Saturday, May 31, 2014
Dubai: The majority of Emirati youth are succeeding in balancing between modern values and traditional values, sociologists told Gulf News.
Dr Rima Sabban Assistant Professor of Sociology at Zayed University who conducted research on the influence of modernity on the traditional values in GCC communities said countries that are growing faster have higher concerns about losing their traditions.
“The study found the faster a GCC country was growing the more the worry about losing their traditional values and cultures, even among youth, because the issue becomes more pressing.”
For example, Dr Rima said, countries growing at a slow pace, like Oman, welcomed modernity but countries, which are growing at a fast pace like the UAE were concerned about losing some of it traditional values.
The professor said there is a difference between the European modernity, which was more intellectual and affected all life forms over the modernity that the Arab world is facing, which is more related to lifestyle.
“The European modernity created a whole shift in mind sets and created a whole intellectual revolution, while our modernity is an imported one it is more related to lifestyle than intellectual change.”
Dr Rima said Arabs are adopting modernity however the more modernity and change is adopted the more they try to hold on to their roots . Also because the Arab modernity is more on the surface it is challenged by religious movements.
When it comes to the UAE, Dr Rima said she found that the majority are trying to balance between modernity and so far succeeding in doing so.
“The majority are adaptive and are balanced by their families. Emirati families are moving slowly towards modernity at their own pace, taking what they want and leaving modern values that they don’t want.”
The professor said the system that is created in the UAE allows people to co-exist and balance through modernity, ‘I am modern I use the latest technology and follow trends but I respect elders and I meet up with my family every Friday.’
“The youth are growing to know that they have different layers between modernity and traditions. The whole system, which is encouraged by the rulers, is to find balance and the beauty of it is that it is respected by the public.”
Dr Rima said there is a general understanding that so long that the change and modernity is for the betterment of their country, it is accepted.
“Even those creative people who might dress and act differently are accepted as long as they are producing something that is good. However change for the sake of being a rebel is not.”
Dr Meenaz Kassam, another professor of sociology from the American University of Sharjah, who also conducted a focus group on Arab youth found that Emirati’s have found a balance between modernity and traditions.
The study conducted by the professor Meenaz and Professor Yuting Wang Assistant Professor of sociology at the university found that Emirati students represent an intriguing mix of tradition and modernity.
The research read: “The old is not necessarily replaced by the new as old and new forms are not in conflict. Tradition and modernity are not mutually exclusive. Modernization can be uniquely Emirati - a new form of modernization that embraces traits of modernization that are intertwined with Emirati culture.”
The study was conducted on 550 students at the university regarding values on love, marriage and the Family. Of these students about 20 per cent were Emirati.
The study also found that woman in the UAE are changing, it read: “She is modern in that she embraces technology and education and is able to think for herself - yet she is dressed traditionally and is gracious in prioritizing her family, religion and culture.”
“They have somehow managed to find the balance despite challenges like being surrounded by expat values. It is because being Emirati is considered special in the UAE, they favor holding on to their traditions and values.”
Dr Meenaz said the youth are especially keen on looking Emirati.
“Even my Emirati students who studied abroad and speak English better than Arabic prefer to dress Emirati, very few choose to wear western clothes.”
The professor said the leadership, which urges its youth to hold on to their traditional values also have a big influence. Family and friends also have a huge influence.
By Noor Nazzal Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2014. All rights reserved.
