Browsing by Author "Albalawi, Hend"

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A Sociolinguistic Inquiry into the Future of Bedouin Dialects: Language Use and Perceived Language Vitality Among Bedouin-Speaking University Students in North-Western Saudi Arabia
(University of New South Wales, 2024-02-23) Albalawi, Hend; Hatoss, Aniko; Amberber, Mengistu
Amid global changes in Saudi Arabia’s linguistic landscape, Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and English have assumed hegemonic positions as languages. MSA is employed as the formal official language and English as the second language taught in the formal education and the language especially demanded on the job market. As a consequence, the powerful, state-supported statuses of MSA and English are prone to affect the language practices and vitality of other local language varieties in Saudi Arabia. In particular, Bedouin dialects are relegated to the periphery and fall into relative obscurity and their vitality weakened. Considering the uneven power arrangement in Saudi Arabia’s language ecology, the ethnographically based sociolinguistic study conducted for this thesis examined the vitality of Bedouin dialects as perceived by university students of Bedouin background at the University of Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia. With empirical data collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, the study involved exploring the student’s general use of the three language varieties in everyday contexts according to the various language domains, exploring factors impacting the vitality of their dialects and investigating their attitudes and identities amid Saudi Arabia’s shifting cultural backdrop. The results confirm the low perceived vitality of Bedouin dialects in Saudi Arabia’s linguistic landscape both at present and for the projected future. They also provide evidence of the prevalence of the white dialect as a local lingua franca in informal domains in north-western Saudi Arabia. The findings may be of interest to Saudi language policymakers, educational leaders and individuals seeking to support multilingualism. Above all, they underscore the importance of multilingualism not only for the preservation of linguistic diversity but also from the speakers’ perspective, namely as a way to protect their culture and maintain their ethnic and linguistic identity.
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Exploring the experience of horizontal violence among nurses working in mental health settings in Saudi Arabia
(Saudi Digital Library, 2026) Albalawi, Hend; Ali, Parveen; Rogers, Michaela
Background: In Saudi Arabia, horizontal violence (HV) among nurses remains an unexplored yet significant issue, particularly in mental health settings (MHS). While nursing is recognised as a caring profession, the lived experiences of nurses often include internal conflicts, interpersonal tension, and peer hostility. HV, encompassing behaviours such as exclusion, verbal aggression, and unjustified criticism, may have serious emotional and professional consequences. Understanding how nurses interpret and respond to such experiences is essential to promoting healthier workplace environments. Aim: To explore the lived experience and personal meaning of HV among nurses working in a mental health setting in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Methods: A qualitative study using in-depth interviews (n=15) with nurses working in MHS in Saudi Arabia. Participants shared personal accounts of their experiences with HV in the workplace. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the interview transcripts and identify key experiential themes. Findings: A comprehensive description of participants’ experiences with HV was constructed from the data, revealing five group experiential themes: recognising HV without using formal terminology; encountering HV through interpersonal and structural dynamics; identifying its workplace causes; understanding its emotional and professional effects; and employing coping strategies. Nurses described HV as a daily challenge that affected relationships, trust, and performance. Despite these impacts, some demonstrated resilience through teamwork, professional values, and commitment to patient care. Conclusions: This study provides insight into how mental health nurses in Saudi Arabia experience and respond to HV. Although unfamiliar with the formal term, participants identified harmful behaviours tied to workplace culture, leadership, and system issues. HV had emotional, physical, and professional effects, prompting various coping strategies. The findings highlight the need for supportive leadership, team collaboration, HV education, and a zero-tolerance policy. These measures align with national efforts to enhance care quality and staff well-being.
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