Arab Women in the Gulf and the Narrative of Change: the Case of Qatar

Krystyna Urbisz Golkowska

doi:10.2478/ipcj-2014-0004

Authors

Krystyna Urbisz Golkowska Pre-Medical Education, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2478/ipcj-2014-0004

Keywords:

Arab women, stereotypes, Qatar, narrative, change, vision, education, employment, empowerment

Abstract

The dramatic transformation of the Arabian Gulf since the Discovery of petroleum resources has called for a new perspective on the situation of women in the region. Qatar is an example of fast-paced industrialization, modernization and profound socio-cultural changes. As the environment transforms literally from day to day, new identities are being forged and social roles renegotiated. The leadership’s vision for the country speaks of gender equality and opportunity for all. This article asks how young Qatari women’s personal stores fit into the national narrative of change and what they see as the best path to agency and empowerment.

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Author Biography

Krystyna Urbisz Golkowska, Pre-Medical Education, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar

Krystyna U. Golkowska earned her Ph.D. degree in English literature from the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland. At present she is an Associate Professor in the Pre-medical Program at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, where she teaches writing seminars and serves as Director of ESL and Writing Seminars. Before joining WCMC-Q, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in literature, writing, and ESL/EFL in Europe and in the U.S. Her research interests include literature, sociolinguistics, gender studies, and intercultural communication.

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