Abstract:
This study discusses the way in which Saudi academic women perceive their role as academic
researchers at Princess Nora Bint Abdul Rahman University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. My aim
is to illustrate and explain the role of women academics who live in a conservative religious
culture in Saudi Arabia, and how they fulfil their research obligations. Moreover, I aim to
clarify and understand the challenges they face throughout their academic journeys. I have
used the method of narrative inquiry in order to understand the perceptions of and career
complexities faced by the participants in this study. This thesis discusses the improvement of
education in Saudi Arabia and how women in the country have gained rights in terms of
education. This study is built on discovering the effects of the conservative religious identity
of a Saudi academic woman and how she copes with the various challenges that she faces
throughout her academic journey to become a researcher. The four academic researchers
involved in this study incorporate their identities and beliefs into their daily tasks. Three
themes emerged from the findings and the interpretation of the data, which served as a guide
to answering the research questions. These three themes are:
Family and cultural role: a fine line between support and control
Challenges through the academic journey
The Saudi identity
I conclude the study by discussing the major finding that these Saudi academic women’s
conservative religious identities have shaped them not only as women of faith, but also as
academic researchers.
