Skip to main content
This paper addresses an issue currently debated across a rapidly globalizing academic world and which has so far received scant attention in the Gulf Region; the multi-faceted question of research ethics. It considers the unique ethical... more
This paper addresses an issue currently debated across a rapidly globalizing academic world and which has so far received scant attention in the Gulf Region; the multi-faceted question of research ethics.  It considers the unique ethical challenges faced by educational researchers who employ qualitative research to investigate gender-related issues in the Arabian Gulf. The GCC presents an extraordinary research context due to the social demographics of the educational sector in that educational research related to the citizens of the region is often carried out by non-GCC citizens.

We contend that a qualitative approach is better equipped to unravel the complex and often paradoxical gender-related concerns than large-scale studies conducted at academic, national and international levels. A qualitative approach facilitates a focus on the voices, experiences, self-discovery and cultural negotiations made by women themselves, however, this undertaking presents an array of ethical challenges. 

From our base in the UAE we employ a critical approach to investigate these challenges.  Data collected from interviews with Emirati and non-Emirati educational researchers working in the federal education sector is described and analysed. Ethical dilemmas are addressed according to each researcher’s ethnic, linguistic, cultural and religious background.  Questions of disclosure, reflexivity and self-censorship; methodological choices; and the politics and ethics of researching the Other are considered. The rarely explored elements of in-group/out-group dynamics are found to play a significant role. We conclude by observing that the ethics of researching gender and other social issues in education remain largely neglected in this context as existing ethical guidelines do not adequately reflect the specificities of the socio-economic culture and political conditions experienced by researchers in the Gulf.
Dubai – melting pot or mixed salad? In this special round-table session, the idea of Dubai as a cosmopolitan city will be debated, with an analysis of the massive changes in the demographic composition of the emirate in the last 20... more
Dubai – melting pot or mixed salad?

In this special round-table session, the idea of Dubai as a cosmopolitan city will be debated, with an analysis of the massive changes in the demographic composition of the emirate in the last 20 years and how these changes have affected the indigenous population. Questions concerning the impact of having a large expatriate workforce living among a minority home culture will be discussed, together with the question of social change in Emirati culture.

Much of the literature on the multi-cultural nature of modern cities in the developed world has focused on the interactions between the dominant, majority home culture and that of the various waves of immigration in the post war period.

In many countries, the ‘immigrants’ are the minority; in Dubai, expatriates form the majority of the population. Historically, many countries have employed a policy of cultural assimilation. In Dubai, while tolerance of other cultures and religious beliefs has long been practiced, policies of assimilation are not in evidence.

These factors have resulted in a very unique cultural context in which Emiratis in Dubai, more pronouncedly so than in any other Emirate or indeed any other Gulf State, find themselves ‘surrounded’ by the ‘other’.

The prevalence of the English language in Dubai provides evidence of the impact of the marginalization of Emirati people, whose traditional language is Arabic. Nowadays, Emirati families have placed an emphasis on the acquisition of English for their children, to the extent that there is a tendency to pay for private education, based on a perception that it provides a stronger preparation for higher education, most of which is conducted in English. Indeed, the presence of English both in tertiary institutions and in the wider community is so ubiquitous that applied linguists may well argue that the context is more representative of an English as a Second Language environment than an English as a Foreign Language one (ESL contexts occur in countries where the majority language is English).

In this special session, we will attempt to address some of the following general research questions pertaining to this topic, including:

• What are the effects of being demographically or culturally marginalized in one’s own country?
• How much interaction actually takes place between and among cultural groups (for example, Emiratis, Indians, Philippinos etc) and what type of interaction is it?
• What is the role of education in both the private and public sectors in bridging the cultural divide?
• How do expatriates view their roles in Dubai society?
While it is impossible to examine all of these questions in depth in a session such as this, it is hoped that they will serve as a platform for an informed and lively discussion.
This paper investigates a cultural profiling tool developed by KnowledgeWorkx, a UAE-based consulting company. The tool, which has two components, is based on Muller’s (2000) theory of worldviews using a paradigm comprising three axioms:... more
This paper investigates a cultural profiling tool developed by KnowledgeWorkx, a UAE-based consulting company. The tool, which has two components, is based on Muller’s (2000) theory of worldviews using a paradigm comprising three axioms:  innocence/guilt, honour/shame and power/fear. It attempts to determine the worldview patterns of respondents according to these three planes.
The study was undertaken at the Higher Colleges of Technology – Dubai. The tool was administered to two all-female groups, Emirati and non-Emirati. Using statistical analysis we examine the reliability and validity of the tool. We find firstly, that only the major component of the tool reliably distinguishes worldview differences between the two groups.  Secondly, we analyse the results of the major component to investigate the cultural differences according to the worldview planes.
Conventional interpretations of Bedouin Arab culture have tended to emphasize the prominence of the honour/shame worldview and the results of the study confirm that this plane is significantly stronger in the Emirati group than in the non-Emirati group. In addition, the Emirati group had a significantly higher power/fear score. Interestingly, the results indicate commensurate guilt/innocence worldview scores for both groups. The paper discusses factors which account for these differences and the unexpected similarities including the rapid nature of social change in the UAE, urbanization, education and globalisation. The paper concludes with limitations of the current study and recommendations for future research.
In this presentation, a new course called Intercultural Intelligence will be described. The course addresses definitions of worldview (guilt/innocence, shame/honor and power/fear) as well as various dimensions of culture including... more
In this presentation, a new course called Intercultural Intelligence will be described. The course addresses definitions of worldview (guilt/innocence, shame/honor and power/fear) as well as various dimensions of culture including concepts of destiny, growth, status and accountability. Students are encouraged to be reflective, both of their own national culture and how it has evolved over the last 40 years as well as of the cultural perspectives of other national groups. Issues concerning stereotyping, prejudice and ethnocentricity are also addressed.

The challenges of teaching this subject to a marginalized national population living in a fast-changing and culturally diverse  setting will be outlined, including examples of inter- and intra-cultural conflict that students have chosen to analyse using worldview theories. Student feedback on the course will be discussed, highlighting the argument for the increasing relevance and necessity of delivering courses such as these to equip graduates with the kind of attitudes, outlook, skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the 21st century multi-cultural workplace.
This paper investigates a cultural profiling tool developed by KnowledgeWorkx®, a United Arab Emirates-based corporate-training consultancy. The two-part tool is based on Muller's (2000) theory of worldviews comprising three binary... more
This paper investigates a cultural profiling tool developed by KnowledgeWorkx®, a United Arab Emirates-based corporate-training consultancy. The two-part tool is based on Muller's (2000) theory of worldviews comprising three binary axioms: innocence/guilt, honour/shame and power/fear. It attempts to determine the worldview patterns of respondents in two cultural groups according to these three planes. The study was undertaken at the Higher Colleges of Technology - Dubai (HCT- Dubai) where the tool was administered to two all-female groups, Emirati and non- Emirati. Using statistical analysis we analyse the reliability and validity of the tool. Findings indicate the tool to be partially reliable in distinguishing worldview patterns between participant groups. Those results found to be reliable, are then examined and interpreted. Conventional interpretations of tribal Arab culture have emphasized the prominence of the honour/ shame worldview and results of the study confirm that t...
Research Interests: