Islamic Knowledge or Saudi Knowledge? Female Religious Students and the Problem of Cultural Norms in a Changing Arabian Society

In a society transitioning from a social order largely defined by strict adherence to religious doctrine to one opening up to the forces of a global economy, knowledge of the sources of norms of "proper conduct" (religious rules, cultural traditions or both) is particularly important in de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Religious education 2020-10, Vol.115 (5), p.522-535
Main Authors: Mulhem, Huda, Pilotti, Maura A. E., El Alaoui, Khadija, Al Kuhayli, Halah Abdulaziz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arabs
Behavior Standards
College Students
Females
Foreign Countries
History
Individual Differences
Islam
Islamic Culture
Knowledge
Knowledge Level
Muslims
Norms
Religion
Religious Education
Religious Factors
Self Efficacy
Sex Role
Sex roles
Social Change
Society
Student Attitudes
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Summary:In a society transitioning from a social order largely defined by strict adherence to religious doctrine to one opening up to the forces of a global economy, knowledge of the sources of norms of "proper conduct" (religious rules, cultural traditions or both) is particularly important in determining conformity to or dismissal of such norms. This study surveys young females' knowledge of the sources of norms that pertain to gender roles in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) under the assumption that formal education plays a key role in knowledge transmission. It asks whether college students enrolled in Islamic Studies can identify the religious or cultural sources of statements that refer to such norms. In this study, accuracy did not differ between sources. However, confidence was higher for cultural sources. As the curriculum moved from a focus on society matters to one that covered a broader array of topics, including communication theory and Middle East history, sources became more difficult to identify. Individual differences in self-efficacy did not predict participants' source knowledge, but confidence in their answers.
ISSN:0034-4087
1547-3201
DOI:10.1080/00344087.2019.1677987