Ƶ

Somali Culture

References

Author
Ƶ,

All research and editorial content is developed and curated by Ƶ. Read about our process.

The primary author of this profile was Nina Evason, originally published in 2019.


  • Abdullahi, M. D. (2001). Culture and Customs of Somalia (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing.
  • Al Jazeera (Director). (2016, November 2). Somalia: The Forgotten Story (Part 2) [Video].
  • Al-Absi, G. A. (2023). Comparative Review of Muslim Family Laws in the Greater Horn of Africa Region [Report]. Musawah.
  • AMISOM Somalia (Director). (2018, February 20). Documentary: AMISOM’s 10 Year Journey in Somalia [Video].
  • Anothertravel.com. (2018). Somali culture, customs and etiquette.
  • Asylum Research Consultancy. (2018). Situation in South and Central Somalia (including Mogadishu) [Report].
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021a). 4-digit level ANCP Ancestry Multi Response by Australia (UR) (2021 Census of Population and Housing) [Data set]. ABS Census TableBuilder.
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021b). People in Australia who were born in Somalia (2021 Census Country of Birth QuickStats) [Data set].
  • Barnes, C. (2006). U dhashay—Ku dhashay: Genealogical and Territorial Discourse in Somali History. Social Identities, 12(4), 487–498.
  • Barut, A., & Mohamud, S. A. (2023). The psychosexual and psychosocial impacts of polygamous marriages: A cross-sectional study among Somali women. BMC Women’s Health, 23(1), 669.
  • BBC News. (2018, January 4). Somalia profile—Timeline.
  • Bokore, N. (2013). Suffering in silence: A Canadian-Somali case study. Journal of Social Work Practice, 27(1), 95–113.
  • Bradbury, M., & Healy, S. (2010). Whose peace is it anyway? Connecting Somali and International Peacemaking (Accord, Issue 21). Conciliation Resources.
  • Cavallera, V., Reggi, M., Abdi, S., Jinnah, Z., Kivelenge, J., Warsame, A. M., Yusuf, A. M., & Ventevogel, P. (2016). Culture, context and mental health of Somali refugees: A primer for staff working in mental health and psychosocial support programmes. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
  • Central Intelligence Agency. (2024, May 30). Somalia. The World Factbook.
  • CLEAR Global/Translators without Borders. (2021). Somalia: Language data (The 2021 Joint Multi-Cluster Needs Assessment (JMCNA)) [Dataset].
  • Cultural Advisory Unit. (2010). Somalia—Quick Reference Guide [Information sheet]. Queensland Police Service.
  • Degni, F., Suominen, S., Essén, B., El Ansari, W., & Vehviläinen-Julkunen, K. (2012). Communication and Cultural Issues in Providing Reproductive Health Care to Immigrant Women: Health Care Providers’ Experiences in Meeting Somali Women Living in Finland. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 14(2), 330–343.
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2017). DFAT Country Information Report: Somalia [Report]. Australian Government.
  • Department of Home Affairs. (2018). Somalia-born Community Information Summary (Census of Population and Housing 2016, Country Data Summary). Commonwealth of Australia.
  • Department of Home Affairs. (2023). Australia’s Offshore Humanitarian Program 2022-23 [Report]. Commonwealth of Australia.
  • Elmi, A. (2016). Developing an Inclusive Citizenship in Somalia: Challenges and Opportunities. Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies, 16(7), 6–20.
  • Girls Not Brides. (2022). Somalia. In Child Marriage Atlas.
  • Gundel, J. (2009). Clans of Somalia [Report]. Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation.
  • Leite, N. (2017). Reinvigoration of Somali Traditional Justice through Inclusive Conflict Resolution Approaches (Conflict Trends, Issue 3). ACCORD.
  • Lewis, I. (2004). Visible and Invisible Differences: The Somali Paradox. Africa: The Journal of the International African Institute, 74(4), 489–515.
  • Lewis, T., Hussein, K., Ahmed, K., Ahmed, B., Mohammed, A., Mooney, J., & Shepodd, G. (2009, March). Somali Cultural Profile. EthnoMed.
  • Macha, N. (2016, April 19). ‘We’ll make ​our country​ great again’​: ​Project shows true face of Somalis. The Guardian.
  • Makina, A. (2011). The Impact of Globalization on Somali Culture [Paper].
  • Marchal, R. (2010). The Puntland State of Somalia. A Tentative Social Analysis. Sciences Po Center for International Studies Research.
  • Marchal, R., Mubarak, J. A., Del Buono, M., & Manzolillo, D. L. (2000). Globalization and its impact on Somalia. UNDP/UNDOS.
  • Metro South Health. (2015). Food and cultural practices of Somali communities in Australia – a community resource. Queensland State Government.
  • Minority Rights Group. (2018, March). Occupational groups in Somalia.
  • Minority Rights Group. (2019, June). Somalia.
  • Moret, J., Baglioni, S., & Efionayi-Mäder, D. (2006). The Path of Somali Refugees into Exile: A Comparative Analysis of Secondary Movements and Policy Responses (SFM Studies, Issue 46). Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies.
  • Multicultural Advisory Service. (2021). Somalia Cultural Fact Sheet. Diversicare & ECCQ.
  • Museums Victoria. (2017). Immigration History from Somalia to Victoria. Origins.
  • Office of International Religious Freedom. (2023). 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Somalia [Report]. United States Department of State.
  • Omar, Y. S. (2016). Identity and Sense of Belonging of Young Somali Men in a Western Context: Case Studies from Melbourne and Minneapolis. Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies, 16(11), 65–79.
  • Omar, Y. S., Kuay, J., Tuncer, C., Wriedt, K., & Minas, H. (2015). Emotional wellbeing and access to culturally appropriate services: A comparative study of Muslim men of refugee background from the Horn of Africa, living in the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne. Victorian Transcultural Mental Health.
  • Omer, S. (2024, April 18). Forced to flee: Top countries refugees are coming from. World Vision.
  • Osman-Shuke, A. A. (2010). Order out of chaos: Somali customary law in Puntland and Somaliland (Accord, Issue 21). Conciliation Resources.
  • ProQuest. (2017). Federal Republic of Somalia. ProQuest & Brigham Young University.
  • Putman, D. B., & Noor, M. C. (1993). The Somalis: Their History and Culture (CAL Refugee Fact Sheet Series, No. 9). Refugee Service Center, Center for Applied Linguistics.
  • Rawlinson, C. (2016, July 29). Paths to Peace: How Melbourne’s largest Somali community is responding to radicalisation. ABC News.
  • Scholl, J. J. (2015). Providing Culturally Appropriate Physical Therapy to Somali Refugees in Minnesota [Master’s thesis, St. Catherine University]. Sophia.
  • Sharma, V., Amobi, A., Tewolde, S., Deyessa, N., & Scott, J. (2020). Displacement-related factors influencing marital practices and associated intimate partner violence risk among Somali refugees in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia: A qualitative study. Conflict and Health, 14(1), 17.
  • Social Development Direct & Forcier Consulting. (2017). Somali Women’s Political Participation and Leadership: Evidence and Opportunities [Policy Brief].
  • Somalia National Bureau of Statistics. (2020). The Somali Health and Demographic Survey 2020 [Report]. Federal Government of Somalia & UNFPA Somalia.
  • Suudi, H. (2022). Somalia: Overview of Muslim Family Laws & Practices [Factsheet]. Musawah.
  • Taylor, K., & Williams, V. R. (2017). Etiquette and Taboos around the World: A Geographic Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Customs (1st ed.). Greenwood.
  • Transparency International. (2024). Corruption Perceptions Index 2023.
  • UNDP, UN Women, UNFPA, & ESCWA. (2018). Gender Justice & the Law: Somalia [Assessment report]. United Nations Development Programme.
  • United Kingdom Government. (2006). A Guide to Names and Naming Practices.
  • Waters, L. (2017, June 22). “This is a lawless place”: Australia’s Somali community expresses concern for relatives in Libya. SBS News.

Trusted Cultural Intelligence

Ƶ: The new standard for workforce diversity.

Try the App