Research Degree Title
A material assessment of the changing abayas of Qatar 1900 to 2008
Dr C Harper
Employing a material culture approach to the analysis of the abaya, the garment worn by most Muslim women in Qatar, the aim of this research is to assess the design, construction, retailing, consumption and cultural meaning of abayas in Qatar since the early 20th century. This garment has been selected as a focus for research because it is universal to Qatar and its design and use reflects in complex and sophisticated ways the changing roles of women in Qatar, their religious observance, and their place in Qatari society in the past and present. It also signifies current tensions caused by increasing influences from the non-Arab, non-Muslim world.
Lindholm's broader research interests concern dress and textile traditions that are changing and in some cases, disappearing.
