Description
Book SynopsisThe discovery of oil in the late 1960s catapulted the people of Abu Dhabi out of the isolating poverty into which it had plunged in the 1930s and onto the global stage. Massive construction projects built the city and infrastructural developments altered the physical and cultural landscape; in a few breathtaking decades, the lives of Emiratis were transformed by new opportunities and a social welfare system that offered free education, medical treatment, generous pensions, subsidies to families, and government incentives offered to citizens to participate in all sectors of the economy. Oil wealth also brought new expectations and new life-styles that are often sophisticated and lavish yet just as often criticized for being conspicuous displays of unbridled consumerism. Emirati Women offers a rare view into the lives of Emirati women and how they perceive the changes that have made poverty a dim and almost forgotten memory. In Emirati Women, Bristol-Rhys weaves together eight years of conversations and interviews with three generations of women, her observations of Emirati society in Abu Dhabi, the unflattering stereotypes commonly heard in the extensive expatriate communities, and discussions with her Emirati university students on topics ranging from marriage, independence, freedom, and the future.
Trade Review'This book should be read by everyone interested in Arab women.' -- Middle East Journal
'A collection of conversations with successive generations of Emirati women.' -- The National (Dubai)
'Emirati Women is a very welcome addition to our knowledge of the people of the Arab Gulf and fills a large void in an area where women's voices, are, in general, still marginalised. Little that is published on the area offers readers the local inhabitants' viewpoint which is why the oral narratives and interviews presented in this book illustrate so tellingly the lives of those who are otherwise marginalised and ignored, thereby revealing a fascinating world that is usually obscured in conventional accounts.' -- Dr Wanda Krause, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
'Emirati Women is an engaging, insightful and lucidly written study on this important subject. Anyone who wants to discover how and why the role of women is changing within this dynamic Gulf state must read this book'. -- Steven Wright, Assistant Professor, Department of International Affairs, Qatar University, and author of The United States and Persian Gulf Security
'By giving voice to women from different parts of society, Bristol-Rhys is able to paint a dense and colourful picture of social life in the contemporary UAE. Her portrayal of the wide variety of complex and often contradictory predicaments which structure Emirati women's lives, worlds, and worldviews constitutes a powerful counter-narrative to stereotypical and often homogenising misrepresentations of Emirati society, and of women in particular.' -- Journal of Arabian Studies
