Where’s nature?: Women’s narratives of public and private landscapes in the UAE

Abstract

The study of Emirati women’s engagement with urban landscapes has started to emerge over the last two decades, mostly within ethnographic and historic accounts that emphasise ‘culture’, and are centred on how women navigate cultural values of female propriety within a context that is rapidly becoming urbanized and globalized. Based on semi-structured interviews with Emirati women that examine perceptions of ‘nature’ in a highly urbanized context, this research explores where and how ‘nature’ is encountered and shaped. Through a focus on landscape, and an intersectional understanding of the different socio-cultural frameworks through which landscape is constructed and experienced, this research highlights the ways in which the concept of, and encounters with ‘nature’ are culturally constructed and framed, and expressed through narratives of sensory embodiments within public and private landscapes. The typologies that emerged from the interviews include private home gardens, urban public parks, and recreational spaces in the desert. The findings illustrate that socially constructed notions of ‘nature’ and of ‘public and private’ spheres are context specific and are constantly changing. This research ties into discussions on the public/private dichotomy and the discourse on intersectionality within ecofeminism that addresses issues of difference. Developing an intersectional understating of the relationship between women and their environment is crucial to the development of inclusive, equitable, and sustainable landscapes.