Emirati Society Research Articles

تحولات الحيز في الخطاب الروائي الإماراتي النسوي في القرن الواحد والعشرين: رواية رائحة الزنجبيل لصالحة عبيد غابش أنموذجًا

This study aims to shed light on one of the aspects of Emirati novels, particularly the transformations that have emerged due to the changes undergone by the Emirati society in the 21st century. The study focuses on the element of space to highlight, critique, and analyze these transformations, since space is a crucial element in the narrative discourse. Through space, the reader can unveil the hidden meanings within the text, and a critical analysis of space allows the reader to comprehend the narrative content and its intricacies. Additionally, space often reflects the influence of the environment on the writer's psyche and emotions, which is what we aimed to address in this study. We were able to achieve this through the examination of one of the most prominent novels in the Emirati literary scene, namely: Rā’iḥa Al-Janzabīl [The Scent of Ginger] by the novelist Ṣalḥa ‘Ubayd Ġābish.

Sociodemographic characteristics and their relationship to the level of acceptance of digital work culture among young people: A field study on a sample of young job seekers in Emirati society

The research aims to explore the degree of acceptance of digital work culture among the youth in the Emirati society within the study sample. Additionally, it aims to reveal the relationship between “gender” and “educational status” as sociodemographic factors among the youth in the study sample and their level of acceptance of digital work culture. Furthermore, the study aims to identify prospective trends in digital work culture among young individuals in Emirati society. Due to the nature of the descriptive research, it employed the “sample social survey” approach. The field study primarily utilized a quantitative tool for data collection, namely the “digital questionnaire.” This questionnaire was administered to a purposefully chosen random sample comprising young individuals actively seeking employment opportunities (unemployed individuals) or those new to the labor market. The participants fell within the age group of 15 to 35 years, totaling 184 individuals. Care was taken to ensure that this sample was representative of all youth categories in Emirati society, considering demographic factors such as gender, place of residence, and educational status. The research findings indicate that an overwhelming majority of young individuals in the study sample (97.8%) have no obstacles to accepting job opportunities that necessitate digital and technological skills. Moreover, the study uncovered a direct and statistically significant relation between “gender” and the “level of acceptance of digital work culture,” favoring females. This implies that females are more inclined to accept digital job opportunities compared to males. Additionally, the results highlighted a positive and statistically significant relation between both “educational status” and the “level of acceptance of digital work culture.” In other words, individuals with higher levels of education demonstrate a greater interest in digital job opportunities. Utilizing Step-wise Regression, the study also made predictions about the spread of “future digital work culture” in the United Arab Emirates based on the variable of “education.”

The Impact of Social Media on The Social Values: Field Study on UAE society

Information technology significantly affects the lives of individuals, unlike traditional methods of social communication. Globalization and its technological tools have led to rapid communication between individuals and societies, openness to others, and the transfer of information. Therefore, this study came to investigate the question: What is the role of social media programs in changing the values of cooperation and respect in Emirati society? Through the descriptive approach, a random sample of 50 individuals from the city of Abu Dhabi in the Emirates was surveyed to identify the role of technology in spreading social values. After analyzing the data using The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) V. 26, the results showed that using social media programs increases the opportunities for cooperation among individuals while being aware of the privacy and security of their information when using these programs. On the other hand, the respondents’ opinions showed a low level of respect among social media users.

The Effect of the Social Environment on Juvenile Delinquency in Emirati Society: A Field Study

The surrounding social environment in which individuals grow up contributes significantly to the formation of their behavior and relationships with others, so individuals learn different types of behavior through the socialization institutions available in the surrounding social environment. This study examines the impact of the social environment on juvenile delinquency. Using the descriptive approach, questionnaire questions were distributed to a sample of 45 cases. The results showed a strong negative relationship between family upbringing and juvenile delinquency, as the means of individuals’ answers to all items ranged from 3 to 4.30. Family neglect also causes children to resort to bad friends and learn deviance. Additionally, series and films in the media significantly lead to learning about violence and crime.

Investigating the Effect of Social Media on Dependency and Communication Practices in Emirati Society

In the evolving landscape of information dissemination, the importance of social media has become crucial. This is especially apparent in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, where we observed social media integration into different parts of daily life, yielding myriad impacts. The present study investigates the effects of social media on the communication dependency of Emirati individuals who engage with these platforms, further leading to communication with friends, family, and professional connections in the post-pandemic era. Based on the media dependency theory, this research gathered data from 385 respondents that were further analyzed by using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results showed that Emirati users widely rely on social media for communication and interactivity. It is further found that social media use is significantly linked to communication with friends and families among the study respondents. Finally, the use of social media for professional communication also remained significantly related, indicating social media as a potential source of communication among Emiratis in the post-pandemic era. Thus, the broader agreement remained towards the role of social media as an agent to sustain socialization even after the disease outbreak. It is concluded that as we progress, both individuals and organizations must adopt the potential benefits of these platforms while also effectively managing the challenges they bring. Improving digital literacy and adaptability will be crucial for effectively navigating this growing communication environment.

The Other Diaspora: South Asian Migrants in The Gulf States

Temporary People (2017), a collection of stories by Deepak Unnikrishnan brings to light the forgotten and ignored experiences of South Asian work migrants in the Gulf States. Those immigrants are simultaneously excluded from their home country and from the Emirati society, deemed by both as redundant and disposable. The precarious situations of these immigrants are aggravated by a fraught socioeconomic and ecological structures at home (forever deprived of human and civil rights) and in the host country (always considered an Other, a foreigner). Those migratory routes to the Gulf have not been included within South Asian diasporic discourse as those laborers have ambivalent relationships with the homeland. Unnikrishnan, once a Gulf boy, now lives in the USA, sheds light on contested meanings of being a “Pravasi” away from “Veed”. In this article, I examine the ways in which South Asian laborers in the Gulf are groundless beings with fragile roots back in the homeland in selected stories in Temporary People.

Gain and pain: resilience of home mobility in early Shabiyat housing of Ras Al-Khaimah

The Social Housing Program initiated by the United Arab Emirates Government in 1971 aimed to upgrade the living conditions of the local Emiratis. The early housing projects were later known as Shabiyat. Individuals living in harsh conditions in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah were willingly and within a short period relocated to new houses an approximate distance from their original homes, and they had to adapt to the new lifestyle and place. Due to changes in these individuals’ everyday practices, they questioned the resilience of their new houses. This study aimed to investigate the degree of resilience of the early Shabiyat housing and examine the notion of home mobility and how it is related to resilience through physical and nonphysical spatial transformation and everyday practice. The study is structured into two sections: first, understanding the resilience of the traditional settlements in the mountains; and second, examining the main characteristics of early Shabiyat, its main concept, and how it has addressed the Emirati society’s needs. This will assist in tracing these structures’ patterns of resilience and offer some practical guidance for professionals and the public in developing policies toward maximizing the sustainability of proposed future social housing projects.

Emirati woman illustrator on Instagram: ‘Let’s go and get the bread!’

An Instagram post by hand of an Emirati illustrator garnered significant attention: the image represents a Muslim woman from an unusual perspective, rather defiant and avant-garde. The illustration is bold because it portrays Emirati women as ambitious and career-driven, contenders of social norms. The artwork symbolizes a changing United Arab Emirates (UAE), where young citizens challenge patriarchal values and redefine norms, and it is representative of the shifting dynamics in Emirati society.

Gender, faith, education, and family background in the United Arab Emirates: A case study of women professionals

This paper explores some of the reasons behind the remarkable accomplishments of five women managers in higher education settings in the United Arab Emirates: despite four of them being brought up in extremely humble, poor, albeit nurturing environments. It adopts a critical feminist approach via narrative analysis of interviews with the five women, drawing out key themes around their family backgrounds, education, and Islamic faith, juxtaposing these against the literature. It finds that in all the five women, their backgrounds instilled a remarkable tenacity, resilience, and drive to succeed against the odds; but that they remain major exceptions in Emirati society, despite the government's work over recent decades to provide greater leadership opportunities for women in the workplace. The women encountered a host of cultural obstacles on their way up, from both their families and later, in their professional lives. This study observes that, while their stories are inspirational for all women and girls, especially those living in the Gulf region, there is clearly still a huge amount of work to be done by policymakers. The paper makes recommendations in such regard, highlighting the pressing need for the private sector to follow in the government's footsteps and provide more opportunities for women at executive levels in leadership and management.

The Impact of Social Media Platforms on Societal Security “A Study on a Sample of Facebook Users in the Emirati Society”

The Impact of Social Media Platforms on Societal Security “A Study on a Sample of Facebook Users in the Emirati Society”

Knowledge, attitude and practice toward sustainability among university students in UAE

PurposeThis paper aims to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices adopted among University of Sharjah (UOS) students toward sustainability efforts done by their university.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was emailed to students with the assistance of the UOS Sustainability Office. The survey consisted of four sections assessing knowledge, attitudes, practices and preferred media to obtain sustainability information. A total of 200 responses from male and female students, representing 4 levels of study in sciences and humanities colleges, were received. Research data is analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26). For assessing knowledge, eight items were developed to measure if the student knew about the university’s projects and activities in the field of sustainability. For assessing attitudes, six items were developed to indicate the level of agreement or disagreement toward main sustainability issues. For assessing practices, ten items were developed to measure the frequency of acting in a sustainable manner.FindingsSurvey results showed an advanced level of basic knowledge among university students regarding the programs and activities conducted by UOS, and a positive attitude toward these efforts and toward the importance of supporting sustainable practices. Most of the participating students disagreed with limiting the use of cars on campus – this may be because of a cultural aspect among young people in the Emirati society, who consider driving cars as an essential part of their daily life. Most students also indicated that they care about the behavior that supports sustainability in the university environment, such as rationalizing water consumption and using environment friendly products.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s limitations are that it was applied to one university – UOS. The sample of the online survey was only 200 students from undergraduate students. Different universities may have their own sets of different environmental approaches, and because of this reason, university students may exhibit different levels of knowledge, attitude and practice toward sustainability in contrast to the findings from this study.Practical implicationsFindings from this research can give decision-makers a good picture of the university’s performance in accomplishing sustainability. The authors recommend that UOS sustainability communication programs should be more comprehensive, and not only limited to protecting the environment that some students perceive as the primary aspect of sustainability. These efforts must address all economic and social aspects emphasized by the United Arab Emirates 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current study is considered one of the first studies addressing sustainability efforts in Emirati universities and seeking to assess the level of student knowledge, attitudes and practices toward sustainability issues in the country. The study is crucial in providing better insights such as the level of knowledge, attitude and practices toward UOS sustainability performance. As found in this study, even with sufficient knowledge, students still lack the drive to convert them into actions. So, future research could investigate deeper into the barriers of converting sustainable knowledge and attitudes into practices. The results represent an added value to the research literature concerned with sustainability issues in the Arab world and the Middle East region. This paper will also contribute to the sustainability literature that will be benefited by other various organizations.

TRENDS IN PRESS COVERAGE OF FEMINIST ACTIVITY IN THE UAE MEDIA: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

This study seeks to shed light on Arab societies in general and the Emirati society in particular, as we find that customs and traditions have given the conservative form of women,
 Which, in turn, is reflected in the entirety of its relations, and its social and cultural processes in particular are closely related to the media institution that reproduced this model by adopting conservative contents, except in very few cases, which is often associated with some feminist institutions.
 In this study, the researchers focused on identifying the most important shapes, templates, trends, and areas occupied by all of these coverage. And then determine its contents and meanings. that is through analyzing the coverage and its types and all the arts of journalistic editing, News coverage is made up of the type of news and report, while the explanatory coverage is by the type of press article Investigation and press dialogue, as for the documentary coverage, it is related to the means of highlighting, whether they are news or non-news photos, figures and drawings.

Economic Perspectives of Consumer Buying Dynamics in Rural Market Segments of United Arab Emirates

The purpose of this is to investigate the consumer buying dynamics in small towns and settlements in United Arab Emirates for the benefit of marketers, manufacturers, policy decision makers, government of UAE and the academic world. This piece of research is to contribute to a deeper understanding of applying the various dynamics of customers in rural market of the entire GCC countries. Particularly, the literature review conducted for this study revealed that very little attention has been paid for consumer buying dynamics in the UAE rural consumers with specific reference to small towns and settlements. The authors used a structured questionnaire consisting of five point Likert scale to collect data from thirteen small towns and settlements: Khor Fakhan, Kalba, Jabal Ali, Dibba - Al Fujairah, Madinat Zayed, Ruwais, Liwa Oasis, Dhaid, Ghayathi, Ar-Rams, Dibba - Al Hisn, Hatta and Al Madam. The population of them range from 11,120 to 39,151. The sample was composed of 2,083 persons from all the chosen thirteen small towns and settlements in United Arab Emirates. The rural customer profile of the United Arab Emirates is diverse, consisting of groups ranging from high-income Emarati nationals to high income expatriates to less affluent foreign workers from various countries. Consequently, customer behaviors, attitudes and preferences vary widely in the country and are often hard to pinpoint (Euromonitor). Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey, which was conducted in 16 Arab countries, showed that nearly half of Arab youth are keen to embrace modernity. Moreover, the study’s findings supported that the numbers were also reflective of the views in Emirati society. The current study results revealed that the rural customers along with the product they consider affordability in terms of price, also think about quality, performance, reliability, brand and other critical aspects Therefore, it is recommended that the products be in line of rationality rather than just making low price appeals. Moreover, the study’s findings emphasized that the rural customers maintain dignity and look for the deals focusing on value for money. Therefore, it is recommended that the lifestyle and value is one of the dominant factors of rural population in UAE.

The Consequences of Population Growth on the Demographic Characteristics of Abu Dhabi City in the United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi and other Arabian Gulf cities have developed rapidly in the second half of 20th century, due to the increase of oil and gas revenues. The total population of the city has grown by 1000% over the last 42 years; according to the first census in 1975, the total population was 120,000, which increased in 2018 to more than 1.25 million, with annual growth rate more than 5.7%. This increase makes Abu Dhabi's population be one of the fastest-growing urban centres in the world. The current population increase, resulted from remarkable declining of birth rates and increasing flow of immigrants, rises from only 87 thousand in 1975 to half-million in 2005. The immigrant flow has doubled to more than one million in 2018. The non-national proportion increased continuously from 72 % in 1975 to nearly 90 % of the total population of the city in 2018. Most of them are Asians. These figures reflect the enormity of the growing role of non-national workers in the population growth of the city over the last four decades. Besides, the increased number of foreigners is creating many positive and negative impacts on Emirati society. This study investigates some effects on the demographic characteristics of Emirati society. particularly, on creating an imbalance of age and sex ratios and unique composition of labour force. The researcher applied the topical approach including analytical and cartographic techniques to reach the study aims.

Predictors of Emirati Marital Satisfaction: Contributions of Psychological Health and Family Functioning

Based on previous work on factors predicting marital satisfaction in Emirati society, this study aimed at examining whether anxiety and depression as well as perceived family functioning would predict marital satisfaction among a sample of 1,041 Emirati married individuals. Participants responded to the Emirati Marital Satisfaction Scale along with an Arabic translation of the General Functioning (GF12) subscale of the McMaster Family Assessment Device and the Primary Care Anxiety and Depression Scale. Marital satisfaction negatively correlated with lower levels of family functioning as well as to depression and anxiety. Lower levels of depression and anxiety as well as healthy family functioning together explained about 50% of the variance in the marital satisfaction. The interaction between gender and depression and anxiety was insignificant. Findings are discussed within the United Arab Emirates cultural context.

A Retrospective Review of Anti-Diabetic Regimens in Geriatric Emirati Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Its Relation to Glycemic Control: A Dubai Hospital Outpatient Clinic Experience

Geriatric population is a special subset of adult population with different needs as there are physiological changes that occur with aging, that lead to a decline in patient’s overall performance functional disabilities and, cognitive impairment, We reviewed the various anti diabetic regimes in Emirati geriatric patients with type 2 diabetes following outpatient medical clinics. In a view to find optimum anti-diabetic regime which is more suitable and acceptable to the patients with minimum side effects. We believe that patients following in government hospitals would be a true representation of whole subset of Emirati geriatric population and hence any results obtained could be a reflection of entire Emirati geriatric population. Medical records of 350 Emirati type 2 diabetic patients age above 65 were reviewed. HBAIC at the clinic visit was noted and they were retrospectively followed up as to see which anti diabetic regime these patients were on for the preceding 3 months. Patients were divided accordingly into 4 groups namely. a) Those on oral hypoglycemic, b) oral hypoglycemic plus basal insulin, c) premix insulin and d) basal insulin bolus. Mean HBAIC was compared amongst the various age groups. Conclusion 350 patients were following medical clinics, 16 patients were excluded. Out of the remaining 334 patients 224 were females and 110 were males. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to age. Patients less than 70 years of age were 121 (36.2%) and patients greater than 70 years of age were 213 (63.8%). Patients in both these age groups had uncontrolled blood sugars. HBAIC 8.1% vs. HBAIC 7.76% in patients less than 70 year’s vs. patients greater than 70 years age). In higher age groups HBAIC was better controlled as compared to lesser age groups reflecting better care of elderly in the Emirati society. Most patients were on oral hypoglycemic as compared to insulin (60.5% vs. 21.6%). Both males and females were better controlled on oral medication as compared to insulin (HBAIC 7.58% males and HBAIC 7.69% in females on oral medications). Sulfonyl urea and metformin being the most popular oral medications used. Only 21.6% were on insulin reflecting increase needle phobia in the elderly age groups.

More vision than renaissance: Arabic as a language of science in the UAE

Since its unification in 1971, the United Arab Emirates has experienced tremendous growth. Wealth generated by the oil industry has helped the country rapidly develop all levels of the educational system along with the economy (Davidson in After the Sheikhs: the coming collapse of the Gulf monarchies, Hurst, London, 2013). English has become prominent in the domains of business and education (Burden-Leahy in Comp Educ 45(4):525-544, 2009), in part as a result of powerful de facto policy (Shohamy in Language policy: hidden agendas and new approaches, Routledge, New York, 2006) from the increasingly neoliberalized economy. As the UAE government struggles with the roles of Arabic and English, it has recently developed policies promoting English as the sole language of science in grade school while simultaneously formulating the Arabic Language Charter. This paper analyzes the UAE’s past and present policy choices and investigates the nexus that has developed between business, language and science education in the country. Considering processes of neoliberalization (Harvey in A brief history of neoliberalism, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2005; Kanna in cult Anthropol 25(1):100–129, 2010) and linguistic imperialism (Karmani in J Lang Identity Educ 4(2):87–102, 2005a; Phillipson in Linguistic imperialism, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1992), the paper examines the rise of English as a language of science globally, focusing on the particular challenges faced by Arabic speaking countries. It then outlines the development of the Emirati educational systems and draws on sociolinguistic studies conducted in the UAE to explore the relationship that Emiratis have with English and Arabic. Finally, the paper assesses the potential of the new Charter to shape the nation’s linguistic and scientific future. It highlights key areas of concern that must be addressed if the Charter is to become more than an empty promise in the face of an Arabic language continuing to lose its viability in key domains of Emirati society.

Indicators of Social Change in the UAE: College Students’ Attitudes Toward Love, Marriage and Family

Rapid economic development in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has triggered innumerable changes in Emirati society. Changes occurring in the social institutions of marriage and family, which are central to Emirati society, reflect shifting attitudes toward traditional gender roles and gender relations that inform some of the essential norms and values in Emirati society. This paper draws on data from a survey of college students enrolled in the American University of Sharjah (a Western-style university in the UAE), focusing on their attitudes toward love, marriage, and family — including mate selection, polygamy, family size, and women’s participation in the workplace. Arab Emiratis were found to be more likely to conform to “traditional” norms than non-Arab Emiratis or Arab and Asian expatriates, although Arab Emirati women displayed more “modern” values than their male counterparts. This study explains shifting gender relations in Emirati society and will hopefully enable social scientists and policy makers to forecast future changes in the UAE.

Explanatory models of mental illness: a qualitative study with Emirati future mental health practitioners

Cultural traits have an influence on the person's interpretation of mental illness, the expression of distress and help-seeking attitudes. UAE has a unique sociological context where Eastern and Western traditions coexist. Given that there is a scarcity of mental health studies and no study on the explanatory models (EM) of mental illness, it is important to examine the connections between Western biomedical approaches and traditional Emirati illness explanations and how those affect the Emirati EM. In order to explore the influence of those connections on Emirati future clinicians, the present study focuses on young Emirati psychology students in a Western-oriented university. In-depth interviews were performed regarding their EM. The results highlighted the influence of cultural traits on the EM formulation, the importance of family in the Emirati society and the impact of the UAE socio-economic and religious reality in forming the participants’ beliefs on mental illness.

Social Marketing , Education and the Female Workforce : A Comparison of United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The religious, socioeconomic, and political status are fundamental principles that form the values of women’s lifestyles in the Muslim World and especially in the GCC. It varies largely from nation to nation depending on how globalization has managed to affect the society in line with the lifestyles of modern living. The World Economic Forum report (WEF, 2014) shows that the UAE focuses on transforming the country into a diversified self-sustaining market-driven economy. The economic prosperity and presence in the world affairs is mainly due to the leadership’s decision to form a free market economy. The open economy, attractive business platform and ease of life have encouraged expatriates to work and live in the UAE forcing its social values to open up. This has had a direct effect on the lifestyles of Emirati society, and women in particular. On the other hand, the exclusion of Saudi women from public life is no doubt a heated debate in the international scene. The government of Saudi Arabia has been strictly persistent in applying its cultural values in most macro-economic aspects such as education, technology (1), and policy. The research findings prove, based on the statistical approach, that government intervention has played a vital role in increasing the contribution of women in the workforce in both countries, the UAE and KSA, by supporting the required legal and official reforms. The substantial investment in education, of both governments, has proved to be one of the most important drives to increase the women workforce. Despite the different levels of contribution in the social media platforms, the survey conducted under the context of this research revealed that social media played a positive role in motivating women to work in both countries.