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Westminsterresearch Power, Arab Media Moguldum & Gender Rights WestminsterResearch http://www.westminster.ac.uk/westminsterresearch Power, Arab media Moguldum & gender rights as entertainment in the Middle East El Mkaouar, L. This is an electronic version of a PhD thesis awarded by the University of Westminster. © Dr Loubna El Mkaouar, 2016. The WestminsterResearch online digital archive at the University of Westminster aims to make the research output of the University available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the authors and/or copyright owners. Whilst further distribution of specific materials from within this archive is forbidden, you may freely distribute the URL of WestminsterResearch: ((http://westminsterresearch.wmin.ac.uk/). In case of abuse or copyright appearing without permission e-mail [email protected] POWER, ARAB MEDIA MOGULDUM & GENDER RIGHTS AS ENTERTAINMENT IN THE MDDLE EAST Loubna El Mkaouar A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Westminster, For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Communication and Media Research Institute University of Westminster April 2016 1 Abstract Discourse is a giant field of research and gender related rights are still a disputed area of thinking. Thus, when Arab transnational satellite televisions produce dialogues, images, stories and narratives about the disputed “universal” gender rights in the Middle East, the big questions remain how and why. According to De Beauvoir (1949), one becomes woman and to Butler (1990) one is not born a gender at all but is “done” and “undone” to become one via discourse. Islamic feminism speaks of a cultural/religious specificity in defending women rights and even gender diversity based on new Quranic interpretations. The gender, “Al-Naw’u”, remains synonym to sex “Al Jins” as gender and queer theories never developed in Arabic in tandem with the European institutions or the theories of the19th century– especially those ideas emerging from studies of the mental asylum. This research tries to understand gender related “rights” and “wrongs” as manifest in the discursive institutions owned by media mogul Prince Al Waleed Ben Talal Al Saud. The trouble of such a study is lexical, ideological and institutional at the same time. Since we lack a critique of the discourses and narratives addressed in the pan-Arab satellite channels, in general it is difficult to understand their significance and influence in everyday life practices. What language is used to speak of gender rights or wrongs? Which ideology is favoured in this practice of legitimisation and/or policing? Using case studies, CDA of social and religious talk shows, narrative analysis of Arabic cinemas, this research adapted triangulation to show the complexity of conversing and narrating gender related content at the micro and macro levels within an institution of power. Using semi-structured interviews from fieldwork in Egypt (2009) and Lebanon (2011), archive research and online ethnography, the research exposes the power structure under which gender discourses evolve. It emerges that gender content is abundant on the Pan Arab satellite space, “manufactured” on talk shows and plotted tactfully in the cinematic “creative-act”. The result is a complex discourse of gender content that scratches the surface calling for interpretation. So how and why do gender rights and wrongs find place on Prince Al Waleed’s Media Empire? Key words: media moguls, talk shows, gender discourses, cinema images and imagination, the creative-act, women rights, LGBTQ, power, tactics and strategies, 2 Acknowledgement To my Father & mother Mohammed El Mkaouar & Nouzha Abara Siblings Khouloud El Mkaouar & Yassine El Mkaouar Family Dounia Abara, Adam and William Davy Dearest friends Nehro Shawo, Rehab Akhaddam & Najwa Belkziz Thank you for all the priceless support through the journey of this research 3 Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgement ......................................................................................................................... 3 Tables, Charts & Figures ............................................................................................................. 6 Note on the Classification of Sources: ......................................................................................... 8 Transliteration............................................................................................................................... 9 Declaration: ................................................................................................................................. 10 Emerging Terms.......................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter One: Introduction .......................................................................................................... 12 Researching Gender in Pan-Arab Entertainment Programs: Rationale & Approach ........ 12 I- Rationale: ....................................................................................................................... 12 II- Conceptual Framework: The power of Media Moguldom, Talk Shows, Cinema & gender discourse in the Middle East ......................................................................................... 13 III- Research Questions: ....................................................................................................... 20 IV- Methodology: Triangulation .......................................................................................... 20 V- Original contribution to knowledge and limitations ...................................................... 22 IV- Thesis structure and Chapters’ Description: ...................................................................... 25 Chapter Two: Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................ 29 Arab Media Moguldom & Gender Rights as Entertainment ................................................. 29 I- Distinction & Media Ownership: Tactics & Strategies as tools of a Media Mogul....... 30 II- Gender Discourse & Narratives in Arab Talk Shows & Cinema:.................................. 41 III- Gender rights discourses in the Middle East: Being and Becoming a gender ................ 53 Chapter Three: Methods and Methodology ............................................................................... 69 Triangulation for an interdisciplinary inquiry & Field work implications .......................... 69 I- Methodology: Triangulation .......................................................................................... 70 II- Research questions: ........................................................................................................ 72 III- Methods: Case Studies, CDA, NA and Field Work ....................................................... 72 IV- Tools of content analysis: Critical Discourse Analysis & Narrative Analysis .............. 79 V- Fieldwork: Ethnography and Elite Semi-Structured interviews for triangulation ......... 81 Chapter Four: Power Structure, Tactics & Strategies ................................................................ 92 Prince Al Waleed as an Arab Media Mogul: Islamic Capital & Networks of Elites ............ 92 I- Prince Al Waleed as a Media Mogul: Maximisation of Power & the Islamic Capital .. 93 4 II- The PR project Princess Ameera Al Taweel: implications .......................................... 114 III- The Empire, the role of the barons and power relations with Al Waleed: ................... 121 Chapter Five: LGBTQ & Talk Shows ...................................................................................... 132 Being Gay & discussing it on Pan Arab Prime Time Talk Shows: Chameleon Strategies 132 Tahweel (transformation) and ﺗﺤﻮﯾﻞ Tassheeh (correction) versus ﺗﺼﺤﯿﺢ I- Case#1- “Chameleon Strategies”: CDA of the episode “Sex Reassignment” from Ahmar Bel Khat Al ‘Areed) Bold Red Line (BRL): ............................................................................................... 134 II- Case# 2 The Islamisation of liberalism in the religious talk show space: An episode on Shudud Al Resalah TV: .......................................................................................................... 188 Chapter Six: Women & Talk Shows ......................................................................................... 203 Women Rights & Wrongs in the Arab Talk Show Space ..................................................... 203 1- Case #1. Ad absurdum in interviewing feminist Nawal Al Saadawi on LBC Sat 204 I- Case #2. A “feminist approach” to women rights by the male director of Al Resalah TV ............................................................................................................................ 215 Chapter Seven: Gender in Cinema ............................................................................................ 228 Rotana Cinema: ........................................................................................................................ 228 Gender Rights & Creative Space of Possibilities ................................................................... 228 I- Cinema monopoly within the Rotana Media Group: The classical library .................. 229 II- Women Rights Narratives: rights, wrongs and possibilities .......................................
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