This essay examines the differences between Arab and American cultures in their concepts of friends and strangers. In Arab culture, there is a large gap between friends and strangers, while American culture does not make as strong a distinction. Some key differences discussed are that Arabs expect more loyalty, duty and reciprocal favors from friends compared to Americans. Additionally, Arabs share more personal information when introducing themselves and expect more frequent visits and reciprocated invitations from friends than is common in American culture. The text concludes that the concept of friendship holds more serious obligations in Arab culture, and suggests learning about cultural differences to avoid missteps when living in a new culture.

1. Friends and Strangers
-Margaret R. Nydell
This essay studies the intercultural differences in
relation with the concept of friends and strangers between
American culture and Arabian culture. In Arabian culture
there is huge gap between friends and strangers but not
same in American culture. There are some of the
differences between the Arabians and the Americans
concept of friendship on the basis of the following
criteria:
The concept of friendship
For Arabs a friend is someone whose company one
enjoys and whose duty is to give help and do his/her best
for friends where as for westerners a friend is someone
whose company one enjoys but whom one doesn’t expect
to have the same sense of duty.
Reciprocalfavors
For Arabs, oral promise has its own value as response
where as for westerners actions are valued more than
words. Moreover, for Arabs loyalty is expected from
friends but westerners don’t expect the same sense of
loyalty. Arabians expect reciprocal favors from friends
whereas Americans do not.
Introductions
In the culture of Arabs when introducing oneself it is
common to give a lot of information about oneself from a
one’s family and social connections where as in western
culture less information are disclosed.

2. Visitingpatterns
In the culture of Arabs one visits ones friends often
and has little concern about privacy where as in western
culture one visits ones friends occasionally and has a strong
sense of privacy. Furthermore, Arab people expect from
friends to reciprocate invitation but the western people don’t
have as strong of a need for reciprocal invitation.
In conclusion, the text ‘Friends and Strangers’ by
presenting the setting of Arab and American, has tried to
inform readers that the concept of friendship in Arab is very
seriously taken which if rejected once or ignored, can result
a serious break up. Nydell suggests us to learn and get
acquainted with the new culture you are going to live at so
that no missteps will occur and increase your depression
level or become barrier for the progress. In an overall way,
every setting has their own meaning of who is a ‘friend’ and
who is a ‘stranger’.