The ‘Me’ (Weld Lebled)‎ and the ‘other’ (lberani)‎, two factors that enhance social exclusion and reclusion, and inhibit social inclusion (Coexistence)‎ : the North-West Algerian cities as a case study

Abstract EN

All societies rely on the oral tradition for transmission of culture, traditions, and teaching the rules of good behaviour, etc., and Algeria is no exception.

Most people carry inherited opinions, the established social norms for which they do not know the origin, and therefore follow blindly these socio-cultural models.

In this paper, I will shed light on a sociolinguistic behaviour that affects people in the western part of Algeria.

In fact, quite often, we hear people speaking about notions like weld leble˃d (literally who belongs to the city/country), or lberani (literally the stranger), or even laҀrubi (literally the countryside man) that seem to plague the Algerian society in its whole.

A study was conducted over the course of one half academic year during which teachers, academicians, and students from six universities in the Western part of Algeria were asked to fill a questionnaire.

We have chosen the university community because it is representative of all social classes.

The study aims at determining whether the fact of looking at the other differently affects greatly social inclusion and/or exclusion in the West of Algeria.

Finally, the study reveals that the notion of ‘me’ and ‘the ‘other’ is prevalent even among the Algerian elite therefore, it can be over generalized on the whole society members.