Constructing Identity against a Backdrop of Cultural Change: Experiences of Freedom and Constraint in Public Dress among Saudi Women

Abstract

In Saudi Arabia, women have been required by law to wear the veil in public for decades. However, in 2018, Saudi women gained the legal right to choose their own public dress. We explored how Saudi women have experienced the newly sanctioned freedoms in public dress. We drew from theory exploring freedom in dress, agency and constraint in dress, and the “doing” of religion. We conducted interviews with 15 Saudi women; data were analyzed using constant comparison. Analyzes revealed three key themes: (a) freedom in dress and empowering women, (b) constraints in freedom of public dress, and (c) concerns and ambivalence prompted by new freedoms in public dress. As participants constructed a viable self, they sought to find a “middle ground,” navigating competing desires for individuality and authenticity as well as a respect for cultural norms of modesty and decency and a reverence for Saudi culture and the Islamic religion.