Young and Male: Identity and Politics in Saudi Arabia

March 11, 2020 Sultan Althari, Mark C. Thompson, Kristin Smith Diwan (Moderator) AGSIW hosted Mark Thompson, professor and author of Being Young, Male and Saudi: Identity and Politics in a Globalized Kingdom, for a discussion of his work on the generational shift in attitudes of Saudi men. Thompson drew upon his research, including focus group discussions conducted across Saudi Arabia, to raise important questions regarding the impact of increased globalization and its consequences for Saudi society and politics. Although the treatment of Saudi women draws global media attention, the views of young Saudi men are rarely heard and poorly understood. What are their opinions and attitudes toward the societal and economic transformations affecting their lives? And how will their ideas and beliefs about identity, education, employment, marriage prospects, and gender segregation, as well as political participation and exclusion, affect the future path of Saudi Arabia?