Abstract
This chapter explores the impact of parental communication patterns on Arab women’s choices of educational fields, careers, and advancement at large. While not particularly focusing on the technical aspects of communication, this study serves as an example of the importance of the content of communication and its impact on the unfolding of women’s lives in the Arab world. Using the sequential exploratory strategy as a research methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative research techniques, this study examines the content of some of the messages communicated to Lebanese women by their parents regarding the male–female division of roles at the early stages of their lives. The findings of this study provide empirical data confirming the parental endorsement of the traditional, stereotypical gender roles to their children during childhood socialization and the pursuits of education and careers. The results, therefore, highlight the need for Arab societies to change the content of the messages they communicate to their children towards a more egalitarian language, content, and tone to enable the future generation of Arab women to rise to the challenges and effectively contribute to the development of their families, communities, and nations, amidst the multilayered transformations in the Arab region.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abdallah, I. A. (1996). Attitudes towards women in the Arabian Gulf Region. Women in Management Review, 11(1), 29–39.
Abou Chedid, K. E. (2007). Correlates of religious affiliation, religiosity and gender role attitudes among Lebanese Christian and Muslim college students. Equal Opportunities International, 25(3), 193–208.
AlAjmi, A. (2001). The effect of personal characteristics on job satisfaction: A study among male managers in the Kuwait oil industry. International Journal of Commerce and Management, 13(3/4), 91–110.
Al-Lamki, S. (1999). Paradigm shift: A perspective on Omani women in management in the Sultanate of Oman. Advancing Women in Leadership, 5, vol. 2, no. 2, Spring 1999. www.advancingwomen.com/awl/spring99/Al-Lamki/allamk.html. Accessed 19 Sep 2012.
Atkinson, R., & Flint, J. (2000). Accessing hidden and hard-to-reach populations: Snowball research strategies. Social Research Update, 33, 1–4.
Barakat, H. (1977). Lebanon in strife. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Barakat, H. (1993). The Arab world: Society, culture, and state. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Benson, J., & Yukongdi, V. (2006). Asian women managers: Participation, barriers, and future perspectives. In V. Yukongdi & J. Benson (Eds.), Women in Asian management (pp. 141–151). New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis.
Berg, B. (2004). Qualitative research methods (5th ed.). USA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Bernard, H. (2000). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. London: Sage.
Best, D. L. (2004). Gender stereotypes. In C. R. Ember & M. Ember (Eds.), Encyclopedia of sex and gender: Men and women in the world’s cultures, vol. I: Topics and cultures A-K. Dordrecht: Kluwer/Plenum.
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. London: Sage.
Eagly, A. H., & Carli, A. L. (2007). Women and the labyrinth of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 85(9), 62–71.
El-Ghannam, A. (2002). Analytical study of women’s participation in economic activities in Arab societies. Equal Opportunities International, 21(1), 1–18.
Feghali, E. (1997). Arab cultural communication patterns. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 21(3), 345–378.
Goby, V. P., & Erogul, M. S. (2011). Female entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates: Legislative encouragements and cultural constraints. Women’s Studies International Forum, 34, 329–334.
Granleese, J. (2004). Occupational pressure in banking: Gender differences. Women in Management Review, 19(4), 219–225.
Greenhaus, J. H., & Parasuraman, S. (1999). Research on work, family, and gender: Current status and future directions. In G. N. Powell (Ed.), Handbook of gender and work (pp. 391–412). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Greenman, E. (2011). Asian American–White differences in the effect of motherhood on career outcomes. Work and Occupations, 38(1), 37–67.
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1989). Fourth generation evaluation. Newbury Park: Sage.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Jamali, D., Safieddine, A., & Daouk, M. (2006). The glass ceiling: Some positive trends from the Lebanese banking sector. Women in Management Review, 21(8), 625–642.
Jandt, F. E. (2012). An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community. London: Sage.
Jawad, H. A. (1998). The rights of women in Islam: An authentic approach. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Kallab, E. (1983). She cooks he reads: The image of women in Lebanese textbooks. Beirut: Center of Feminist Studies in the Arab World.
Kausar, Z. (1995). Women in feminism and politics: New directions towards Islamization. In Omar, A. & Davidson, M. J. (2001). Women in management: A comparative cross-cultural overview. Cross Cultural Management, 8, 35–67.
Khattab, H. (1996). The Muslim woman’s handbook. London: TA-HA Publishers.
King, N. (1994). The qualitative research interview. In C. Cassell & G. Symon (Eds.), Qualitative methods in organizational research: A practical guide (pp. 14–36). London: Sage.
Ku, M. C. (2011). When does gender matter? Gender differences in specialty choice among physicians. Work and Occupations, 38(2), 221–261.
Leitch, C. M., Hill, F. M., & Harrison, R. T. (2010). The philosophy and practice of interpretivist research in entrepreneurship: Quality, validation, and trust. Organizational Research Method, 13(1), 67–84.
Loscocco, K., & Bird, S. R. (2012). Gendered paths: Why women lag behind in small business success. Work and Occupation, 39(2), 182–219.
Metcalfe, B. D. (2008). Women, management and globalization in the Middle East. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(1), 85–100.
Neal, M., Finlay, J., & Tansey, R. (2005). My father knows the minister: A comparative study of Arab women’s attitudes towards leadership authority. Women in Management Review, 20(7), 478–497.
Omair, K. (2010). Typology of career development for Arab women managers in the United Arab Emirates. Career Development International, 15(2), 121–143.
Omar, A., & Davidson, M. J. (2001). Women in management: A comparative cross-cultural overview. Cross Cultural Management, 8(3/4), 35–67.
Parasuraman, S., & Greenhaus, J. H. (1994). Personal portrait: The life-style of the woman manager. In E. A. Fagenson (Ed.), Women in management: Trends, issues, and challenges in managerial diversity. London: Sage.
Powell, G. N., & Graves, L. M. (2003). Women and men in management (3rd ed.). London: Sage.
Pringle, J. K., & Mallon, M. (2003). Challenges for the boundaryless career odyssey. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(5), 839–853.
Salloum, H. (2003). Women in the United Arab Emirates. Contemporary Review, 283(1651), 101–104.
Sharabi, H. (1998). Neopatriarchy: A theory of distorted change in Arab society. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sidani, Y. (2005). Women, work, and Islam in Arab societies. Women in Management Review, 20(7), 498–512.
Tlaiss, H., & Kauser, S. (2010). Perceived organizational barriers to women’s career advancement in Lebanon. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 25(6), 462–496.
Tlaiss, H., & Kauser, S. (2011a). The impact of gender and family on career advancement: Evidence from Lebanese women. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 26(1), 8–36.
Tlaiss, H., & Kauser, S. (2011b). Career success of Arab women managers: An empirical study in Lebanon. Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 4(1), 43–61.
Wassef, H. (1996). Constructions of gender in middle and secondary school curriculum in Egypt. Paper presented and published at the proceedings of the Arab Regional Conference, International union for the scientific study of population, Cairo, Egypt, 324–351.
Yukongdi, V. (2006). Women in management in Thailand: Advancements and prospects. In V. Yukongdi & J. Benson (Eds.), Women in Asian management (pp. 126–141). New York: Routledge, Taylor.
Zaharna, R. S. (1995). Understanding cultural preferences of Arab communication patterns. Public Relations Review, 21(3), 241–255.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tlaiss, H. (2015). Impact of Parental Communication Patterns on Arab Women’s Choice of Careers. In: Raddawi, R. (eds) Intercultural Communication with Arabs. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-254-8_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-254-8_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-287-253-1
Online ISBN: 978-981-287-254-8
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)