Honour or Hostile Sexism in Qatar?
Hostile sexism and Andrew Tate have become growing concerns in the West. Poor young men are struggling to secure status. Some express resentment towards foreigners and women. But what’s happening elsewhere in the world?
In the Arabian Peninsular, men’s honour depends on female seclusion. Barbie was banned, extra-marital sex remains illegal. Despite economic convergence with the rich West, it remains culturally dissimilar.
Or is it…?
Lisa Blaydes, Justin Gengler, and Noora Ahmed Lari recently ran a telephone survey in Qatar, with random-digit dialling, contacting 847 citizens. Respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the following statement:
“Qatari women should be allowed to work outside the home if they wish.”
82% of Qatari women “strongly agree” that Qatari women should be allowed to work outside the home, while older women are a little more conservative. For men, it’s the opposite. Young men are the most strongly opposed to female employment.
Why might this be?
Blaydes and colleagues do not speculate. But this is a really important result! Young Qatari women are educated and eager to enter the workplace. Meanwhile, young men are firmly opposed. What’s going on? Let us consider two hypotheses:
Honour
Scarcity, status and hostile sexism