Saudi Female Expats in Paris

Saudi Female Expats in Paris

International Migrants make up about 190 million of the population of the world today. (Balbo 5) the ratio between migrated men and women is roughly the same. Regardless of the reason a person migrated, the main concept here is that they left their country of origin and moved to another location. Many say that migration goes on to on economically build up a country and it significantly contributes to the GDP of both the countries. (Balbo 5) it should be noted that change of funds, services and economies is not the only thing that takes place when migration occurs. Seeing the altitude of diversity that we have today, it is believed that migration has created third diversity. (Balbo 7) it is the diversity of different cultures and communities that brings out concepts like multiculturalism and collective identity.

Regardless of what an individual chooses to do, it is quite apparent that this topic of crucial. As it is stated earlier, migration is very common in the world today. A major reason why I am going for this study is because it has not been carried out before. For all the people who have had to move from one place to another, it is possible that the experience created strains on the development of their self and their identity. This progression into a new society with changed cultures and traditions is not an easy task. As it is quite apparent, many people get so absorbed in this process that they forget their true identity and forget the culture that they were raised into. Even though a person may not realize it at that time, it can go on to change our identity. Being a Saudi and living in a country that is quite different from my native culture, I want to see how that happens. It is true that Islam and the West have always had their difference. Cultural imperialism is on the peak and is attempting to change people from their original thoughts and original culture. Even though the difference is there, I see some positive aspects in the West that I feel were missing in Islam.

As it would be apparent from the analysis of the interviews carried out, freedom and independence are some of the main components that are not stressed upon in Islam. I feel that women in Islam are not allowed to create much ambition probably due to the extremism on them. Sadly enough, the extremists always go for the ways that actually degrade women in Islam. In reality, I believe that Islam is religion of freedom and respect for women. Despite what the truth is, it appears that cultural and not religious pressures limit women from going out and pursing their potential.

Background

We live in the age of globalization in the cultural sphere today and free markets is not only thing that globalization has given us. Typically, globalization has been linked with the destruction of cultural identities, westernization of the consumer culture and accelerating encroachment of just one culture. (Tomlinson) Some of the anti-globalization activists actually go on to say that globalization are an extension of the western cultural imperialism. (Shepard and Hayduk) Migration and globalization therefore are blamed to be factors that cause a person to lose his or her identity. Identity is basically the representation of self and others as it shaped by an individual based on how they represent themselves and others in their community. (Balbo 7) Therefore, when talking about identity; there are two aspects to look into. One way is the cultural or collective identity that an individual forms. This identity is basically dependant on the culture of that certain individual. These cultural values and traditions are therefore passed on from one generation to the next.

On the other hand, there is an individual identity that is bound to change with space and time. This identity is not only in the hands of that individuals but it also depends about on what others perceive about you. This identity also relies on how well you maintain your interaction with others and how much you adapt to their way of life. Therefore, it should be noted that identity is socially constructed and a person is subject to different sorts of choices. These choices are that a person believes that he or she is part of that identity, then there is the notion that he chooses to be a part of it and then of course there is the option of refusing to be part of that identity. (Olivier)

Problematic Discussion

An interesting thing to note is that identity and cultural relation is not recognized when a person lives around the people of the same culture. When you see people around you believing the same things as you and practicing the same things as you, you feel just like the rest of them. The actual problem of identity comes out forward when a person travels to other places. When these people see how different they are and what their culture is, that is when they develop a conscious awareness of their own culture. Therefore, it is established that when a person sees different cultures around him when he travels or comes to the west that is when they learn more about their identity and their culture.

Research Question

The major research question is that what relationship is present between family, identity and ambition with the female students in the American University in Paris. We need to figure out and discuses that the techniques of self that these girls have formed and how or if these techniques have helped these girls maintain their cultural integrity. It is quite easy for a person to let go of his culture and his norms if his identity is not well established in the first place. Lastly, we will also see how these Saudi girls go on to deal with ambition while living in Paris.

Thesis

The thesis that is presented is that even though these girls are now exposed to a new culture and tradition, they have not completely left their own culture behind. Using techniques that will be disused below, these girls are very much in sync with their religious values, cultural values and tradition. They do not want to mimic a French person or an American but they are open to explore and see different ideas as well.

Methodology

Keeping in the mind the overall purpose and the objectives of the research, the methodology that was used it both qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative research is utilized because it assists in providing coherent and comprehensive explanation of the subjects that need to be researched. It should be noted that all of the subjects were chosen were different in one form or another. Even though the questionnaire provide to the subjects was the same, their responses were varied and needed to be analyzed thoroughly.

The questionnaire therefore makes up the quantitative method of the research. These questionnaires are handed out to the Saudi x-pats in American University in Paris. The interviews basically provided me with the means to carefully analyze every individual in the process. Utilizing discourse analysis, I will be able to study the variable theories of self. On the other hand, content analysis will aid be in examining and analyzing any academic journals and articles regarding the topic in hand. Apart from the academic journals and the articles, I have access to the interviews by eight Saudi girls who live in Paris right now.

The sample group was basically selected on the basis of gender and nationality. This research topic was quite crucial for me as I am a young women belonging to Saudi Arabia and living in Paris. Therefore, my sample size consisted of eight girls who had some linkage to the Saudi heritage at one point or another. Half of the girls analyzed were those that have moved directly from Saudi Arabia to Paris. On the other hand, four girls had lived in places elsewhere before they moved to Paris.

Analysis

To analyze subjects or any topic for that better, it is crucial to have proper understanding of the subject before hand. It is only with adequate knowledge that a successful analysis can be done. Firstly, it should be understood where these girls come from. Most if not all the girls belong to families that are very religious and controlling. Families control where and how much a girl studies and when or to whom she should get married to. Therefore, knowing and understanding all these details, I will conduct interviews with these girls. These answers will be analyzed while keeping all the aforementioned information in mind.

It is important to see that by always staying in the shadow of their parents, these girls have never really been exposed to unlimited ambitions and freedom as such. They always had to look for the approval and the permission of their family. The independence and the freedom that the West offers are quite new to them. It is through interviews and analysis; we will see how these individuals feel about the new cultures and regulations around them. Living in a new place, these individuals can very easily let go of the limitations they were under before. Therefore, their answers will give a sound idea of what sort of struggle they are experiencing with the new culture and how to retain their self and identity.

Limitations.

This study was only carried out on eight students and that is the major limitation of this research project. As stated before, half of the sample size is directly from Saudi Arabia and the other half has lived in countries such as well. Despite these differences, there are other factors such as economic class, religious sect, education and family structure that make each of these individuals different one from another. Due to these differences, the generalization created from this sample set cannot be applied to all young Saudi women.

Literature Review

It has always been told to the Muslim girls that there is one thing that they need to take care of especially and that is their hudood. This implies that Muslim women have to make sure that they do not indulge in any activities that have been forbidden in Islam and anything that the Christian women indulge in. The Muslim scholars believe that when the Earth was created, God separated the men from women and He also separated the Muslim women from Christian women so that both the groups could live in harmony. The reason, the scholar believes, is that the Christian women do not have any limits that they need to stay in, meanwhile there is great stress for the Muslim women to observe pardah when they are in a mixed gathering. On the other hand, the scholars and the elderly have also talked about the fact that how Muslim girls always dreamt of trespassing this limit and they always wanted to be in unfamiliar streets to find out what is there that they have been forbidden from. Some scholars have also said that the girls were obsessed with the outside world; meanwhile the Christians kept on crossing the sea and bringing even more chaos to the world of Muslims (Mernissi and Ward).

An analogy can be drawn to the kind of situation that has been mentioned above. Today, the main population of the Muslims lives in the Middle East and Asia and the Christians are concentrated in the West, which does mean that they are separated by a sea (or actually many seas and oceans and as well). However, for education, work and other purposes Muslims and Christians have crossed these seas on both the sides. In this paper, as we are focusing on the Muslim girls who have moved to Paris, we shall talk about how the culture in the West has affected, if at all, these girls and how they have been obsessed with breaking the limits that the religion has erected for them. Even though, all of these girls have been exposed to nudity and other things that have been strictly forbidden in Islam, not all the girls end up to be trespassers. Some of them do observe the rules of the religion while living in the Western society, while the others get carried away.

When we talk about Islam and Muslims, one should remember that Muslims take guidance from their Holy Book and from the sayings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the explanations that have been given by some of the best Islamic scholars in the world. Most of the things that the Muslims talk about come from these sources. In Islam, the main lesson that is taught to the Muslims is that they might not have the perfect circumstances and something that is not acceptable in their religion and community should be accepted by the Muslims. This means that the Muslims are given a lesson of tolerance. They are told to respect and accept the values and cultures of the other religions so that more than one religious group can live in harmony with each other. Similarly, some of the things that are accepted and valued by some Muslim communities might not be justified in the other communities if Muslims, for example the status of women in social life. There are some Muslim communities in the world that are very conservative towards their women and they do not allow them to interact with men outside the house and expect them to cover themselves properly every time they go out. On the other hand, there are some Muslim communities that are generally liberal and allow their women to go out of the house, to interact with people outside the house. But even these communities make sure that the women do not trespass their given limits. Many scholars believe that in communities where counseling and guidance activities are devised according to the cultural norms and not according to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, these activities and these societies will not survive in terms of Islam and these societies will not prosper in the Islam manner, even though they would be able to sustain the status-quo that exists in the society. On the other hand, if Muslims focus on the Quran and Sunnah and the teachings of these two great sources by the Muslim scholars are used to devise activities of counseling and guidance then these societies will rise above the cultural norms and will be able to make an improvement in the social as well as the Islamic spirit (Tosun).

The role of women in the Islamic societies has always been a very controversial topic. From the beginning of Islam, it has been observed that the status of women was uplifted. It was taught by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that women should get themselves educated as it is important for the education of their children. He did not ban the women of that time to take part in business, if they could manage both things well. Even his wife, Khadija, was a working lady and he never stopped her from taking part in his business. In today's world, as mentioned earlier, the women have been snubbed in many societies of the world mainly because the leaders, who are men, are afraid that these women might forget their limits and get involved in what has been forbidden in the religion. When we talk about the Gulf War that took place in the 20th century, it has been observed that the women (Arab Muslims as well as others) made sure that they played their role in restoring peace in the region. They shouted out for peace like no one else did. This was the time when the women did not even care about taking permission from their political leaders, who were yet again males (Mernissi). These women actively participated and did all that they could to stop the war. They were a part of the marches and the sit-ins in protest to stop the war. Not just this, there have been many instances where the women have come out of the houses and have done well for the world. The thing that needs to be remembered and kept in mind here is that as long as the women are not practicing anything that is absolutely contradictory to the teachings of Islam, they should be given the permission to play their role.

A major practice that we see today is ignorance of what other people see. If they take the Muslim culture of covering the hair, wearing a hijaab or wearing a veil, many people find that odd. With the increasing propaganda about Islam and Muslims, people tend to view Muslims with a rather skeptical approach. (Progler) Due to this negative approach, many of the Muslims have gone to trim their beards, change their attire and even change their approach. Then again, there are some who remain taut to their self and identity. These people practice ignorance because they really do not care what other people think of them. For these people, adherence their religion and faith holds more value than how others view them or what they would think of them.

Discussion

The interviews from the girls conducted all produced different answers and various view points to look it. It should be noted that majority of the girls stated that they would wish to try out the American culture and that they didn't see anything wrong with it. This goes on to show that they have been affected with the cultural imperialism that was mentioned before. These girls were kept in families and in customs that were really tightly bind. Let alone going to a combined education university, these girls were not allowed to dress the way they wanted to dress. These same girls are going off and doing things are strictly prohibited in their religion.

A possible explanation for this act could be the increasing judgmental and suffocating environment that was created for them back home. The kind of society and the people they were exposed to, these girls are actually sick and scared of increased judgments placed on them. The sort of reception they attained from for instance, the subject Anoud stated that she did drink after the seminar and only chose to stop because she afraid of the other Saudis. This shows that she is scared of being judged by her society. It even hints at the doubt and guilt feeling that will be discussed below. Internally, Anoud knows that what she is doing is not what is expected from an Arab Muslim girl. Because she knows that she is doing something wrong, she feels as if she is being watched. On the other hand, the girl Hadeel is quite confident in following things her way and doing what she wants to do.

This again emphasis on staying in the safe spot and not going for any new cultures or any new traditions. She stated that she feels as if others think she is weird but she doesn't care. That personal satisfaction is what the Islamic scholars hint at. In Islam, they have stated that if a person follows their religion, they automatically become carefree about what others think of them. Hadeel also stated that she follows her religion and stays happy doing so.

An interesting thing noted from these interviews was that the students who moved directly from Saudi to Paris were more likely to expand than the students who lived someplace else before. This again builds up on our notion stated earlier in the paper that exposure to more cultures and increased travel actually increased your knowledge about your own culture. Since the other girls like Noor and Hadeel had lived in other places before, they accepted the other culture but didn't necessarily conform to it. The girls who were kept in closed containers were seen to be more excited to let go of their own identity and try out new ideas.

For instance, Reem stated that coming to a different country; she was more proud of her religion and wanted to practice it more. She stated that she did not feel shy in using religious words in front of her friends and she became more of her religion. This again emphasized what we had stated earlier about being closer to your culture and your own religion. The same notion goes for Waed who starting wearing a veil and covering after she came to Paris.

It was seen that none of the girls seem to have a problem with the gender of the teacher. It appears that if they kept themselves to a distance, then the gender differences and the interaction with the opposite gender doesn't matter as much. As it was stated in one of the interviews, having a boyfriend and having male friends is quite common in Saudi Arabia as well. Even though it remains hidden there, doesn't mean people don't do it. Most of the girls were not in favor of the bar and didn't seem it fit for a university. Then again, as mentioned earlier, the girls who were new to being in a different country liked the idea of a bar.

Regarding the nudity in art, the girls had varying opinions to this. Some girls were completely against this and wouldn't even look at this due to their religious obligations. Out of eight, only two of the girls liked it. Four girls were not bothered by it, accepted it as a piece of art and didn't say much against it. Acceptance therefore was a technique they developed to the changing norms and values around them. It should be noted that out of the eight girl's interviews, seven of them stated that they would still consult their family about their plans in the future.