"In Arab-Muslim society there is a complex, well-defined and highly structured set of gender roles which underpins personal and public life" (Watson 4). "There is a male sphere of influence and activity and a female one; both are separate and distinct, but in combination they form the basis of a stable society" (Watson 6). The gender roles in Islamic homes are supported and nurtured by the Muslim faith. The male role is outside the home, although focused towards it as the family breadwinner. Traditionally, men were those able to enter the public sphere of work and entertainment, while women remained in the domestic affairs of the home.

As a visitor to Cairo it is impossible to miss the large numbers of men spending hours at one of Cairo's coffee houses, smoking sheesha pipes of Egyptian tobacco. Yet rarely does one see a large group of women socializing in public as the men do nearly every day. Women's social gatherings happen in the home and serve a similar purpose to the men's coffee house visits, as times to relax and visit in the comfort of friends.

The social fabric of the street has changed greatly over the history of Cairo, but cultural threads weave through the changes. One example, is how the sidewalk and street directly in front of a shop, is considered a legitimate extension of the shop keeper's property. This is evident by watching owners wash the portion of the sidewalk in front of their store daily. During the 1800s, Ismail mandated each shop keeper to daily sweep the portion of the street in front of their store as a measure of city cleaning.