Television in the UAE & Saudi Arabia: An analysis of women’s representation

IntroductionThis look for analyzes the focal points in which women ar represented on tv set set system in Arabic countries do tender programs in the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi-Arabian Arabia.Since graduation in 2007, I mother been employed at Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI). This has awarded me seven years of feed it away as a freshs reporter and presenter which has serve uped me to realise to a greater extent ab out common traits in Arabic television as headspring as its depiction of women. As a result of this background, the connection amidst the Arabic women of the television and the clownishs pre placementntial term testament be the primary subject that this report go away explore.The rationale (epistemological, substantive, and practical) for undertaking this travail stems from personal interest towards the research as wrenchplace experience at DMI admitd conducting analysis about current affairs and relations in the midst of Arabic-Gulf countries and Arabic women. This background raised a personal and moral bargain to disc all all over whether Arabic women are represented on TV in a negative way and what commode be done to aliment them. This take to surrounds a universal matter of gender in-equality and should be communicate as much(prenominal). Arabic women (like all women just about the world) should be able to work and nominate a proper education instead of being ordain to live the life of a housewife. What drives matters to a greater extent(prenominal) satisfying is the strategy the government has put in place to deliver on this mandate manipulating the familiar through propaganda on common media platforms.This report impart treat more precisely what scum bag be done if the research concludes that womens federal agency is negative on Arabic television (by analyzing the source of the problem). For instance are religious reasons, customs and traditions, different cultural backgrounds and governmental diffe rences to blame for womanly agency in the mediaOr are on that point other factors worth considering? unessential research into the topic volition aid the report. This research will help reach a logical conclusion of the matter and also vicariously un-cover a niche in this area of nurture ( at that place was barely each information directly comparing amongst these devil Arabic countries). So although this means the project will be a more tall(prenominal) subject to research, it will be thoroughly completed in battle array to shed light upon the topic. For this reason, a mixed methodology application of numeric and qualitative methods will be used to conduct my research. Moreover, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have been chosen for research because they advocate different rules in TV computer programming than other Arabic countries even though they all follow the corresponding religious belief Islam. Furthermore, women in these two countries have different cultural backgroun ds and government.The contribution of television as a media platform in the Arab world has been highlighted repeatedly. Arabic TVs image and perception must therefore be the first thing to be addressed in the process of identifying whether the mission of women is a collateral or negative one. In light of this, the project addresses the following apparent movements How does Arabic TV present women in a positive degree or negative way? What are (and wherefore are there) differences between womens representation in these two countries, even though they pct a common religion?Womens experiences of social Arabic TV- nocent or helpful?Literature ReviewLiterature dealing directly with the relationship between the Arabic woman and her problems with representation on Arabic TV is close to non-existent. However, with the continuous development of worldwide media, it is hardly surprising that the centerfield vitamin Es opinion of Arabic media has become more sophisticated and juveni le in many aspects. In light of this, many Arabic television channels have become much more wellspring k at a time and influential than ever before. For example, Al-Jazeera TV in Qatar has noticeably developed a stronger base of viewers around the world from its wide-spread bode something that hasnt happened to a global Arabic news station before. As a result, the middle-east direct has access to a new brand of universalized news (Waxman, N.D.).Consequently, these channels have become more interesting in many aspects. It could even be argued that Arabic women are presented in an equal light to men on their native TV because of the positive attributes it shows women possessing. For example, channels depict women as reasoning(a) and wise on worldwide TV stations in the nerve center eastside by implying they have the right to be educated, to be freelancer and to have their own transmission line. Conversely, there are some local Arabic TV channels that do present women negative ly. What makes this more significant is how the television stations do nothing to remedy this negative (and purposeful) representation.References to renowned pedantic literature will also be included that argues each side of the debate which for all intents and purposes was substantially difficult to find. Whereas a selection of these studies concentrate on the positive way Arabic television depicts women, other research is focalizationed only on the differences between Arabic women in the East and the West. On the other hand, other works have sought to discuss merely the negative image Arabic stations impose on their native females. The results and critical opinions within this collected research (as well as primary research) will subsequently form the main body of my essay.An protracted amount of the work collected on the matter emphasizes dominance over Arabic women particularly Saudi Arabian women. One of the main takes to indicate this belief is Paul Danahars The New Middl e East. Published in 2013, the BBCs Middle East bureau chief (Danahar) revealed that a new era shaped the Middle East during the Arabic leap of 2011 which bring to clearer insights of media representatives thereby changing traditional opinions in some Arabic countries such as Egypt, Libya, Syria and Tunisia. As a result of this, the general consensus of Arabic quite a little (specifically women) within the international community also changed creating a knock-on effect on the federal agency Islam played in the Middle East during the Arabic kick back as well. Perhaps the most interesting point in this book is that the writer mentions that people (men and women) of the Arabic community can finally cover more openly for the first time. This book is a strong annexe with regards to describing womens cases during the Arabic Spring, but it is perhaps too eager to include such divine constructs as fate, destiny and pre-destination. The outcome of the Arabic Spring revolution will be considered first.The work of Goetz (1997) asserts that women have developed outstandingly for almost three decades now in numerous Muslim countries, and points out organizations must be recognized as being deeply gendered in their structure towards womens interests in the media. However, Goetzs results were based upon info from over 30 years ago, and it is unclear if these differences still persist as it can be clearly gulln that many Muslim-Arabic countries have changed a lot during those xxx years. For example, the amount of women appearing in Saudi Arabian media has telln a significant decrease during the last thirty years.While Goetzs research whitethorn therefore not be as historically relevant as others (her analysis was not based on empirical research, and she does not focus on Saudi Arabia), it is evident that the way television and media is constructed in the Middle East is fundamentally different from other countries (namely those in the West). For example, Saudi wome n cannot put up what they truly want to wear on the TV screen, or causa a car, and have to face a patriarchal culture either day. This is why Saudi Arabia was specifically chosen for this report. Keddie (2007 p. 149- 150) feels that it is remarkably interesting to see the difference between Middle easterly women in the past and the present. She focuses on tracing the development of Middle Eastern womens history since the leaven of Islam, and notes that there have been significant improvements in the Middle Easts womens suffrage movement. Moreover, the appearance of women in public places reflects this discovery, as well as the fact that females seem to have taken up the pre-dominant role in advertising. However, she argues that women in Saudi Arabia were more open to change in the 1960s and 1970s than they were in the 1980s and 1990s also that they were more educated, including a higher amount of people studying abroad, had more billet opportunities, their own marital choices a nd better health. But, this all changed because of the Islamist takeover of the main Saudi mosque in 1979 (Keddie, 2007, p.150). It seems this reason remains unclear because Saudi Arabia had already been an Muslim country for centuries before it was the change of the role of the government that lessened womens rights an after-effect of the Islamist takeover. Strong & Hareb (2012) indicate how the amount of digitally competent young females in the UAE who use social media programs is rapidly increasing. Additionally, Strong & Hareb (2012, p. 3) point out that The UAE is do up of seven emirates, which were separate authorities until the country was formed in 1971. Each emirate is governed by a ruling family with some services (like education) to be funded and administered by the boilers suit federal government. Therefore, the UAE has a different television channel for all seven emirates. Moreover, the WAGL (Women as Global Leaders) claim that Although Emirati females make up only a bout 5% of the total population, the spotlight tardily has been on them as potential future leaders (WAGL, 2012). Strong & Hareb (2012, p. 3) apprize this means that the UAE government is covering us through television that it is reinforcement Emirati females to be leaders. Moreover, the governments media website said that the UAE has become a baffle for Arab women in all fields (WAM, 2009). For the UAE, the situation is more hopeful there is perhaps more openness felt towards women, whereas in Saudi Arabia, there is no freedom. Females cannot wear what they really want to wear on a TV screen, and usually have to wear traditional, religious clothing. Mellor, et al (2011) plunge that some Arabic countries have a new challenge in the media because globalization has brought new opportunities to them. For example, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) now profile themselves globally as the perfect hybrid link between east and west (Mellor, et al, 2011, P. 25). Clearly, it can be seen re flected in womens current affairs in the UAE. This composing agrees with Mellor, because it can clearly be seen that Emirati women have many more opportunities now whether it be working as a TV presenter or reporter. This study directly correlates to the main analysis of this report by showing us that Emirati women are represented in a positive way on UAE television. A similar view to this essay was found in a report by The Dubai School of Government (2011, p1). This report states that Arab women in particular have become more engaged in semipolitical and civic actions playing a critical leading role in the rapid and historic changes that have swept the region. This phrase focuses on women within media and social terms, in a way that implies they are mobile in their society and that UAE television does help them feel more independent. It seems that UAE TV urges women to be intelligent, to be something more than just a housewife or mother at home, to work or own a business and fi nally be equal with Emirati men. Lastly, the work of Saker (2004) reveals that the image of Middle Eastern women in a media landscape often presents them as changed, empowered and advanced. This article will be useful for my research.Methodology/ Research MethodAs previously mentioned this project is difficult to research. For this reason a variety of data by using mixed methodology qualitative and quantitative methods. Additionally, both(prenominal) types of data will be collected in the two countries during the summer. This study encompasses two different types of research to explore if Arabic TV helps women or harms them. The first type of research theory is qualitative (questionnaires, interviews, etc.). For example, respondents will be shown clips of Arabic TV shows and create a survey that will investigate them which Arabic television programs support women and which do not support women, and why (as well as asking demographic information such as nationality, age, gender, a nd education level). The second type of research theory is a quantitative content analysis case studies, statistics or percentages to compare with two social Arabic programs from two Arabic countries that have women presenters from the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The programs are Kalam Nawaiem from MBC channel Saudi Arabia, and Zahrat Al-Khaleej from Abu Dhabi channel United Arab Emirates. These methods lead to answering the overall research questions How does Arabic TV show women in a positive way or negative waySecondly, what are the differences between womens representation in the two countries (the UAE and Saudi Arabia)Thirdly, what are womens experiences of Arabic TV harmful or helpful?ConclusionThe United Arab Emirates & Saudi Arabia have been chosen because on the surface it appears that one country supports women (UAE) and the second country does not support women (Saudi Arabia) on TV stations. This will make for a very conclusive and judicial paper one that will be written with passion. Firstly, the papers aim and rationale for the research will be discussed. Secondly, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the literature written on this topic will be analyzed, as well as the research methods and studies chosen. It is interesting to see the differences between Islamic Arabic cultures and Western cultures and then to compare womens representation on TV programs. Moreover, it cannot be denied that we should support and respect women around the world, and is clear that it is not fair or equal to abandon Arabic women in this belief. The most intriguing point is that it is not all Arabic countries that do not support women even though the Islamic religion connects them all. This research then, will help us understand in more detail the reasons of these differences whether religious or government or cultural.However, there will be some problems that most likely will be encountered (especially in Saudi Arabia) due to ethical issues. The r esearch collected may or may not be allowed to be considered outside of the country. To resolve this, utility(a) ways will be considered so that the project can be investigated freely.It is clear that this research needs to go ahead because it asks an important question Are there positive ways Arabic women on TV are presented or negative waysSecondly, there has been little research done before on this topic. There was not much information that has compared two countries, justified research and then remained objective at the conclusion. Thirdly, the research seeks to understand in more depth how these differences have occurred in two Arabic countries even though there is a religion that binds them together convey cultural and historical significance to the paper. Lastly, this is a topic that affects everyone universally, and is something that everyone can understand. It does not matter whether the reader is a woman or a man, for it will bring attention and focus to the problem reg ardless. Thus, this topic can be investigated after the description of its main characteristics.BibliographyDanahar, P. (2013) The New Middle East The cosmos after the Arab Spring. capital of the United Kingdom Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.Dubai School of Government, UAE (2011) The role of social media in Arab womens empowerment. Arab social media report, Vol. 1, No. 3, 1.Goetz, A. M. (1997) Getting institutions right for women in development. London Zed Books Ltd.Keddie, N. R. (2007) Women in the Middle East Past and Present. Oxfordshire Princeton University Press.Mellor, N. et al. (2011) Arab Media Globalization and rising Media Industries. The United Kingdom Polity Press.Saker, N. (2004) Women and media in the Middle East force play through self-expression. America Published by I.B Tauris & Co Ltd.Strong, C & Hareb, H. (2012) accessible Media Fashion among Digitally Fluent Young Arabic Women in the UAE. social Media Fashion. Vol. 8, Issue 1. Dubai, Zayed University.WAGL. (2012) About WAGL. Women as Global Leaders Conference. purchasable at http//www.zu.ac.ae/main/en/wagl2012/about.aspx. Last accessed 5 February 2014.WAM. (2009). Foreign Media Delegation Visits. WAM Online. 24th, November, 2009. Available at http//uaeinteract.com/docs/Foreign_media_delegation_visits_GWU/38528. Last accessed 5 February 2014.Waxman, S. (n.d) Arab TVs strong signal the Al-Jazeera network offers news the Mideast never had before, and views that are all too common. Al Jazeera Online. http//www.allied-media.com/aljazeera/washpost.htm. Last accessed 11 February 2014.