Nationalism and Identity in Qatar after 2017: The Narrative of the New National Museum

Jocelyn Sage Mitchell*, Mariam Ibrahim Al-Hammadi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

How are nationalism and national identity shifting in Qatar as a result of the regional crisis? This study explores whether this moment of geopolitical fluidity allows for changes in sociocultural behavior and norms among Qatari citizens. Specifically, this research uses the case study of the newly opened National Museum of Qatar to examine a state-crafted narrative of national identity and society’s response to this narrative. Our original fieldwork highlights the museum’s combination of desert and sea lifestyles to create a “unity” narrative of Qatari national identity, and explores the mixed reactions of citizens who feel varying levels of representation and inclusion in this narrative. This study concludes with a critical analysis of the malleability of national identity during times of political upheaval.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)256-277
Number of pages22
JournalJournal of Arabian Studies
Volume10
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020

Funding

Authors’ note: Support for this research was provided by a grant (NPRP 8-389-5-051) from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation) and funds for research assistance from Northwestern University in Qatar. The authors thank these institutions for their support and note that all statements made herein are solely the authors’ responsibility. Special thanks to our research assistants, Lulwa Al-Khori, Iffah Kitchlew, Mahboobah Majeedzadeh, Roja Pande, and Moom Thahinah, for their ethnographic interviews. The authors also thank the organizers and participants of the workshop, “The GCC Crisis: Qatar and its Neighbors,” Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University in Qatar, December 2019, as well as the anonymous reviewers for their feedback and guidance. Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.

Keywords

  • National Museum of Qatar
  • Qatar
  • blockade of Qatar
  • identity
  • nationalism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cultural Studies
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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