This study examined the role of the Saudi Arabian National Guard as an instrument of modernization. The focus of the study was the ability of the National Guard to instill in its members the Arab traditional values--male status, family ties, respect for the elderly, and predisposition toward traditional values--while strengthening the development-related values--rationality of consumption, occupational aspiration, respect for time, raising the status of women, independent decision making, and motivation. / Data were collected with questionnaires and interviews. The random sample was 803 National Guard personnel. / The results of bivariate analysis indicated that, with the exception of the male status variable, the Saudi Arabian National Guard has played a significant role in influencing the attitudes and behavior of its personnel in the desired direction with both traditional and development-related values. / A multivariate analysis was used to assess the individual and collective impact of experience in the National Guard along with eight other variables found to contribute strongly to shaping the ten examined values. These included level of education, age, local and foreign training, knowledge of foreign language, reading a weekly magazine, marital status, and place of birth. The regression analysis indicated that experience in the National Guard was the major contributor in shaping almost all the studied values. The exceptions were the male status variable, to which experience in the National Guard did not contribute, and raising the status of women, in which education was a stronger contributor than experience in the National Guard. / The study concluded with an evaluation of the concept of modernization and the feasibility of its application in Third World countries, suggesting that it should be viewed as a national goal, and offering suggestions for future research in this area. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-03, Section: A, page: 0635. / Major Professor: Monte Palmer. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76243 |
| Contributors | Dahy, Talal M., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 506 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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