Intercultural Studies: Qatar - Essay Example

Intercultural Studies: Qatar. Qatari Flag Source: http www.olstars.com/en/flag/Qatar Introduction Qatar is a small country, on a peninsula north of Saudi Arabia (National Geographic website), with allies in the gulf region (Kabasal and Dastalmachian, 2001, pp. 480-481). This assignment examines the culture of Qatar, its predominant ideology, and hegemony, identity, language and semiotics. Gender and postcolonialism are also considered. Ideology Most of the inhabitants of Qatar are of Arabic origin, and the main ideology, or system of beliefs is the Sunni Muslim faith.

(Chaddock, 2006, p. 68) This is expressed in what people eat, for example all meat has to be prepared in accordance with Islamic laws, in their clothing, and in the religious practices of prayer, fasting and study of the Koran. (Qatar.living website) Hegemony The official hegemony, or system of power over other people, in Qatar is a monarchy. (Constitution of Qatar) The government is similar to traditional tribal leadership, with a hereditary Emir at the top. This rests on an ancient pattern of centralist government dating from some 4,000 years ago.

(Hofstede, 1980, p. 117) The system is not democratic and there are no elections. The opinions of the people are gathered in an advisory parliament but the real power lies with the Emir. Identity The concept of identity can be defined as the way someone is, or is recognisable. Qatari identity is based on nomadic Arab culture. Hospitality is a very important value, especially in desert territories. Modern Qatar has a successful tourist industry with its own airline company bringing passengers from over 100 destinations worldwide.

(qatarairways website). Qatar has a history of threats from larger powers and so has defensive forts such as Al-Zubara Fort, Doha Fort, etc. (Qatarembassy: Museums). In the cities the population contains many immigrant workers who have a greater diversity of identity. Citizens of Qatari origin, are in a minority but enjoy a higher status than immigrant workers. Kabasakal, H. and Dastmalchian, A. 2001) Language Language is the main method of human communication. Standard Arabic is the official language of Qatar, and Farsi is spoken by a minority.

English is widely spoken, especially in the larger urban areas. There are further languages spoken by immigrant workers including Malayaam, Tamil, Urdu. Ethnologue Website) Semiotics Semiotics is the system of signs which people use to convey meaning. Qatar provides the home base and considerable funding for the Arabic news organization Al Jazeera. (Miles, 2006). This is big part of the image and meaning that Qatar presents to the world. (Petersen,2006 ), since “the rise and expansion of Al Jazeera are a huge part of the emir’s global ambition for Qatar” (Irvine, 2011) This news network acts as a bridge between the Arab world, and has become “arguably the most important non-state actor in the Middle East today” (Zayani and Sahroui, 2003, p. 23). Gender Gender is a socially constructed role that a person takes.

As in most Islamic societies, men and women have equal rights in theory but women face some restrictions in practice. (The Peninsula, 2010) Industries are often divided between those for men (like shipbuilding and pearl hunting) and those for women (like weaving and embroidery), although some family crafts can be done by both (like goldsmithing and jewelry making). (Qatarembassy website: Heritage) Postcolonialism Postcolonialism refers to the situation that countries have after they have become independent from a colonial power.

Qatar used to be a British protectorate. It depends on immigrant workers, and on the oil industry (Crystal, 1990) but in the postcolonial age Qatar is beginning training up its own workforce, using “localization” to create more jobs for Qataris (Mellahi, K. and Al-Hinai, S.M. 2000, p. 177). The country is not strong enough to guarantee its own protection (Cordesman 1988, 2007) and so it made a Defense Cooperation treaty with the United States in 1992 (Qatar embassy website, foreign policy).

Conclusion Qatar is a country with a rich history and a cultural reach far beyond its immediate area. There are some challenges in terms of ensuring a stable and prosperous future for all of its citizens, and in ironing out some of the gender and ethnic inequalities that exist at the present time. It has maintained its independence in a region that has often been at the centre of political and military strife. Despite its conservative government style and religious heritage, Qatar has many forward-looking qualities and its combination of tradition and modernity will ensure that it remains a leading voice in Arab culture in the future.

References Chaddock, D. 2006. Qatar. London: Stacey International. Coleman, E. 2011. Professor Martine Irvine Seminar Wiki. Available online at: https://irvine.wikis.gdc.georgetown.edu/EColeman Constitution of Qatar. Available online at: http://www.qatarembassy.net/constitution.asp Cordesman, A.H. The Gulf and the West: Strategic Relations and Military Realities.Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1988. Cordesman, A.H. and Al-Rodhan, K.R. Gulf military forces in an era of asymmetric wars. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2007.

Crystal, J. 1990. Oil and Politics in the Gulf: Rulers and Merchants in Kuwait and Qatar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ethnologue: Languages of the World Website. 2011. Languages of Qatar. Available at: http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=qatar Hofstede, G. 1980. Culture’s Consequences: International differences in work related values. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Kabasakal, H. and Dastmalchian, A. 2001. Introduction to the Special Issues on Leadership and Culture in the Middle East.

Applied Psychology: An International Review 50 (4), pp. 479-488. Mellahi, K. and Al-Hinai, S.M. 2000. ‘Local workers in Gulf co-operation countries: assets or liabilities?’ Middle Eastern Studies 36 (3), pp. 177-190. Miles, H. Al Jazeera. 2006. Foreign Policy 155, pp. 20-24. National Geographic website. 2011. Qatar Map. Available at: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/qatar-map/ Nonneman, G. 2006. ‘Political Reform in the Gulf Monarchies: From Liberalisation to Democratisation?

A Comparative Perspective’, Durham Research Online, University of Durham. Available at: http://dro.dur.ac.uk/472/1/NonnemanV3.pdf Petersen, J.E. 2006. Qatar and the World: Branding for a Micro-State. Middle East Journal 60 (4), pp. 732-748. Qatarairways website. 2011.CEO’s message. Available at: http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/ceo-message.page Qatar.living website. 2011. The Qatar Guide. Available at: http://www.qatarliving.com/the-qatar-guide Qatarembassy.net website. 2011. Major Museums and Forts.

Available at: http://www.qatarembassy.net/museums.asp Qatarembassy.net website. 2011. Heritage in Qatar. Available at: http://www.qatarembassy.net/Heritage.asp Qatarembassy.net website. 2011. Foreign policy. Available at: http://www.qatarembassy.net/foreign_policy.asp Qatari Flag (Image). Available at: : http://www.olstars.com/en/flag/Qatar The Peninsula. 5th May 2010. Need to ensure equal citizen rights to women. Available online at: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/q/56-tofol-jassim-al-nasr/2049-need-to-ensure-equal-citizenship-rights-to-women.

html Zayani, M. and Sahrauoi, S. 2007. The Culture of Al Jazeera: Inside an Arab Media Giant. Jefferson NC: McFarland and Co.