Female Mental Health in Kuwait

STRESS, DEPRESSION, AND LOCUS OF CONTROL IN

Class, Caste, Religious Segments in Kuwait Society

According to Meleis (1982), Kuwait is a society recently introduced to wealth, technology, and modern values after generations in which:

. . .most Kuwaitis lived in tribes or kinship groups on plots of land no larger than 15 km that were often further divided into smaller sections occupied by extended families related by blood, custom, or other social or occupational roles. The chief occupations were fishing, pearl diving and trade with India and East Africa. (p.965)

The class/caste basis of the tribes and/or kinship groups of Kuwait was, and still is, based on the religious foundation of Islam which is the State Religion (Ministry of Information, 1988), a fact which indicates the power accorded to religious elements in Kuwait society.

The State of Kuwait, through the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs considers its responsibility to be that of preserving the Islamic heritage of the people and for maintaining their spiritual and religious life. To this end, the Ministry of Information (1988), reports that several projects have been undertaken. These include: (1) establishment of communication about religious and spiritual values with all interested classes of people, especially the young; (2) providing various kinds of assistance to both national and international Islamic projects;