Islamic attitudes and the support for Gender Equality and Democracy in Seven Arab Countries, and the role of anti-â€Western feelings
https://doi.org/10.4471/generos.2014.40
Keywords:
Downloads
Abstract
In the societal and scientific discussions about the support for democracy and gender equality in the Arab Middle East, this study engages the triangular theory, which predicts that Islamic orientations influence gender equality attitudes and democracy negatively, and attitudes towards gender equality are also expected to lead to more democratic support, partly channelling the influence of Islam. This theory was tested on Arab Barometer data for seven countries, including three different dimensions of Islamic-religious identity: affiliation, piety, and political-Islamist attitudes. The analyses roughly back the triangular model, but for democratic support only the Islamist values seem important, partly working through economic gender equality attitudes. Attitudes towards women’s position in politics and education seem unrelated to democratic support. In addition, this study applies the gender and postcolonial concept of ‘othering’ to the triangular model. Theoretically it predicts that in the current neo-colonial era, anti-Western feelings might create more Islamic and less democracy and gender equal attitudes simultaneously, making Islam’s impact partly spurious. Empirically, this is modestly supported for the Islamist-democracy link only. However, anti-Western feelings do relate to gender equality, democratic support, and religious attitudes, and deserves more attention when studying democracy and gender equality in the Arab Middle East.
Downloads
References
Allison, Paul D. (2001). Missing Data. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Google Scholar CrossrefAndersen, Roy R., Robert F. Seibert & Jon G. Wagner (2012). Politics and Change in the Middle East.
Google Scholar CrossrefBoston: Longman.
Google Scholar CrossrefAngrist, Michele (2012). War, Resting the West, and Women’s Labor: Toward an Understanding of
Google Scholar CrossrefArab Exceptionalism. Politics & Gender, 8: 51-82.
Google Scholar CrossrefArab Barometer (n.d.). ABI_datafilefinal_1_1.sav (www.arabbarometer.org).
Google Scholar CrossrefSome studies on women’s actual position show otherwise. Both Read (2004) for Muslim women in the U.S. and Spierings (2012) for women in several Muslim countries show that Muslim women are for instance not less of even more often gainfully employed than non-Muslim women.
Google Scholar CrossrefAlgeria: 460; Jordan: 683; Kuwait: 412; Lebanon: 899; Morocco: 916; Palestine: 1,012; Yemen: 392.
Google Scholar CrossrefResults can be obtained from the author.
Google Scholar CrossrefResults can be obtained from the author.
Google Scholar CrossrefResults can be obtained from the author.
Google Scholar Crossref‘Reading the Quran’ would be an alternative measurement, but that is strongly related to literacy, making it unsuitable here.
Google Scholar CrossrefResults can be obtained from the author.
Google Scholar CrossrefIlliterate, Elementary, Primary, Secondary, College Diploma- two years, BA, MA or higher.
Google Scholar CrossrefThe ‘other’ group is less supportive of democratic institutions. These respondents are almost exclusively Druze from Lebanon, making this result likely to be idiosyncratic.
Google Scholar CrossrefGoogle Scholar Crossref
Badran, Margot (2001). Understanding Islam, Islamism, and Islamic Feminism. Journal of Women's History, 13(1): 47-52.
Google Scholar CrossrefBarber, Benjamin R. (1996). Jihad vs. McWorld: How Glabalism and Tribalism are Reshaping the World. New York: Ballantine Books.
Google Scholar CrossrefBarro, Robert J (1999). Determinants of Democracy. Journal of Political Economy, 107(S6): 158-83. Charney, Craig (1987). Political power & social class in the neo-colonial African state. Review of
Google Scholar CrossrefAfrican Political Economy, 14(38):48-65.
Google Scholar CrossrefCornwall, M., Albrecht, S.L., Cunningham, P.H. & Pitcher, B.L. (1986). The dimensions of religiosity: A
Google Scholar Crossrefconceptual model with an empirical test. Review of Religious Research, 27: 226-244.
Google Scholar CrossrefDe Beauvoir, Simone. (1978). De Tweede Sekse. Utrecht: Bijleveld.
Google Scholar CrossrefDecety, J. & J.A. Summerville (2003). Shared Representations between Self and Other: a social cognitive neuroscience view. TRENDS in Cognitive Science, 7(12): 527-33.
Google Scholar CrossrefDonno, Daniela & Russett, Bruce (2004). Islam, Authoritarianism and Female Empowerment: What Are the Linkages? World Politics, 56: 582-607.
Google Scholar CrossrefEl-Ghobashy, Mona (2005). The Metamorphosis of the Egyptian Muslim Brothers. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 37:373-395.
Google Scholar CrossrefEsposito, John L. & Dalia Mogahed (2007). Who speaks for Islam? Waht a billion Muslims really think. New York: Gallup Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefEsposito, John L. & John O. Voll (1996). Islam and Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefFish, Steven (2002). Islam and Authoritarianism. World Politics: 55: 4-37.
Google Scholar CrossrefFleischman, F. (2011). Second-generation Muslims in European societies. Comparative perspectives on education and religion. PhD Thesis, Utrecht University and University of Leuven.
Google Scholar CrossrefFriedman, Thomas L. (1989). From Beirut to Jerusalem. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1989. Harris, William (2011). Republic of Lebanon. In Long, David E., Bernard Reich & Mark Gasiorowski,
Google Scholar CrossrefThe Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa (6th edition) (pp.233-66).
Google Scholar CrossrefHirsi Ali, Ayaan (2006). The Caged Virgin. An Emancipation Proclamation for Women and Islam. New
Google Scholar CrossrefYork: Free Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefHofman, Steven Ryan (2004). Islam and Democracy: Micro-Level Indications of Compatibility.
Google Scholar CrossrefComparative Political Studies. 37(6): 652-76.
Google Scholar CrossrefHuntington, Samuel P. (1993). The Clash of Civilizations? Foreign Affairs, 72(3): 40.
Google Scholar CrossrefHuntington, Samuel P. (1996). The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Google Scholar CrossrefInglehart, Ronald & Norris, Pippa (2003a). The True Clash of Civilizations. Foreign Policy Magazine, 34(2): 67-74.
Google Scholar CrossrefInglehart, R. & P. Norris (2003b) Rising Tide. Gender Equality and Cultural Change Around the World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefJamal, Amaney & Mark Tessler (2008). The Democracy Barometers: Attitudes in the Arab World. Journal of Democracy 19(1): 97-110.
Google Scholar CrossrefLincove, Jane Arnold (2008). Growth, Girls’ Education, and Female Labor: A Longitudinal Analysis. The Journal of Developing Areas, 41(2): 45-68.
Google Scholar CrossrefGoogle Scholar Crossref
Meyer, Katherine, Helen Rizzo & Yousef Ali (2002). Changed Political Attitudes in the Middle East: The Case of Kuwait. International Sociology, 22(3): 289-324.
Google Scholar CrossrefMoaddel, Mansoor (2006). The Saudi public speaks: Religion, gender, and politics. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 38(1): 79-108.
Google Scholar CrossrefMoghadam, Valentine M. (2003). Globalization and Women in the Middle East. Middle Eastern Women on the Move. Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars: 75-80.
Google Scholar CrossrefNorris, Pippa (2009). Why do Arab States Lag the World in Gender Equality? Faculty Research Working Papers Series, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, July.
Google Scholar CrossrefNorris, P. & Inglehart, R.F. (2012) Muslim Integration into Western Cultures: Between Origins and Destinations. Political Studies, 60:228-51.
Google Scholar CrossrefOwen, Roger (2004). State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, 3rd edition. London, New York: Routledge.
Google Scholar CrossrefRead, Jen’nan Ghazal (2004). Family, Religion, and Work Among Arab American Women. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(November 2004): 1042-50.
Google Scholar CrossrefRizzo, Helen, Abdel-Hamid Abdel-Latif & Katherine Meyer (2007). The Relationship Between Gender Equality and Democracy: A Comparison of Arab Versus Non-Arab Muslim Societies. Sociology, 41(6): 1151-70.
Google Scholar CrossrefRizzo, Helen, Katherine Meyer & Yousef Ali (2002). Women’s Political Rights: Islam, Status and Networks in Kuwait. Sociology, 36(3): 639-62.
Google Scholar CrossrefRoss, Michael L. (2001). Does Oil Hinder Democracy? World Politics, 53: 325-61.
Google Scholar CrossrefRoss, Michael L. (2008). Oil, Islam, and Women. American Political Science Review, 102(1): 107-23.
Google Scholar CrossrefSaid, Edward (1978). Orientalism. Vintage Books.
Google Scholar CrossrefScharff, Christina (2011). Disarticulating Feminism: Individualization, Neoliberalism, and the Othering of ‘Muslim Women’. European Journal of Women’s Studies, 18(2): 119–34.
Google Scholar CrossrefSpierings, Niels (2007). Boundaries and Opportunities in Women's Economic Identity in Muslim Countries. in Clare Beckett, Owen Heathcove & Marie Macey. Negotiating Boundaries? Identities, Sexualities, Diversities. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. pp. 180-93.
Google Scholar CrossrefSpierings, Niels (2011). 'Arab' or 'Established' Democracies? Egypt's and Tunisia's Post-Revolutions Elections. IMR Working paper: Pol11-01 .
Google Scholar CrossrefSpierings, Niels (2012). Khadija’s Legacy. Women’s employment in 28 Muslim countires. PhD Thesis. Raboud University Nijmegen.
Google Scholar CrossrefSpierings, Niels, Jeroen Smits & Mieke Verloo (2009). On the Compatibility of Islam and Gender Equality. Effects of Modernization, State Islamization, and Democracy on Women's Labor Market Participation in 45 Muslim Countries. Social Indicators Research, 90(3): 503-22.
Google Scholar CrossrefStepan, Alfred & Robertson, Graeme B. (2003). An “Arab” more than “Muslim” Electoral Gap. Journal of Democracy, 14(3): 30-44.
Google Scholar CrossrefTessler, Mark (2002). Islam and Democracy in the Middle East: The Impact of Religious Orientations on Attitudes towards Democracy in Four Arab Countries. Comparative Politics, 34(3): 337-54.
Google Scholar CrossrefTessler, Mark & Eleanor Gao (2005). Gauging Arab Support for Democracy. Journal of Democracy, 16(3): 83-97.
Google Scholar CrossrefWalby, Sylvia (2011). The Future of Feminism. Cambridge: Polity.
Google Scholar CrossrefGoogle Scholar Crossref
Watts, Michael (2009). Neocolonialism. In Kitchin, Rob & Nigel Thrift, International Encyclopedia of Human Geography (pp. 360).
Google Scholar CrossrefWelch, Michael (2008). Ordering Iraq: Reflections on Power, Discourse, & Neocolonialism. Critical Criminology, 16(4):257-269.
Google Scholar CrossrefWVS (2009). World Value Survey 1981-2008 official aggregate v.20090902, 2009. World Values Survey Association (www.worldvaluessurvey.org). Aggregate File Producer: ASEP/JDS Data Archive, Madrid, Spain.
Google Scholar CrossrefZuhur, Sherifa. (1992). Revealing reveiling, Islamist Gender Ideology in Contemporary Egypt. New York: SUNY.
Google Scholar CrossrefDownloads
Published
Almetric
Dimensions
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
All articles are published under Creative Commons copyright (CC BY). Authors hold the copyright and retain publishing rights without restrictions, but authors allow anyone to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute, and/or copy articles as the original source is cited.