Students enrolled in the Capstone course this summer, GLOA 400/599: Global Middle East share their culminating research projects from the course.
Danayt Aman
The Impact of Recent Migration Reforms in Saudi Arabia
Danayt Aman is a senior Global Affairs student with a concentration in Global Economy. For her GLOA 400 class, Global Middle East, she worked on a project titled, “The Impact of Recent Migration Reforms in Saudi Arabia.” Danayt is from Eritrea and her interest in the research lies in the fact that the recent reforms affected numerous Eritreans and others from neighboring country Ethiopia who have been expelled after residing in KSA for majority of their lives.
Abstract
Danayt’s research on recent migration reforms in Saudi Arabia is qualitative in nature and was conducted by using secondary data sources, academic journals, NGO reports and media sources. She found that patrimonial capitalism was at the center of the labor migration system in Saudi, and the recent ambiguous structure of the reforms primarily benefit large company employers. Her research also shows the orientalist narrative that alienates the Kafala system from the global economy in media and presents it as a cultural or religious issue rather than a political and economic one. Danayt’s future research plans include the intersection of government and financial institutions in promoting a rentier economy.
https://coursemedia.gmu.edu/media/The+Impact+of+Recent+Migration+Reforms+in+Saudi+Arabia/1_y2vr1l3n
Amina Omar Kassem
Egyptian Educational System and British Colonial Legacy
Amina Omar is a master’s student in the Middle East and Islamic Studies program. She is keen on studying the Middle East, given her background as being raised in Egypt. Her interests include the modern history and politics of the region.
Abstract
In this project, Amina focuses on the colonial legacy of the British occupation of Egypt in the field of education and its lasting impact on the system till recent days. She reviewed some primary sources written by Egyptian figures who were present at that time, such as Mostafa Kamel Pasha and Mohamed Abdou, in addition to viewing Lord Cromer’s writings, as well as scholarly articles, journal articles, and book chapters that tackled related topics by both Egyptian and foreign intellectuals. Also, the media component was present as media articles from Al-Jazeera, the Hindawi institution, and some Egyptian newspapers. This research provided rich insights into the various methods and fields that foreign influence left on the contemporary Egyptian educational system and how numerous Egyptian intellectuals worked on benefiting from this issue to raise their conscience about the Egyptian situation. The findings inspire future policies and system designs that aim at developing Egyptian education.
Alec Halliday
Islamophobia in the United States
Alec Halliday is a senior Global Affairs student with a concentration in Human Security. He has been passionate about pursuing a career in Human Security, so he decided to major in Global Affairs. For his GLOA 400 Capstone class, Global Middle East, he worked on a project titled “Islamophobia in the United States.” Alec reviewed diverse academic and media sources ranging from stories that focus on first-hand experiences on Muslims living in the U.S. to scholarly debates on Islam and racism in the U.S. He also reviewed many documentaries that recorded the major historical cases of Islamophobia and everyday discourses and practices related to Islamophobia. His research is important to understand the history of Islamophobia in the U.S. and its manifold impacts of the daily lives of Muslim people including restrictions of their freedom in the country.
Abstract
Islamophobia continues to be a pertinent problem in the United States. This study was conducted to find the historical causes of Islamophobia in the United States and the large factors in play. The data used for the study were from various media sources and documentaries that range from first-hand accounts of Muslims in America and outside academic sources reporting on the issue. The major findings of the study were that Islamophobia is greatly rooted in fear and is largely a result of outside factors from media and political actors. The study would show that Islamophobia is deeply integrated into American society and has become normalized and requires much reforming and overview to prevent it in the future.
https://coursemedia.gmu.edu/media/2023-06-24+17-49-52/1_t8nfa5af
July 18, 2023