Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Open Access Redefining Saudi Female Identity: The Role of Social Media Influencers in Shaping Cultural Norms(City, University of London, 2024-09) Hakami, Assma; Patel, SusmiThis dissertation investigates the transformation and the impact of social media on the cultural identity of young Saudi women, particularly through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and the concepts of Wishful Identification and Parasocial Relationships (PSRs). This research concentrates on how Saudi female influencers on Instagram are challenging traditional norms and cultivating a hybrid identity that balances both cultural heritage and modern values. Utilizing a triangulation of data collection approaches, including Netnography and semi-structured interviews, this study investigates the role of these microcelebrities in shaping the career aspirations, lifestyle choices, and social behaviors of their followers. The findings reveal that these influencers significantly contribute to the redefinition of Saudi female identity by promoting entrepreneurial mindsets and progressive lifestyles, while still respecting cultural traditions. By using the Social Cognitive theory, Parasocial Relations and Wishful Identification, the research examined the psychological mechanisms behind this influence, demonstrating how frequent exposure to and engagement with influencer content leads to the internalization of new cultural norms. The research concluded with three emergent themes that contextualized the cultural shifts in Saudi female identity.42 0Item Restricted PERCEIVED LINGUISTIC AND NON-LINGUISTIC BARRIERS FACING SAUDI FEMALE PARTNERS LEARNING ENGLISH(University of Mississippi, 2024-05-29) Dulli, Samah; Coles, FeliceThe partners of the Saudi students who come to the United States on scholarships to earn a degree (Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D.) are eligible for full scholarships as well. However, most of them fail to proceed in earning a degree or fulfill the language proficiency requirement needed to join an academic degree program. This study surveys between 10 to 20 adult female partners of Saudi university students to elicit their opinions on how much English they think they will learn during their partner scholarship time in academic and non-academic settings. This study investigates the female partners of the Saudi degree learners and the factors that they believe could influence their level of attainment of the English language or mastering the second language while in Oxford, Mississippi, as they have full scholarships to earn degrees. Keywords: Sociolinguistics, Saudi Females, linguistics/non-linguistics factors, Motivation, EFL learners, Language barriers.27 0