Respecting the Beliefs and Values of Our Jordanian Hosts

One of La Sierra University's most valued assets in Jordan is the long-standing positive relationship which it has enjoyed with the people of Jordan.

Most of Jordan is Muslim, including the city where we will be staying and the workers we will interact with on a daily basis out at site. This means, among other things, that they place a high value on the sanctity of the family, the purity of women, and avoidance of certain foods and beverages. One should remember in this connection that, as with all world religions, there are various expressions of the Muslim faith around the globe-from extremely stringent observation of religious and social guidelines to a total lack of attention to them. Most of the people we work with in Jordan, while serious about their faith, are somewhere in the middle of the continuum; for example, alcoholic beverages are off limits for most of them (men and women), but not all women wear veils. In addition, the gracious hosts that they are, the people tend to be tolerant of foreigners, whom they hope will also be understanding of them.

As archaeological leaders in Jordan, we seek to do our utmost to affirm and respect the values of our gracious hosts. We therefore make every effort to conduct our own personal lives in ways which are in harmony with the sensibilities of these hospitable people. We also expect those who join our team as volunteers, students or staff to do likewise.

To this end, everyone who chooses to participate in the project is expected to make an earnest effort--before coming to Jordan--to learn about Middle Eastern Muslim beliefs as they relate to these matters. In addition, all newcomers to the project are expected to take part in a cultural orientation session which will be conducted as part of our orientation program during the first few days of the dig by the directors and other veteran staff. This session will further explain behaviors (appropriate and otherwise) in the local cultural context.

Your signature below will be interpreted as evidence of your commitment to conduct yourself in a manner which avoids offending our local Jordanian hosts. This assumes your taking personal responsibility for learning about and avoiding what are deemed to be offensive behaviors in the local context (particularly those having to do with drinking, inappropriate dress, and inappropriate behavior across lines of gender). Inability to abide by these guidelines may result in dismissal and an early return home at the offending participant's cost.