Document
Citizenship without belonging? contesting economic space in Oman.
Identifier
DOI: 10.1017/S0020743820001063
Source
International Journal of Middle East Studies. v. 52, 4, p. 759-764
Country
United Kingdom.
City
Cambridge
Publisher
Cambridge University Press.
Gregorian
2020-11-01
Language
English
Subject
Subject (Geographic)
English abstract
How do perceptions of not belonging inform economic life? For many young Omanis, the labor market is a site of contestation and a space of struggle. In this essay, I explore a neglected dimension of belonging in the Gulf—citizen labor—by looking at Omani millennials in the labor market. Despite holding legal citizenship, a sense of belonging remains elusive in much of the private sector. Many Omani young people perceive a tenuous economic citizenship, complicating narratives around belonging or not belonging in the Arabian Peninsula. I draw from lessons learned while researching my current book and exploring social relations and regulation of labor markets, and reflect on how the knowledge and theories produced concerning Gulf labor markets rarely engage with the citizens in them.
ISSN
0020-7438
Category
Journal articles