural moves, expertise and development. It tells us about the fall of joint families or even extensive families and the parental concern over child growing and development. To end with, this paper illustrates the similarities and differences in raising children from both of those eras, referencing the effects of industrialization on family structures, people's cultural identity, and the preservation of traditional practices. Through this similar study, we can learn a lot about the ways the child rearing practices have been adopted and adapted to different periods, giving us a great understanding of the interaction between the past and the present.

Key Words:  Wet Nursing, Arab Societies, Child Rearing, Contemporary Practices