The Center for Gulf Studies at AUK Hosts Dr. Haneen Al-Ghabra
04th Feb 2019 | by the Department of PR & Marketing
The Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) at AUK hosted a lecture by Dr. Haneen Al-Ghabra, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mass Communication in Kuwait University. The talk entitled, Muslim Women and White Femininity: Reenactment and Resistance, discussed the main findings of her book of the same title,where she focused on the portrayal of Muslim women in western media and their embodiment of white feminism.
In her talk, Dr. Al-Ghabrashed light on the hegemonic representation of feminism in an attempt tointroduce a transition towards the more inclusive intersectional feminist ethics, whichwould allow for anaccount ofthe multiple layers of thediverse ethnic, social, and religiousidentities of women of color. In studying this, she demonstrated the utilityof archetypal criticism, a form of criticism that analyzesrecurring archetypes, as a tool to deconstruct dominant discourses in the media. She suggested that there were archetypes of Muslim women circulated by western media outlets for further political and economic agendas, emphasizing,“It is important to know that Muslim women are always at the forefront of western media whenever the West wants to come into the region, politically, economically, and strategically.”
In particular, the speakerexaminedthree predominant archetypes carried through by Muslim womenwithin western media discourse and imagery.The first archetype she listed is‘The Oppressed’ which frames Muslim women as beings lacking access to basic rights. She offers the case of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education, of being framed by the western media as someone who belongs in this category. Dr. Al-Ghabra’s second archetype was ‘The Advocate’ which she explains as a type that completely disengages with their own society, culture, and identity. The final archetype she introduced was ‘The Humanitarian’ such as philanthropist Queen Rania of Jordan. In this category, she notes the difference between the ways in which humanitarian efforts may be reported by western media.
In noting the significance of this lecture, Dr. Shareefa Al-Adwani, Director of CGS, said, “Dr. Al-Ghabra’s presentation allows us to reflect on our privileges and our oppressions, and how the two are both exogenous and internalized by all people. In this way, her research challenges us to interrogate institutions, ideas, and our identities as denizens of the Gulf.”
Dr. Haneen Al-Ghabra is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mass Communications at Kuwait University. She recently was the recipient for the Outstanding Article Award, at the National Communication Association’s (NCA) Feminist Division in the United States (November, 2018). She is the author of Muslim Women and White Femininity: Reenactment and Resistance (November 2018) and specializes in Rhetoric and Cultural Studies with a focus on Intersectionality. Dr. Haneen’s methodological research is conducted through rhetorical criticism, ethnography, and autoethnography. She has been featured on more than six top panels and has won top awards four times. Dr. Haneen also has eight years of work experience both in the government and private sector in Kuwait in public relations and campaign planning.
Dr. Haneen Al-Ghabra during the lecture