A Social View of Socotra Island : People, Culture, Heritage

This book focuses on Socotra Island, geographically based in Yemen, and aims to explore the island from the social sciences point of view. This book focuses on people indigenous to Socotra, Socotri cultures, heritage and also offers contributions from business, tourism, linguistic, communication, and anthropology. While a lot has been published in natural science about Socotra’s endemic species, biodiversity, and nature in general, social scientific research of the island is very limited. This book addresses therefore addresses this gap and explores various topics of tourism, behaviours, cultures, and language. This book focuses on a clear social science approach of Socotra. The purpose of this book is to publish research about the people, behaviors, heritage, and potential tourism of Socotra. The Socotra Archipelago has long been a land of mystery. It is unknown as a tourism destination for many, however, is a popular destination for adventurers, photographers and travelers who like to travel to remote and undeveloped places. This book explains how Socotra has limited resources of electricity, which is provided by diesel generators, Internet is very slow and limited to certain points on the island. There are no shopping malls or five-star hotels. Roads, schools, and hospitals have been built only recently. This book shoes how these island people do not know the development as we do, which makes it principally interesting to research. Previous interviewers of Socotri people about tourism development in the island have faced many challenges such as language barriers, lack of understanding the meanings and interviewing content, lack of support for the anticipated research results. This book successfully undertakes this challenge as not only in understanding the language, but understanding phenomena like e.g. tourism. Whilst acknowledging the ways in which indigenous island people have never travelled or seen a developed city. Thus, words like ‘developed’, ‘tourism destination’ or ‘washing machine’ may be unfamiliar terms for them. Therefore, new and innovative research methods that are sensitive to Socotra people were implemented in the creation of this book. List of Reviewers Contents Intersectional Feminist Autoethnographic Snaphots of Socotra, Yemen 1 Introduction 2 Literature Review 2.1 Middle Eastern Feminism(s) 2.2 Socotrian Gendered Context, Historical Snapshots 3 Methodology 4 Findings: Socotra Snapshots 4.1 Widad’s IFAS Cartography 4.2 Zoe’s IFAS Cartography 5 Discussion 5.1 Structural Issues 6 Conclusion References Sustainable Environmental Practices of Socotra People 1 Sustainable Environmental Practices of Socotri People 2 Review of Literature 2.1 Indigenous Practices and Environmental Sustainability 2.2 Socotra 3 Research Methods 3.1 Positionality of Researchers 3.2 Sampling 3.3 Participants 3.4 Data Collection 3.5 Data Analysis 3.6 Ethical Considerations 4 Findings 4.1 Food 4.2 Water 4.3 Land Use 4.4 Waste Disposal 5 Discussion 5.1 Water 5.2 Food 5.3 Land Use 5.4 Waste Disposal 5.5 Balancing Development and Environment 6 Conclusion References Tastes of Socotra in New Media: What do we know About Socotri from Looking at Their (Digital) Plate? 1 Introduction 2 Theoretical Framework 3 Research Method 4 Analysis of Findings 5 Discussion and Conclusion References Past, Present, and the Future of the Maritime Socotra: Sustainable Fishing Tourism Perspectives 1 Introduction 2 Traditional Fishing 3 Fishing Tourism: The State of the Art 4 Material and Methods 5 Discussion: The Developing of Sustainable Fishing Tourism 6 Conclusions Appendix 1: Questions Asked to Travel Agencies Appendix 2: Questions Asked to Fishermen References Factors Beyond Preserving the Socotri Intangible Heritage: A Qualitative Study 1 Introduction 2 Literature Review 3 Methods 3.1 Research Design 3.2 Participants 3.3 Instrument 3.4 Procedures 3.5 Data Analysis 4 Results 4.1 Economic Factors 4.2 Political Factors 4.3 Social and Cultural Factors 4.4 Dead Traditions 4.5 Circumcision 4.6 Marriage 4.7 Female’s Customs 4.8 Witchcraft Habits 4.9 Ceremonies 4.10 Dressing and Cooking 5 Discussion 6 Conclusion References Language as Symbolic Power in the Linguistic and Semiotic Landscape of Socotra Island 1 Introduction 2 Research Background 2.1 Sociopolitical and Sociolinguistic Background 2.2 Linguistic Landscaping and Language as Symbolic Power 3 Methodology 3.1 Research Design 3.2 Procedure 3.3 Researcher Positionality 3.4 Data Analysis 4 Findings 4.1 Theme 1: Symbolic Power of Arabic, Nationalism, and Gulf Culture 4.2 Theme 2: Gulf Development Programs—support/aid/strategic control 4.3 Theme 3: Influence of English/Western World/Signs for Tourists 5 Discussion and Conclusion References Rediscover Socotra: The Island on the Edge of the Ecumene 1 Socotra. A Geographical-Historical Article 2 Islands and Myths. Some Initial Considerations 3 The Mysterious East Indies 4 The Matrix of the Greek Myth: Panchaia 5 The Literary Images from the Greeks and Romans 6 The Augustan Age and the Widening of the Geographical Horizon: Geography and Environmental Conditions 7 From the Merchants to Ptolemy 8 The Long Middle Ages. Crises and Recovery 9 The Venetian Voyagers 10 Voyages to Old and New Worlds 11 From Commerce to Conquest 12 The End of the Myth: Brief Conquest and Abandonment References Palm Cultivation in Socotra: An Essential Part of Daily Life and Cultural Heritage 1 Introduction 2 Methodology 3 Literature Review 4 Results 4.1 Taxonomic Account 4.2 Geographical Distribution of Palm Trees on Socotra Island 4.3 Palm Varieties in Socotra 4.4 Production of Varieties from Palm Shoots 4.5 Flowering and Harvesting Timelines 4.6 The Pollination Process (Nebet) 4.7 Pruning (Ashiha) 4.8 Fruit Thinning (Nekas) 4.9 Dangling and Curving (Kefadah) 4.10 Fruit Bunch Covering (Aifana) 4.11 Irrigation 4.12 Fertilization 5 Discussion: Significance of Palm Trees for the People of Socotra 5.1 Problems and Obstacles Facing Palm Cultivation in Socotra 5.2 Palm Pests 5.3 Climatic Threats 6 Social Obstacles, Institutional Shortcomings, and Recommendations 7 Conclusion References Potential for Tourism in Emerging Destinations: Case of Socotra Island 1 Introduction 2 Methodology 2.1 Selection of Criteria 2.2 Grading Scales for the Criteria 3 Weights of Criteria 4 Results 4.1 Criterion 1: Destination Safety 4.2 Criterion 2: Hygienic Conditions 4.3 Criterion 3: Quality of Beaches 4.4 Criterion 4: Exploring Tangible Monuments 4.5 Criterion 5: Getting to Know the Local Culture 4.6 Criterion 6: Destination Awareness and Crowdedness 4.7 Criterion 7: Facilities and Services in the Destination 4.8 Criterion 8: Availability and Credibility of Destination Information 4.9 Criterion 9: Quality of Scenery 4.10 Criterion 10: Staff in the Destination 4.11 Criterion 11: Transport Accessibility and Conditions of Entry into the Country 5 Discussion 6 Conclusions References Conclusion: What We Found and What Is the Way Forward? 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