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The Middle East is a culturally and historically rich region. Its' most pervasive characteristics are tied to the nomadic tribal tradition from which it emerged. A statistical analysis of development patterns highlights that nomadic ties are the most significant variable in determining the democratic tendency of states. In this case nomadism is statistically linked with authoritarianism. An examination of Middle Eastern nomadic practices shows that there are numerous cultural norms derived from nomadism that continue to permeate the political landscape of the Modern Middle East. The state of Saudi Arabia has been, and continues to be, the subject of continued academic misinterpretation as one model after another fails to understand the state. A simple reality is that the political culture of Saudi Arabia is crafted from its nomadic precursors, and the state is predisposed towards, from what has been labeled to be authoritarianism. / by Ryan R. Craig. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 200?. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the relationship of formal elementary education to the social, cultural, economic and physical environment of the Bedouin in Hail Province, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has modernized rapidly, but the Bedouin have remained isolated from the urban changes. A total of 240 Bedouin elders were interviewed in group meetings in the Bedouin camps. Eight teachers who taught hygiene, history, geography, mathematics, and reading and forty students selected by the use of random tables were interviewed at Al Zahra elementary school in Mawqiq village which was near the Bedouin camps. The researcher designed a set of questions to find cultural characteristics of the tribe as well as attitudes toward education and the value of formal education to the Bedouin either in their nomadic existence or in the village. A cultural ecology approach was used in analyzing the data. Much of the information obtained through fieldwork was not available from other sources at this time. The researcher observed the social environment, analyzed school textbooks, and reviewed current literature on the subject of Bedouin education. The Bedouin environment was found to be a harsh desert setting, but the Bedouin had a long and proud history. Neither local geography nor history of the Bedouin was included in the school curriculum. Textbooks did not include Bedouin culture, and teachers did not encourage discussion or applications of learning to the Bedouin students. It was discovered that the Bedouin had not changed as much as the rest of the country, and were in need of special educational programs in order to enable them to fit into the modern world of Saudi Arabia whether they stayed in the desert or went to find jobs in the city. Using a cultural ecological perspective, it was found that the school was not integrated into other features of Bedouin society. The information developed by this study can be used by other researchers to enable them to plan programs especially for the Bedouin children in school, to write new textbooks, to train teachers to work with Bedouin students, and, in general, to understand and appreciate the Bedouin culture as it exists today and has existed for many centuries.

The present investigation examines the roles of women in the rapidly changing society of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and attempts to quantify and optimize their role as active contributors to the development of the country. The study starts out with a review of earlier work on women's roles in the Kingdom and then throws a more recent light on the subject by analyzing the current writings and comments in the popular press. Those findings are supplemented by direct interviews with samples from various segments of the Saudi population; answers are compared with similar inquiries by earlier researchers as well as with opinions expressed in the media. Since these results are primarily of a subjective nature the study then proceeds to quantify the role Saudi women play as educated and productive contributors to the development of the Kingdom. From published data a numerical framework is described, which is followed by a modelling effort, using the goal programming algorithm, aimed at optimizing the use of the female labor force in Saudi Arabia. Under present policies and as a result of social and traditional attitudes many of the labor market positions are now available for occupancy by Saudi women but they are filled by female or male imported labor. The impacts of selected changes in current manpower policies are analyzed.

Before the discovery of oil Saudi Arabia's economic structure was limited, and the majority of the population was engaged in herding and agriculture. Social life was also very simple. The Saudi economy has made tremendous strides since commercial oil production began in 1938. A series of national development plans was formulated, and the government has devoted considerable attention to the improvement of education, the Bedouin lifestyle, and many other aspects of society. Chapter I of this thesis presents background information about Saudi Arabia, and Chapter II outlines the development of its oil resources. Chapters III, IV, and V describe Saudi Arabia's family life, its educational system, and its nomads. Chapter VI offers a summary and suggestions for enhancing future development in the kingdom.