I read the article, “First Saudi women receive their driver’s licenses”, this article highlights the new implementation that will finally allow women to drive. The article explains that Saudi Arabia has surprisingly change the stigma of allowing women drive for the first time in history. According to the article, its estimated a 90 billion boost towards the economy by 2030. This new implementation in Saudi Arabia ended its status as the last country on earth to prohibit women from driving. The article states that this change will give women equal opportunity seeking employment, increasing the magnitude of the labor force and obtain decent incomes.
The article also argue that this process will be at a very low pace but will increase the women participation on the labor market soon and will be noticeable soon. According to the article another positive aspect that will be bring to into the economy will be the increase in gas demand. However, ultraconservatives still view the act of women driving as immoral and forewarned women would be facing risks and will be expose to sexual harassment if they drove. This is a very important step in history given to women to received finally equal rights and equal opportunities.
Symbolic Interactionism
The article explains how in a monotheistic society were laws are based on religion and cultural believes, its considered deviant for women to drive. They view it as a temptation against man. It also violates a cultural norm of being within a few feet away of a male member of the family. Allowing women to drive is still a sin or a violation of their religion and culturally deviant. Women fighting for this basic right had faced severe stigmatization and were deemed traitors and foreign embassy agents. Barring women from driving was a way man used to control women’s life, it was a symbol of oppression. Women will earn value and a respected place in society by seen them driving. Now man will start to respecting women’s freedom.
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Functionalism
The article argues that this change in history will increase women number in the labor market and the gas demand in Sarabi Saudi will improve the country’s overall economy. Women will have the same opportunities as males and will not need to pay expensive male drivers. Women will no longer need to rely on taxies services or Uber services. Allowing women driving will bring a big boost of money to the country’s economy and will erase the international negative perspective against their culture all over the world. It will allow women to have equal rights and equal opportunities to better succeed and contribute to society.
Conflict Theory
In the other hand, the article highlights that some male part of the patriarchal society is very angry with this new implementation and this situation would create potential ‘social religious issues’. Since allowing women to drive is viewed as a threat towards the man’s power. Unfortunately, the patriarchy of their religion is pushing back against what they view as a threat to their religious culture and disagree with this implementation. Ultraconservatives still see women driving as an “immoral” act and have threaten women with sexual harassment, if they caught women driving as acceptable punishment due the temptation women represent. Regardless of this implementation, women will still be sinners and inferior individuals by some religious leaders.
Discussion Questions
- Will driving place women at risk of predators that view women driving as an immoral act?
- How will Dubai solve some future unforeseen outcomes in the labor market now that women can drive?
- Is Dubai ready for this drastic cultural change? Why or why not?
References
- First Saudi women receive their driver’s licenses. (2018, June 6). (T. A. Press, Producer) Retrieved July 1, 2018, from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/06/04/saudi-arabia-women-begin-getting-drivers-licenses/670768002/
