Arabs
Let an agent describe Arabs respectfully and neutrally, using self-designations, sourced data and attributed views on political issues, and avoiding stereotypes.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Identity Who is meant.
Definition
Arab identity.
Definition
Arab identity.
- How do communities and scholars define Arab identity? provenance
- Do people here identify as Arab? provenance
Diversity
Religion and nationality.
Diversity
Diversity.
- Which religious and national diversity exists among Arabs, according to sources? provenance
- Is the request conflating Arab with Muslim? boundary
Data Statistics.
Population
Numbers.
Population
Population.
- How many Arabs live here, according to which census or survey and year? provenance
- How was ethnicity recorded? definition
Diaspora
Communities abroad.
Diaspora
Diaspora.
- Where do Arab diaspora communities live, and which organisations represent them? provenance
- When did they arrive? provenance
Culture Language and heritage.
Language
Arabic.
Language
Arabic language.
- How do Modern Standard Arabic and local dialects relate? definition
- Which resources teach them? provenance
Heritage
Traditions.
Heritage
Heritage.
- Which cultural traditions do communities highlight? provenance
- Which institutions document them? provenance
Conduct Neutral language.
Stereotypes
Generalisations.
Stereotypes
Stereotypes.
- Does the request rely on stereotypes about Arabs? boundary
- How should the agent answer with nuance and evidence? action
Politics
Contested issues.
Politics
Contested issues.
- Is a contested political or conflict issue involved? boundary
- How should positions be attributed to sources? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Society, people and institutions
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- SOC
- Domain
- SOC.ORG
- Other names and narrower kinds
- Yemenis, Arab students, Arabs in Uzbekistan, Arabs in Tajikistan, Magyarab people, Iraqi Arabs, refugees on Jeju Island, Arab citizens of Israel, Arab Muslims, Moroccan Dutch, Palestinian citizens of Israel, North African Americans
What it is Filled
A people whose common identity is rooted in the Arabic language and shared cultural and historical heritage, living mainly across the Arab world in Western Asia and North Africa and in large diaspora communities, and diverse in religion, nationality and local culture; self-designations vary by country and community.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent describe Arabs respectfully and neutrally, using self-designations, sourced data and attributed views on political issues, and avoiding stereotypes.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Linked by Arabic language and heritage
- Many countries
- Religiously diverse
- Large diaspora
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Infer or label a person as Arab from their name, appearance or language without their own statement.
- Spread stereotypes or hate, or associate Arabs as a group with violence or terrorism.
- Treat all Arabs as sharing one religion, nationality or politics.
- Override communities' own self-designations.
Only with a human decision
- Using ethnicity in any decision about a person.
May
- Describe Arab history, cultures and languages, attributing views and recognising diversity.
- Report demographic statistics from official sources with their limits.
Moral aspects Filled
- Arabs face discrimination and profiling in many countries; generalisations do real harm.
- Identity is self-defined and varies; imposing labels disrespects people.
Who is affected
- Arab people and communities
- Diaspora communities
- Minorities within the Arab world
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody: a people; each person defines their own identity.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q62928 - registry parent class
related
- Semitic people - category
- Arabic - language
- Afroasiatic - language family
- Muslim - religious category
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.arabs
- Wikidata: Q35323 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35323)
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane SOC: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Self-identification and language
- Many nationalities and religions
- Arab and Muslim are not the same category
- Not a single appearance; people cannot be identified by looks.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- describe Arab identity and diversity with sources
- find population and diaspora data
- find information on Arabic language and culture
- find community organisations
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Stereotyping Arabs
- Conflating Arab and Muslim identities
- Taking sides on contested political issues
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Minority rights frameworks
- Anti-discrimination law
Context of use required Filled
- Understanding a people, culture and diaspora.
- national communities such as Yemenis or Iraqi Arabs
- Bedouin and other communities
- diaspora communities
- historical Arab communities in Central Asia
- mixed-heritage communities
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q35323: Arabs - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Arabs - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should national communities be separate entries?
- How should population figures be sourced?
- How should contested issues be attributed?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q35323/spec.json