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Empowerment behind the wheel: a qualitative study of Saudi women as ride-hailing service drivers in gig work
Get PDFBackground: This qualitative study explores the unprecedented emergence of Saudi women
as drivers in ride-hailing services, marking a significant societal shift in a nation long
characterised by conservative gender roles. While the gig economy has been widely examined
in Western contexts, its intersection with gender in regions like Saudi Arabia (SA) remains
underexplored. The rise of gig work, particularly in ride-hailing services, offers a unique lens
through which to examine women's empowerment in non-traditional roles within a rapidly
transforming society. This study addresses the gap in understanding how Saudi women
navigate the gig economy through their experiences in providing ride-hailing services and the
broader implications for gender roles and mobility in the Kingdom.
Aims and Objectives: The research investigates Saudi women's perspectives, attitudes, and
motivations towards gig work within the male-dominated ride-hailing services, aiming to
uncover how these women challenge traditional gender norms and navigate the pathways to
empowerment in the public sphere.
Methods: Employing a single case study approach, which involves an in-depth examination
of the experiences and perspectives of female gig drivers, this research is grounded in Biosocial
Construction Theory, Indigenous Institutional Theory, and sociocultural perspectives to
explore the intersection of gender, culture, and economic participation. Primary data was
collected through comprehensive interviews with 26 individuals, including 22 female drivers
from Saudi Arabia, two government officials, and two representatives from ride-hailing
companies. Document analysis was also utilised to examine policies, regulations, and media
coverage of women's participation in the ride-hailing services.
Findings: The study uncovers intricate narratives of agency, resistance, and negotiation,
illustrating how Saudi women are actively challenging stereotypes, asserting autonomy, and
redefining gender norms. While Western women often work as drivers for financial
independence, Saudi women leverage these roles for self-discovery, networking, and a
culturally appropriate workspace (e.g., women driving women). However, their participation
remains contingent upon familial approval and is constrained by stricter societal and regulatory
restrictions, such as requirements for male guardians' consent, limitations on travel distances,
and rigid working hours, reflecting limited autonomy and flexibility compared to Western
peers. These efforts are tempered by persistent barriers such as social stigma, regulatory
challenges, and safety concerns, highlighting the ongoing struggle for gender equality in the
public sphere.
Contributions: This study addresses a critical gap in the literature on Saudi female drivers
who participate in gig work providing ride-hailing services by:
A) Theoretical Application: It significantly enriches the understanding of gender, culture, and
economic participation in SA, emphasising the pivotal role of policy reforms and societal
support in empowering women in gig work. It contributes to a more nuanced understanding of
women's agency and empowerment within the evolving socio-political landscape of SA and
underscores the importance of targeted interventions to foster inclusivity and address the
systemic barriers faced by Saudi women in public and professional spheres. The application of
Biosocial Construction Theory in this study adds a unique and innovative dimension by
capturing the interplay between inherent gendered behaviours and societal expectations,
offering a framework that can be adapted for future studies in similar contexts.
B) Policy Implications: It demonstrates how governmental support for gig work in SA, in
contrast to many other nations, serves as a cornerstone for facilitating women's inclusion in the
workforce. This finding provides a distinctive contribution to the academic discourse on gig
economies globally, highlighting the potential of tailored government initiatives to drive
gender inclusivity and economic empowerment. It also offers policymakers insights into
developing frameworks that balance cultural norms with progressive labour strategies.
C) Practical Implications: It provides actionable recommendations for policymakers,
businesses, and gig platform operators. For policymakers, it advocates designing targeted
programmes to address the specific needs and challenges faced by Saudi women in gig work,
such as ensuring safety measures, equitable access to resources, and flexible working
conditions. For businesses, it suggests fostering a supportive organisational culture that
prioritises women’s professional growth and autonomy. Ride-hailing platforms are encouraged
to enhance operational policies to include training, mentorship opportunities, and incentives to
retain female drivers while addressing systemic barriers. These practical implications aim to
empower Saudi women economically and socially, contributing to Vision 2030's objectives of
gender equality and workforce diversification
Cultural injustice and refugee discrimination
Get PDFMany believe that it is morally impermissible to select refugees applying for resettlement on the basis of religion but morally permissible to do so on the basis of language. In this paper, I challenge this position. I argue that if we oppose selection by religion, then we should also oppose selection by language. I argue that the kind of religious selection proposed by some is demeaning because of a history of cultural injustice, which I examine through the context of colonialism. I show that this account of the wrongness of religious selection fares better than alternative views. Since language played an important role in this history of cultural injustice, I conclude that language selection is demeaning for the same reason. An upshot of my argument is that some kinds of language selection should be viewed as a form of cultural selection. Language, like religion, can be culturally-laden in ways that makes it impermissible grounds for the selection of refugees applying for resettlement and indeed would-be immigrants more generally
Land use change consistently reduces α‐ but not β‐ and γ‐diversity of bees
Get PDFLand use change threatens global biodiversity and compromises ecosystem functions, including pollination and food production. Reduced taxonomic α‐diversity is often reported under land use change, yet the impacts could be different at larger spatial scales (i.e., γ‐diversity), either due to reduced β‐diversity amplifying diversity loss or increased β‐diversity dampening diversity loss. Additionally, studies often focus on taxonomic diversity, while other important biodiversity components, including phylogenetic diversity, can exhibit differential responses. Here, we evaluated how agricultural and urban land use alters the taxonomic and phylogenetic α‐, β‐, and γ‐diversity of an important pollinator taxon—bees. Using a multicontinental dataset of 3117 bee assemblages from 157 studies, we found that taxonomic α‐diversity was reduced by 16%–18% in both agricultural and urban habitats relative to natural habitats. Phylogenetic α‐diversity was decreased by 11%–12% in agricultural and urban habitats. Compared with natural habitats, taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity increased by 11% and 6% in urban habitats, respectively, but exhibited no systematic change in agricultural habitats. We detected a 22% decline in taxonomic γ‐diversity and a 17% decline in phylogenetic γ‐diversity in agricultural habitats, but γ‐diversity of urban habitats was not significantly different from natural habitats. These findings highlight the threat of agricultural expansions to large‐scale bee diversity due to systematic γ‐diversity decline. In addition, while both urbanization and agriculture lead to consistent declines in α‐diversity, their impacts on β‐ or γ‐diversity vary, highlighting the need to study the effects of land use change at multiple scales
High profile attacks, regimes of criminal governance, and foreign direct investment in Mexico
Get PDFThis paper examines the influence of high-profile attacks (HPAs) on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexican municipalities. HPAs target political officials and signal attempts by organized criminal groups (OCGs) to dominate the local organization of the communities under their influence. Such efforts to establish criminal governance controls can potentially create a stable environment conducive to FDI. Using a dataset on HPAs and analyzing their impact on sectoral FDI at the municipal level between 2007 and 2013 in Mexico, we find that HPAs do not discourage foreign investment. However, this effect depends on whether the establishment of criminal governance occurs amid widespread violence. Under conditions of generalized violence, the stabilizing influence of HPAs has a negative effect on FDI, especially in the commerce and service sectors. Our findings offer new insights into the conditions under which organized crime affects FDI, contributing to an ongoing debate
Staging Beckett in London
Get PDFSamuel Beckett has held a long and varied relationship with London and its theatres. Although Dublin and Paris hold obvious connections with Beckett’s life, London is the city that has proved the most consistent home for his drama, the origin for many of his major collaborations and where his legacy continues to flourish today.
From the Royal Court to the National Theatre and from Riverside Studios to the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London’s major, marginal, subsidised and commercial venues have staged Beckett’s drama since Waiting for Godot’s English language premiere in 1955. London performances saw Beckett collaborate with many significant directors, designers and actors, such as Peter Hall, Jocelyn Herbert and Billie Whitelaw, while high-profile stars, including Fiona Shaw and Ian McKellen, have played their part in the proliferation of his work since his death. This rich performance history comprises world premieres and festivals of Beckett’s nineteen stage plays within a historical timeframe spanning key cultural and global events, from the Lord Chamberlain’s censorship of British theatre to Covid-19 lockdowns and re-openings.
Staging Beckett in London presents the first dedicated performance history of Samuel Beckett’s drama in London theatre cultures. By tracing these performance histories through original findings in international archives, original interviews with key practitioners and framing the performances in their historical and cultural contexts, McFrederick’s history offers new readings and insights into productions of Beckett’s plays in London; a history that re-evaluates Beckett’s role in London theatre histories and the importance of London theatres on Beckett’s career and legacy
(Mis)perception of party congruence and satisfaction with democracy
Get PDFThis study examines how voters’ perceptions of ideological incongruence with political parties affect their satisfaction with democracy. Using panel data from the British Election Study, we first demonstrate that greater misperception of party positions correlates with higher perceived ideological distance from one’s preferred party. We then show that this increased perceived incongruence is associated with lower satisfaction with democracy when controlling for objective measures of incongruence. These findings are consistent across several alternative measures and specifications, and similar results are found in cross-sectional data from Europe. The results suggest that subjective perceptions of representation, poten- tially distorted by misperceptions, play a role in shaping citizens’ attitudes toward the political system. While the limitations of the study warrant caution in interpretation, the study contributes to the literature by highlighting the importance of perceived ideological congruence for understanding the link between representation and satisfaction with democracy
Assessing monetary policy transmission in Saudi Arabia: dynamics of demand components within a small open oil-based economy under a pegged regime
Get PDFThis dissertation contributes to the monetary transmission literature by providing a
comprehensive assessment of how monetary actions, under the pegged regime and
within an oil-based economy, influence key macroeconomic variables in Saudi Arabia.
The dissertation offers both theoretical insights and empirical evidence about how
demand components respond to monetary actions and highlights the transmission
mechanisms through which these effects are transmitted. Cumulatively, it enhances the
understanding of monetary transmission and assesses the effectiveness of the current
framework. The thesis starts with an introduction that establishes the overall setting
for the thesis. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 can each be read as stand-alone papers; thus, each
includes its own introduction, review of the literature, and employs different methodologies and data sets. Chapter one contributes to the exchange rate pass-through
literature by providing a theoretical analysis, based on Campa and Goldberg [2005]
but adapted to comply with the assumptions of the dominant currency paradigm
(DCP) and pegged regime, of how changes in trading partners’ currencies against
the dollar are transmitted to import prices, especially as prior studies indicate higher
pass-through under pegged regimes than floating, (Parsley [2003], Barhoumi [2006],
Akofio-Sowah [2009], Jin [2012]). Chapter two contributes to neoclassical investment
analysis for commodity-based economies by examining the monetary transmission to
investment decisions, taking into account the movements of real commodity prices. This
chapter includes an analysis based on the dynamics of firms’ balance sheets, exploring
not only the interest rate channel but also the broad credit channel, as discussed in
Bernanke and Gertler [1995] and Mishkin [1996]. Chapter three enriches the existing
literature on monetary transmission by analyzing the transmission mechanism into
households’ consumption-saving decisions, particularly in the context of market and
cultural constraints that limit the economic efficiency of financial saving channels. The
chapter specifically examines the short-term response of private consumption to interest
rate changes, with a focus on the role of the banking channel in this transmission
process. To capture the short-term effects of unexpected monetary shocks, business
cycle analysis is applied, providing a detailed understanding of short-term consumption
dynamics. Finally, the conclusion section of the thesis provides final remarks and offers
suggestions for future research directions
Phylogeny, ethnomedicinal use and the distribution of phytoestrogens in the Fabaceae
Get PDFIntroduction: Phytoestrogens, with estrogenic activity, are commonly found across the Fabaceae family. Here we develop methods that use phylogeny and ethnomedicinal information in order to identify candidate species for novel phytoestrogens.
Method: We selected Fabaceae species traditionally used as aphrodisiacs or with applications to control fertility (aphrodisiac-fertility species), to create a cross-cultural dataset of ethnomedicinal use. Using a phylogeny of the Fabaceae, “hot nodes” methods were used to identify lineages with a higher number of species with aphrodisiac-fertility uses. The known distribution of estrogenic flavonoids was used to determine whether the phytoestrogen-containing species was associated with aphrodisiac-fertility “hot nodes”. Additionally, we examined the overlap of aphrodisiac-fertility uses with neurological applications, hypothesising that such species may have bioactive compounds with estrogenic properties. Lastly, the “aphrodisiac-fertility hot node” lineages without previously known estrogenic flavonoids were identified.
Results: We showed species in aphrodisiac-fertility hot nodes were more likely to contain estrogenic flavonoids (21% of species), a major group of phytoestrogens, compared to Fabaceae in the phylogeny (11% of species). Additionally, when aphrodisiac fertility species are limited to those with neurological applications, 62% of the species within hot nodes contain estrogenic flavonoids.
Discussion: We recognised 43 high-priority hot nodes, these lineages might represent promising targets for future studies on phytoestrogens. The results demonstrated the combining phylogenetic and ethnomedicinal data to guide the discovery of estrogenic flavonoids with therapeutic potential
Utilising cultural heritage to improve water security and agro-pastoral farming in the Peruvian Andes
Get PDFThe impact of gaze‐contingent textual enhancement on L2 collocation learning from computer‐mediated reading tasks
Get PDFThis study examined if gaze‐contingent textual enhancement could be used as an interactive focus‐on‐form device to promote learning of second language (L2) collocations from computer‐mediated reading tasks. Seventy‐five Chinese ESL users read three English texts that contained twelve target collocations, presented under one of three conditions: no highlighting, proactive highlighting (target collocations highlighted in advance), and gaze‐contingent highlighting (target collocations highlighted when looked at). Participants' eye movements were captured during the reading task, and collocation form recall and recognition tests were administered immediately after and 2 weeks later. Additionally, five participants from each group took part in a stimulated recall session, eliciting their thoughts while reading. The results indicated that both highlighting techniques increased total fixation duration and count on the target collocations and improved collocation form recall and recognition scores in the posttests. Gaze‐contingent highlighting demonstrated a more durable impact on the collocation recall test compared to proactive highlighting. The stimulated recall comments also revealed that gaze‐contingent highlighting tended to promote attentive processing of the target collocations. These findings suggest that highlighting is a useful focus‐on‐form technique in task‐based reading contexts, with gaze‐contingent highlighting yielding potential benefits in terms of L2 collocation learning