Culture, metaculture, and the unfolding of four "Arab" and "Middle Eastern" music and dance learning events in the United States

Guest-Scott, Anthony Indiana University 2014 해외박사(DDOD)

This dissertation is a multi-sited ethnographic exploration of how Americans are engaging with events framed and presented to participants as "Arab" and/or "Middle Eastern" music and dance camps, retreats, and seminar events. I explore how participants in these contexts mobilize music and dance teaching, learning, and performance as a specialized domain for reflexively defining as well as navigating within, among, and beyond specific conceptions of "American," "Arabic," and "Middle Eastern" cultures and ethnicities. Further, I investigate how musical practice and reflexive discourses about music and dance, culture, and knowledge more generally emerge together through event participation. Most broadly, this project asks, and explores answers to, two significant questions: 1) What version/representation of the relationship between "American," "Arab," and "Middle Eastern" cultures are people learning (and, indeed, complicit in constructing) in the United States and what view does a specifically musical perspective on all of this provide?; and 2) What contemporary definitions of "culture" and the learning of/about "cultures" are circulating globally, and how do they shape (and how are they shaped by) local contexts where the expressive, the aesthetic, and the performative are privileged?.

Economies of courtship: Matrimonial transactions and the construction of gender and class inequalities in Egypt

Salem, Rania Princeton University 2011 해외박사(DDOD)

In Egypt, young people and their families spend years saving up enough money to afford the jewelry, furniture, appliances, celebrations, and housing costs required for marriage. This dissertation examines gender and socioeconomic inequalities through the lens of these matrimonial transactions. Rationalist accounts would predict that the material prerequisites for marriage will be moderated to accommodate economic constraints, but as I contend in Chapter One, these arguments fail to take into consideration the crucial symbolic and relational work matrimonial transactions do. I use data drawn from semi-structured interviews with 66 engaged middle-class youths in two Egyptian cities to argue that matrimonial transactions act as signifiers of class status and gender ideals, and as such cannot be forgone by brides, grooms, or their families. In Chapter Two, I use two waves of a nationally-representative survey to show that the marriage timing of Egyptian men (who bear the lion.s share of marriage expenditures and must also act as breadwinners in the new conjugal household) is far more sensitive to economic standing than that of women. Favorable labor market experiences accelerate marriage for men, whereas they have no effect for women. Therefore the perceived problem of delayed marriage among men appears to be a product of their failure to secure good quality jobs in the public sector. The final chapter of the dissertation asks what consequences matrimonial transactions have for gender relations between husbands and wives. I use panel survey data to confirm prior evidence that Egyptian brides use their labor market earnings to finance marriage. Contrary to the predictions made by the existing literature, I find that wives' decision-making power is unaffected by their employment status (before or after marriage) or by their matrimonial expenditures. However, the heightened decision-making power of wives who had high wages before marriage is due to the marriage payments they were able to make with their earnings. I posit that the economic resources wives acquire at marriage largely fail to give them leverage vis a vis their husbands because Egyptian women's exit options from marriage are constrained by legal barriers and the social stigma of divorce.

Queer Beirut: Social transformations in a war-torn city

Merabet, Sofian Columbia University 2009 해외박사(DDOD)

This doctoral dissertation analyzes the human geography of queer identity constructions and the social production of queer space as constitutive features of wider class, religious, and gender relations in the Lebanese capital Beirut. While I situate the formations of socially marginalized gender identities in urban Lebanon as a crucial locus for reconsidering conventional understandings of culture, Islam, and the state in the Arab world, I provide an ethnography of the city through the margins. The dissertation pays close attention to colonial histories of urbanism in the region in order to trace the genealogy of contemporary constructions of norms and forms of social exclusion and urban environment in Beirut. In particular, the work develops a critical socio-cultural paradigm for the study of sexuality and religion that examines the formations of Lebanese queer identities in relation to global processes of circulation and translation of gender models and ideas. Furthermore, my interdisciplinary research positions the importance of gender identities at the center of an often over-simplified political understanding of the very notion of identity in Lebanon that, traditionally, has been defined exclusively on the basis of sectarian/religious affiliation. Instead, I provide a critical standpoint from which to deepen our understandings of gender rights and citizenship in the structuring of social inequality within the larger urban context of the Middle East. My dissertation is based on more than two and a half years of ethnographic fieldwork in Lebanon and foregrounds various manifestations of public culture as they take form in daily processes of identity formations. This framework enables me to explore the performative practices of gendering for young Lebanese gays and lesbians as they formulate their sense of what it means to "exist" in an urban context. My ethnographic research and theoretical analysis contribute to the anthropological reformulation of both Middle East and Urban Studies. They also suggest a critical theory of gender and religious identity formations that can disrupt conventional anthropological premises about the contingent role that particular urban spaces have in facilitating the emergence of various subcultures within the city.

Perspectives and usage of technology of Arabic language teachers in the United Arab Emirates

Alhumai, Khadija University of Kansas 2014 해외박사(DDOD)

This study examined the perspectives and usage of technology by Arabic language teachers' in various schools all across The United Arab Emirates. Barriers to integrating technology were closely examined. Dimensions investigated included: perspectives towards computer-related activities, perspectives towards computer-related activities, perspectives towards computer competence, perspectives towards technology and general perspectives. Arabic language teachers answered questions on electronic surveys regarding their classroom practices and personal opinions and thoughts about computers and technology. The population of teachers was divided into the following categories. 1. Age. 2. Years of experience. 3. Gender. 4. Levels of education. For the purposes of this study, more experienced is defined by general teaching experience in excess of ten years, and less experienced is defined as general teaching experience of ten years and fewer. An analysis of the data showed that teachers at different levels of education and age tend to hold very different perspectives about technology integration and that the gender of teachers had no bearing on their perspectives toward technology. Teachers from all levels of education expressed a positive perspective toward technology in some respects, including the benefits that technology can offer Arabic language instruction and student learning. Teachers across all dimensions who expressed negative perspectives towards technology integration discussed, both explicitly and implicitly, the barriers that they perceived as preventing them from having a more positive perspective. These barriers were shown to originate from within the individual teacher, as well as within their environment in the school and classroom setting. For example, many of the barriers uncovered dealt with personal issues like self-esteem related to teaching and the classroom, feelings of inadequacy surrounding teaching, etc. In testing the hypotheses of the study, hypothesis one showed that overall, teachers had positive perspectives towards technology usage. Hypothesis two revealed a P-value of less than 0.001 which means that there are differences between the perspectives and usage of technology of male and female Arabic language teacher's in the UAE, with females having more positive perspectives. The third hypothesis examined the different perspectives and usage of technology between more and less experienced Arabic language teachers in the UAE. The testing of this hypothesis reported that there are differences between the perspectives of this group of Arabic language teachers, with less experienced teachers having more positive perspectives. The fourth hypothesis regarding younger and older Arabic language teachers reported that there are indeed differences in the perspectives of these two groups towards technology, with younger teachers having a more positive perspective. Lastly, the fifth hypothesis, which dealt with teachers who have different levels of education, found that are no differences between the perspectives of Arabic language teachers with different levels of experience. There is a need for more research and resources put into the area of technology usage in Arabic language instruction across The United Arab Emirates, more support for the schools and teachers endeavoring to make technology usage in Arabic language instruction a success, more pre-and in-service training for future and current teachers, and more research into which strategies will work to combat the barriers identified in this study.

Establishing peace and conflict studies programs in Iraqi universities: Necessary conditions and short-term implications

Hill, Thomas University of Pennsylvania 2014 해외박사(DDOD)

Peace and Conflict Studies was unknown as a field of academic inquiry in Iraq when the 21st century began. Just over a decade later, formal institutional entities had been established to explore the subject at three Iraqi universities. Using a participatory action research methodology, this dissertation explores two questions: 1. What are the conditions that promote or impede establishment of a university-based program in peace and conflict studies in Iraq?, and; 2. Once established, what are possible outputs and outcomes of these programs over the first few years of their existence? This study consisted of 67 interviews, three focus groups and hundreds of hours of my first-hand observations. I argue that the presence or absence of three conditions has determined the success of efforts to establish peace and conflict studies programs at Iraqi universities: an inviting political climate; entrepreneurial or charismatic university leadership; and the availability of financial, intellectual and relational resources. I conclude that even in the first few years after a program's establishment, it is possible to observe not only tangible outputs such as students graduated, public events conducted and papers published, but also intangible outcomes such as increased awareness and understanding by students and other program affiliates of critical concepts related to peace and conflict and the creation of a platform for future learning and practice in peace and conflict studies.

Investigating Attention to Speech in Saudi Parkinson's Disease Patients

Aljafen, Ahmad Abdulaziz ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Indiana University 2021 해외박사(DDOD)

In general, most studies conducted on Parkinson’s disease focus on the motor symptoms; therefore, there is a notable dearth of studies of the cognitive and language abilities in PD patients, especially in those who speak a diglossic native language. The present study is the first to address ability of PD patients who speak a diglossic language to pay attention to their speech and shift to the formal variety, focusing on Saudi PD patients’ ability to pay attention to their speech and shift to the formal code of Arabic. This investigation addressed the following questions: (1) Is there a significant difference between PD patients and the healthy subjects in the amount of attention paid to speech? (2) Is there a significant difference between male PD patients and female PD patients in the amount of attention paid to speech? (3) Is there a significant difference between male PD patients and healthy male subjects in the amount of attention paid to speech? (4) Is there a significant difference between female PD patients and healthy female subjects in the amount of attention paid to speech? (5) What role if any does the age of the patient play in attention to speech? (6) How does the length of time medication stays in the bloodstream affect the amount of attention PD patients pay to their speech? (7) Is there a relationship between the amount of time since the date of PD diagnosis and patients’ ability to pay attention to their speech? Twenty-one Saudi idiopathic Parkinson’s disease patients who were at different stages of impairment and twenty-one healthy Saudi individuals were recruited for this study. The two groups were approximately matched for age, education, and gender. The researcher conducted semi-structured phone interviews with the participants. The interview data were then transcribed and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively, with care taken to notice any divergence from the low variety towards the high variety of Arabic. The results showed that the PD patients’ attention to speech mechanism was impaired at various levels based on many factors, such as the patient's age, retention of medication in the bloodstream, and date of PD diagnosis. These findings suggest that the deficit to the basal ganglia in Parkinson’s disease patients affects the attention to speech mechanism. Consequently, PD patients who speak a diglossic language natively may find it difficult to pay sufficient attention to their speech to shift to the high variety of the language in formal settings.

Narrative representations of abu bakr (d. 13/634) in the second/eighth century

Akpinar, Mehmetcan ProQuest Dissertations & Theses The University of 2016 해외박사(DDOD)

Abu Bakr (d. 13/634) is regarded as one of the most preeminent companions of the Prophet Muh&dotbelow;ammad by the majority of (Sunni) Muslims. In the Islamic tradition, he is noted for his early conversion to Islam, his close companionship to the Prophet, his service for the Islamic cause, his exemplary generosity, his participation in the major battles of early Islam, and his caliphate. Yet, all these aspects of Abu Bakr's life were not arranged into a coherent biography immediately upon his death. Rather, they circulated in dispersed (mostly oral) accounts for about two centuries. They were narrated in disparate forms, transmitted in different places, circulated in various intellectual circles, and redacted according to varying interests and needs. It was only when they found their way into the books of the 3rd/9th century that they acquired the shape(s) in which they would survive for over a millennium. This dissertation aims to study the emergence of Abu Bakr's image as the best Muslim after the Prophet, with the superior qualities attributed to him. It is concerned with a thorough examination of the narratives that fostered the formation of Abu Bakr's image and seeks to reconstruct their earliest forms, which often began to circulate in first half of the 2nd/8th century. The analysis then traces their subsequent evolution, and identifies various redactorial efforts that gave them new shapes over the course of the 2nd/8th century. The approach towards the narrative material comprises a combination of different methods of textual analysis: (a) isnad-cum-matn analysis; (b) the reconstruction of accounts from earlier sources; and (c) narrative analysis. This methodology will be applied to narratives about three prominent aspects of Abu Bakr's life, which act as case studies. They include (1) Abu Bakr's conversion to Islam; (2) the explanations offered for the origin of Abu Bakr's title al-s&dotbelow;idd iotaq; and (3) the narratives about Abu Bakr's emancipation of Bil?l. The final analysis offers a survey of the geographical distribution of the individual accounts. This manner of presentation not only allows for a comparison of the character of the narratives that circulated in the 2nd/8th century in Medina, Basra, Kufa, and Baghdad, but also shows the evolution of the accounts.

The Relationship Between Saudi Pre-service Teachers' Perceptions of Preparation and Their Teaching Self-efficacy

Alasmari, Abdulrahman Ahmed The Pennsylvania State University ProQuest Dissert 2023 해외박사(DDOD)

This study investigates the relationship between Saudi pre-service teachers' perceptions of preparation and their teaching self-efficacy. The study is based on Bandura's social cognitive learning theory for self-efficacy to describe human behavior in which personal determinants, environmental influences, and behavioral factors interact continually. This quantitative study is based on data from a measurement instrument comprised of two surveys adopted from previous research studies to measure pre-service teachers' preparation and self-efficacy. Based on data collected from 198 pre-service teachers in Saudi Arabia, the results show that the correlation between the participant's average self-efficacy score and the teacher preparation quality score is the largest. At the same time, the correlation between the participant's average self-efficacy and average opportunity is also quite significant. Thus, there is a linear relationship in the analysis. When a participant's gender and year in college were controlled, these correlation values changed slightly. The results also show that the average score of the preparation quality component has the most predictive power.Moreover, the participant's average learning opportunity score, the level of college education, and the interaction between the participant's average quality and opportunity scores are still significant in the model. This finding suggests that the Ministry of Education should work with the universities to improve and support the teacher education programs by providing them with all materials and resources they need to prepare pre-service teachers to be successful teachers in the future. Another critical research implication relates to this study's translated instruments for data collection. The North Carolina New Teacher Preparation Survey (NTPS) has 40 items, and researchers can use the Arabic version used in this study to evaluate the quality of the teacher education program.

The Use of Differentiation in English Medium Instruction in Middle Eastern Primary Schools: A Gap Analysis

Thomas, Nina ProQuest Dissertations & Theses University of Sout 2018 해외박사(DDOD)

This study identified knowledge, motivation and organizational influences preventing the consistent implementation of differentiated instruction via Guided Reading in English classes at a Middle-eastern public primary school in Abu Dhabi. Englis.

Inflammatory and conciliatory rhetoric in the Arab-Israeli conflict: A content analysis of how three newspapers covered two provocative events

Witte, Oliver R Southern Illinois University at Carbondale 2013 해외박사(DDOD)

This study focuses on contrasting responses to two highly provocative acts from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Ariel Sharon's controversial visit to the Temple Mount in February 2000, and a Palestinian terrorist cell's suicide bombing of a nightclub in Tel Aviv in 2005. Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount in 2000 led to the second intifada, the bloodiest outbreak of violence in the conflict's recent history. However, what followed the suicide attack in Tel Aviv in 2005 were several weeks of restraint from both sides. This study positions media texts as antecedents and consequents to these two key focal points in history and examines their content. The central method for the study is quantitative content analysis. Three newspapers were selected primarily for their ability to set the public agenda: English editions of the Israeli Haaretz and Jerusalem Post, and the Palestinian Al-Quds, translated into English from its original Arabic. The corpus for the study comprised 820 news and opinion articles about Arab-Israeli relations from one week of articles from each side of Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount and one week of articles from each side of the suicide bombing. Media texts were coded for two operationally defined constructs: inflammatory words and conciliatory words. Inflammatory words were fighting words symptomatic of violent and aggressive behavior. Conciliatory words were related to pacification, symptomatic of appeasing, and passive behavior. Built-in dictionaries of Diction, Version 6.14.5, a software program, were used to confirm the validity of the two principal constructs. Results confirmed the newspapers' propensity to focus on violent news and also suggested that media content is likely to be shaped and influenced by acts of violence on the ground. Results also supported speech-act theory and indicated that inflammatory or violent texts in the media perform the functions of agenda-setting or news-framing and potentially cultivate violent behavior among readers. The constructs of inflammatory and conciliatory words and their application in constructing a practical Threat Index are among the key contributions of this study.