Date of Award
12-2013
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Anthropology
First Advisor
Dr. Laura Spielvogel
Second Advisor
Dr. Bilinda Straight
Third Advisor
Dr. Mustafa Mughazy
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
The canon of academic research on Saudi Arabian women still fails to address the stereotypical images that represent them. While Anglo-American models of feminism may benefit American women, they cannot and should not be a lens through which Americans view Saudi women, as American and Saudi cultures are fundamentally different. Because of this issue, Anglo-American feminism along with the obvious problems of racism and Islamophobia contribute to the American assumption that Saudi Arabian women lack agency and control of their lives. The resulting ideologies continue to influence American ideas about Saudi Arabian women’s access to the opportunities that non-Saudi women may take for granted. Through qualitative ethnographic research, this thesis examines the changing lives of Saudi Arabian women to illustrate that, despite Anglo-American assumptions about their disempowerment, Saudi Arabian women do have access to many opportunities that non-Saudi women take advantage of.
Recommended Citation
Dunham, Ashleigh Elizabeth, "Silence, Declaration, and Circumstance: Rethinking Women’s Roles in Saudi Arabia" (2013). Masters Theses. 432.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/432