Cultural Tradition and Saudi Female Leadership - Assignment Example

Cultural Tradition and Saudi Female Leadership Cultural Tradition and Saudi Female Leadership Literature Review Saudi Arabia has strict laws forbidding women to seek or even be leaders in institutions such as education. With the exception of Princess Nora University, men take on that leadership role as head chancellor or dean at any given university or college. Each university relies on the role of males to lead the university in action discipline and campus awareness as it relates to higher education.

Universities that are solely for women must also abide by the leadership of male deans. If an incident takes place, women have to report their case in front of a male dean. Depending on the situation, women reporting a crime or incident might not feel comfortable relaying the information to a man. According to Saudi male officials, there are many reasons why women should not partake in leadership roles. One specific reason has to do with the cultural norms of Saudi society. Women have taken the role as caregiver to their children and because of this roles, it is very difficult for them to advance their careers.

Also, according to according to the Islamic religion, women must be submissive to there husband: the husband is the leader or head of the household. Thus, because of this thought, it is difficult for the society to change their views on how women should participate within the community. In fact one of the most significance reasons is the embodied cultural tradition, which is against women’s educational leadership (Ghanim, 2009).Saudi Arabian Cultural Traditions The women in Saudi Arabia face many hardships.

There are so many hidden cultural rules that when broken by Saudi Arabian women the punishment is always harsh. Thus, women cannot gain the necessary respect needed to achieve or take on a leadership role. According to Saudi traditions, everything related to women should be excluded from men (Chaney and Martin, 2007). Leadership and to be a leader within Saudi Arabia is of great concern to citizens. For this reason, men believe it is best if women do not participate in these leadership roles.

Thus, women are not empowered or given a voice. Such a perception and gender stereotypes are still major obstacles to women’s absolute access to leadership positions. Taleb (2010) added that good leadership qualities are not gender-specific. She declared the difference between men and women leadership roles is their authority. What is meant by this is that civil laws in Saudi society do not give women enough rights to be independent and or lead. Women are also at a disadvantage because they are not allowed to drive and cannot travel without their guardians’ permission.

This is something that needs to be addressed alongside leadership roles. The guardianship law limits women and gives men the power to control women’s lives. Women need the permission from a husband, father, and or brother even to go to school or study in a foreign country. Again, robbing women of any decency and or freedom of choosing could jeopardize there chances to marry into a good family if they defies these civil laws (Jerichow, 1997).To further our discussion on the role of women, they are not allowed to study a specific specialty unless first approved by the government.

This is also true with career paths. Women are given a limited amount of jobs to choose from after they attend university. Marriage appears to be a women’s escape in Saudi Arabia. Women attempt to find their identity through marrying into a good family. Her marital status will hopefully improve her self image and self worth. However, this was a thought in the past. Now, more women want to go to college and seek a career path; As a result, more women are not marrying when they are eighteen.

They are waiting until they are twenty-five or twenty-eight to get marry. Al-Khateeb (1998) believed that in spite of female education and employment, Saudi society is using different strategies to control women and keep them under male supervision: cultural values that indirectly control women by veiling, sex segregation, and female seclusion and the through the socialization process that defines a woman’s first role in life as mother and housewife. Women have some power according to Saudi tradition.

Her family name dictates the way they she will be perceived. If her family is one of royalty or is known for their generosity, then she will be seen as good. Since Saudi Arabia is a tribal country, family name is more important than the deeds of people themselves. Family status, sometimes, is more influential than female education and employment. If a woman comes from wealthy family she has power and a leadership role in her family. In addition, wealthy women tend to be more educated and as a result gain more power and respect within their own families (Moors, 1995).

Del Castillo (2003) believes that in tribal societies in much of the Islamic world, mainly Saudi Arabia, the behavior of women determines the honor of the entire family. Therefore if women "misbehave," it affects the whole status of the family. Even the womans voice or her darting glance could bring shame to a man and his tribe. According to Ghada (2012), women in Saudi Arabia usually do not fight for their rights even if they are aware of them because of family reputation.

A woman from a well-known family should be always respectful and that means be quiet all the time, serve the family, get married, and raise kids. This is like the Saudi dream; a woman serving her family with a big smile on her face, only a smile, no words.Female Educational Leaders in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian women have gained leadership roles as a result of the improvements and awareness of higher education. The government has granted female students the liberty to attend universities both inside and outside the nation through what is known as a scholarship program.

The Ministry of Education has adopted these scholarship programs to improve the economy and lives of all Saudi citizens. Most important is that women are also being encouraged to participate in these scholarship programs (Moghadam 2003). Al-Khateeb (1998) stated that the first people to support female education in Saudi Arabia were the elite. Because of their education and power, they sent their daughters to study abroad, in Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon. When female public schools were opened in Saudi Arabia, the elite were the first people to send their daughters to study or work in these schools.

Due to the increased amount of educated Saudis, more and more are attempting to promote change. With this change, is the hope to change the perspective of the role of women in society? However, it is looking good for Saudi women. For now, they are able to attend universities on scholarship. They are even able to study aboard. The hope is that one day, women and men will work alongside one another, which is already being encouraged. Hamdan (2005) continued that educated, open-minded individuals’ demands would bring changes and progress.

However, she wonders if Saudi society is ready for that change. Given the apparent variability in perspective of educated open-minded individuals who are seeking progress and the attitudes of some conservative religious scholars and old traditions that resist it, any move forward is difficult to predict. Unless something is done, the conflict between women’s modernity and traditional issues will still continue.ReferencesAl-Khateeb, S. (1998). Women, family and the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia.

Marriage & Family Review, 27(1/2), 167-189.Chaney, L and Martin, S. (2007), The Essential Guide to Business Etiquette, Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. Pp 164.Del Castillo, D. (2003). Teaching through an electronic veil. Chronicle of HigherEducation, 49(29), A48.Ghada, D. (2012), Not Just a Saudi Woman, Smithfield: Dorrance Publishing. Pp199.Ghanim, D. (2009), Gender and Violence in the Middle East, Westport: Praeger Publisher. Pp 85.Hamdan, A. (2005). Women and education in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and achievements.

International Education Journal, 6(1), 42-64.Jerichow, A. (1997), Saudi Arabia: Outside Global Law and Order: A Discussion Paper, Quadrant: Curzo Press. Pp74.Moghadam, M. (2003), Modernizing Women: Gender and Social Change in Middle East, Colorado: Lynne Reinner Publisher. Pp 66Moors, A. (1995), Women, Property and Islam: Palestine Experience 1920 – 1990, New York: Syndicate Press.Taleb, H. (2010). Gender and leadership styles in single-sex academic institutions.International Journal of Educational Management, 24(4), 287-302.