The Islamic veil in the Gulf and Arabian modernity: A qualitative study on female managers
Abstract
The aim of this study is to identify the feelings of female managers in the Gulf region about the Islamic veil, and the meanings they attribute to this veil, a key element of Arabian modernity and of the evolving gender-inclusive business environment. This three-year study, conducted in the Gulf region focused on the values of Arabian female managers after their sudden admission into the professional world, especially since the early 2000s. Twenty women participated in the qualitative study, in which semi-structured interviews were used to question interviewees about their values, notably the influence of religion on their daily behavior and way of thinking. The discussion is supported by both anthropological data and religious sources. A significant proportion of the questionnaire focused on the interviewees’ religious feelings, and in particular on a crucial and controversial subject in Europe: the Islamic veil. The main findings suggest that although the Islamic veil has religious significance for the interviewees, they consistently privileged the concept of free choice, showing that female managers in the Gulf region consider freedom of choice as a form of symbolization of religious obligation, and this view is one of the essential markers of Arabian modernity.
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