The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managers

The aim of this study is to identify the feelings of female managers in the Gulf region about the Islamic veil, and the meanings they attribute to this veil, a key element of Arabian modernity and of the evolving gender-inclusive business environment. This three-year study, conducted in the Gulf reg...

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Main Authors: Arnaud Lacheret, Mohammad Omar Farooq
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre Français d’Archéologie et de Sciences Sociales de Sanaa
Series:Arabian Humanities
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/cy/6496
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author Arnaud Lacheret
Mohammad Omar Farooq
author_facet Arnaud Lacheret
Mohammad Omar Farooq
author_sort Arnaud Lacheret
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this study is to identify the feelings of female managers in the Gulf region about the Islamic veil, and the meanings they attribute to this veil, a key element of Arabian modernity and of the evolving gender-inclusive business environment. This three-year study, conducted in the Gulf region focused on the values of Arabian female managers after their sudden admission into the professional world, especially since the early 2000s. Twenty women participated in the qualitative study, in which semi-structured interviews were used to question interviewees about their values, notably the influence of religion on their daily behavior and way of thinking. The discussion is supported by both anthropological data and religious sources. A significant proportion of the questionnaire focused on the interviewees’ religious feelings, and in particular on a crucial and controversial subject in Europe: the Islamic veil. The main findings suggest that although the Islamic veil has religious significance for the interviewees, they consistently privileged the concept of free choice, showing that female managers in the Gulf region consider freedom of choice as a form of symbolization of religious obligation, and this view is one of the essential markers of Arabian modernity.
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spelling doaj.art-4c69fd97e6cf42a4b7bb5f77d76b539c2024-02-14T09:17:42ZengCentre Français d’Archéologie et de Sciences Sociales de SanaaArabian Humanities2308-61221410.4000/cy.6496The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managersArnaud LacheretMohammad Omar FarooqThe aim of this study is to identify the feelings of female managers in the Gulf region about the Islamic veil, and the meanings they attribute to this veil, a key element of Arabian modernity and of the evolving gender-inclusive business environment. This three-year study, conducted in the Gulf region focused on the values of Arabian female managers after their sudden admission into the professional world, especially since the early 2000s. Twenty women participated in the qualitative study, in which semi-structured interviews were used to question interviewees about their values, notably the influence of religion on their daily behavior and way of thinking. The discussion is supported by both anthropological data and religious sources. A significant proportion of the questionnaire focused on the interviewees’ religious feelings, and in particular on a crucial and controversial subject in Europe: the Islamic veil. The main findings suggest that although the Islamic veil has religious significance for the interviewees, they consistently privileged the concept of free choice, showing that female managers in the Gulf region consider freedom of choice as a form of symbolization of religious obligation, and this view is one of the essential markers of Arabian modernity.https://journals.openedition.org/cy/6496hijabveilGulf countriesreligious cultureArabian modernityfemale empowerment
spellingShingle Arnaud Lacheret
Mohammad Omar Farooq
The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managers
Arabian Humanities
hijab
veil
Gulf countries
religious culture
Arabian modernity
female empowerment
title The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managers
title_full The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managers
title_fullStr The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managers
title_full_unstemmed The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managers
title_short The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managers
title_sort islamic veil in the gulf and arabian modernity a qualitative study on female managers
topic hijab
veil
Gulf countries
religious culture
Arabian modernity
female empowerment
url https://journals.openedition.org/cy/6496
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