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

Jocelyn Sage Mitchell; Mariam Ibrahim Al-Hammadi

doi:10.1080/21534764.2020.1854273

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

NUQ Liberal Arts Program

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-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 language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	256-277
Number of pages	22
Journal	Journal of Arabian Studies
Volume	10
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/21534764.2020.1854273
State	Published - 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)

Access to Document

10.1080/21534764.2020.1854273

Cite this

@article{cc466abf4bed487daa74334cfb064ad1,

title = "Nationalism and Identity in Qatar after 2017: The Narrative of the New National Museum",

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{\textquoteright}s response to this narrative. Our original fieldwork highlights the museum{\textquoteright}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.",

keywords = "National Museum of Qatar, Qatar, blockade of Qatar, identity, nationalism",

author = "Mitchell, {Jocelyn Sage} and Al-Hammadi, {Mariam Ibrahim}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.",

year = "2020",

doi = "10.1080/21534764.2020.1854273",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "10",

pages = "256--277",

journal = "Journal of Arabian Studies",

issn = "2153-4780",

publisher = "Taylor and Francis Ltd.",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Nationalism and Identity in Qatar after 2017

T2 - The Narrative of the New National Museum

AU - Mitchell, Jocelyn Sage

AU - Al-Hammadi, Mariam Ibrahim

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - National Museum of Qatar

KW - Qatar

KW - blockade of Qatar

KW - identity

KW - nationalism

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85104006860&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85104006860&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/21534764.2020.1854273

DO - 10.1080/21534764.2020.1854273

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85104006860

SN - 2153-4780

VL - 10

SP - 256

EP - 277

JO - Journal of Arabian Studies

JF - Journal of Arabian Studies

IS - 2

ER -

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

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this