Gulf influencer couples on Instagram. How do they represent their marital relationship and how this representation is perceived by Saudi females?

Abstract

Marriage and the marital relationship have received special attention in the Islamic religion and Gulf societies. The Qur’an described the marital relationship as one based primarily on affection and sympathy between the spouses. Furthermore, the Islamic law outlines clear responsibilities as well as rights for each of the partners to ensure their wellbeing and integrity, which would enable them to create a happy family. Given the importance of this relationship in building a healthy society, many scholars have addressed it in research and studies. Media studies suggest that the romantic and marital content presented in the media contributes to forming the audience's perception of marriage and the marital relationship. As a result of the increasing phenomenon of social media influencer couples in the Gulf region who share their idealistic married life in public, the concept of marriage and marital relationship faces several challenges. This research project investigates the common self-representation behaviours of the marital relationships of three Arabian Gulf Instagram influencers and how their representations are received by six Saudi females.