QATAR UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES GLOBALIZATION AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN QATAR: DOES EXPOSURE TO GLOBALIZATION LEAD TO CHANGES IN NATIONAL IDENTITY ACROSS DIFFERENT GENERATIONS OF QATARI CITIZENS? BY SHAIKHA AL THANI A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Gulf Studies January 2017 © 2017 Shaikha Al Thani. All Rights Reserved. COMMITTEE PAGE The members of the Committee approve the Thesis of Shaikha Al Thani defended on 21/12/2016. Dr. Baqer Al Najjar Thesis/Dissertation Supervisor Dr. Abdullah Baabood Committee Member Dr. Luciano Zaccara Committee Member Approved: Rashid Al-Kuwari, Dean, College of College of Arts and Sciences ii ABSTRACT Al Thani, Shaikha, H. Masters, January, 2017, Gulf Studies Title: Globalization and National Identity in Qatar: Does Exposure to Globalization lead to Changes in National Identity Across Different Generations of Qatari Citizens? Supervisor of Thesis: Baqer, S., Al Najjar. This era is marked by globalization, a process whereby states and individuals are interconnected through a global network. Globalization entails the emergence of a global culture which is considered a threat to national identity, often publicized by states and academics. Further, globalization specifically cultural globalization is seen to have an impact on national identity particularly amongst younger generations. Nonetheless, studies haves shown that globalization is not always a negative phenomenon. The Qatar National Vision 2030 states that globalization can be compatible with Qatar’s culture and traditions, elements firmly ingrained in Qatar national identity. Qatar is committed to foster national identity to ensure national cohesiveness while retaining its role in the global network. The promotion of national identity amidst cultural globalization is a state goal. This research employs a quantitative research design to assess the impact of globalization on national identity across different generations of Qatari citizens namely those aged 18 and above. Based on the findings, it can be argued that globalization and national identity are positively correlated. iii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my family especially to my mother for her considerable amount of support in my academic endeavors and in my life. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to the Gulf Studies Department’s faculty and staff and specifically to Dr. Baqer Al Najjar, my thesis supervisor for his constant support and guidance. I would also like to thank Dr. Abdullah Baabood and Dr. Luciano Zaccara, my committee members, for their help and advice. v Table of Contents: Dedication…..………………………………………………………………..………iv Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………….…..v List of Tables.……………………………………………………………………..…ix List of Figures………………………………………………………………..………xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………...………………………......1 Rational and Importance of the Study…………………………………..…….1 Qatar and Globalization…………………………………………………….....3 Research Problem……………………………………………………………..9 Research Objective……………………………………………………..…....10 Research Questions…………………………………………………….……10 Basic Concepts……………………………………………..……………..…12 Thesis Structure ………………………………………………..………..…..19 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………..21 Introduction………………………………………………………………………..…21 Theories of Identity……………………………………………….………………….22 Theories of National Identity…………………….……………..……………..……..24 Globalization and the Nation-state…………………………….…………....……….28 Theories of Cultural Globalization…………………………….……………….……32 Globalization and National Identity…………………………...……………………..45 Conclusion……………………………………………………………...……...…….54 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY…………………………………….…………......56 Introduction…………………………………………………………...….….………56 vi Positivist Research Paradigm…….…………………………....….….……....56 Quantitative Research……………………………………….....................…..58 Sampling Techniques and Procedures…………………………..……………60 Data Sources…………………………………………………………….……60 Data Collection Techniques……………………………………………..……61 Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………......…64 Scales and Measures……………………………………………………….…65 Data Analysis……………………………………………………………...….73 Reliability and Validity………………………………………………….……74 Limitations………………………………………………………………….....77 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION………………………………………………………..…………….....79 Introduction…………………………………………………………………..79 Reliability Test Using Cronbach’s Alpha……………………………………80 Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Respondents…………………………………………...……………………………..80 Internet and Social Media Use………………………………………….……88 Respondents’ Travel Information……………………………………………93 Research Questions…………………………………………………......……98 Discussion of Results……………………………………………………..….102 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION…………..………………….......................................107 Introduction……………………………………………………………….…..107 Implications………………………………………………………………...…109 Limitations and Directions for Future Research………………………….…..110 vii REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………112 Appendix A: English Consent Form ……………………………………..………....123 Appendix B: Arabic Consent Form ………………………………....……………....124 Appendix C: English Survey …………………………………………..…………....125 Appendix D: Arabic Survey ……………………………………...………………....130 Appendix E: Institutional Review Board Ethics Approval ………………………....134 viii List of Tables: Table 1. “Common Identity Elements Shaping the ‘Gulf Society’”……………………………………………………………….……....23 Table 2. “Assumptions about Culture”……………………………....………..34 Table 3. Qatar National Identity Scale……………………….…………..…....72 Table 4. Reliability of Global Citizenship and National Identity Scales……....75 Table 5. Reliability of Items in the Global Identity and National Identity Scales………………………………………………...…………………...…….75 Table 6. Reliability of Items in the Global Identity and National Identity Scales………………………………………...…………………..…………..…80 Table 7. Mean Age of Respondents…………………………………………….82 Table 8. Gender of Respondents……………………….……………………….83 Table 9. Employment Status…………………………...……………………….85 Table 10. Crosstabulation of Age Groups and Device Used to Access the Internet…………………………………………………………………...…….90 Table 11. Crosstabulation of Age Groups and Hours Per Day Spent on Social Media Apps………………………………………...………………………………….91 Table 12. Travel Overseas……………………….…………………………….93 Table 13. Crosstabulation of Age Groups and Travel Frequency Per Year…………………………………………………………………………….94 Table 14. Travel Duration Overseas……………..…………………………….95 ix Table 15. Travel to GCC Countries………………………………………….96 Table 16. Travel Duration in GCC Countries…………………….………….98 Table 17. Correlation of Qatar National Identity and Global Citizenship Scales………………………………………………………………………...99 Table 18. One-Way ANOVA of Age Groups and Qatar National Identity and Global Citizenship Scales………………………………………………………….......………….101 x List of Figures: Figure 1. Social Media Use by Nationality……………………………………………..63 Figure 2. Social Media as Source of News……………………………………………...63 Figure 3. Age Group Distribution………...……………………………………..………82 Figure 4. Educational Level of Respondents……………………………..……………..84 Figure 5. Country of University Education………………………………………..…….85 Figure 6. Marital Status…………………………………………………….……………86 Figure 7. Respondents’ Locality in Qatar…………………...…………………………..88 Figure 8. Devices Used for Internet Access…………………………………………….89 Figure 9. Crosstabulation of Employment Status and Hours Spent on Social Media……………………………………………………………………………………92 Figure 10. Travel Frequency Overseas………………………………………………….94 Figure 11. Travel Frequency to GCC Countries ………………………………………..97 xi Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Rationale and Importance of the Study The study of globalization’s effect on national identity is compelling in that states strive to solidify their national identities while simultaneously commit to being part of the ‘global village’. It is important to first define what is meant by globalization. According to Robertson (1992), globalization involves “the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole” (p. 8). Further, it is the cultural impact of globalization that is of interest in this study. In his book entitled Communication Power, Castells (2013) defines cultural globalization as the “emergence of a specific set of values and beliefs that are largely shared around the planet” (p. 117). For individuals and countries, national identity is a basis of meaning and belonging. Smith (1991) defines national identity as “the maintenance and continuous reproduction of the pattern of values, symbols, memories, myths and traditions that compose the distinctive heritage of nations, and the identifications of individuals with that particular heritage and those values, symbols, memories and traditions” (p. 75). Despite the benefits of joining the global network such as economic growth, globalization also induces social change in some countries. At times, cultural globalization is perceived as a challenge to national identity especially in traditional societies in states like Qatar. Qatar’s important roadmap to guarantee the social, economic and sustainable well-being of its citizenry, the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) even highlights the consequences of globalization on Qatar. It states “preservation of cultural traditions is a major challenge that confronts many societies in a rapidly globalizing and increasingly connected world” (QNV 2030, p. 4). Similarly, the Human Development Report stresses the need to protect Qatar’s “national 1 values and identity” (General Secretariat