Gulf Education and Social Policy Review

Call for Papers - Family and Social Dynamics

Family, Education, and Social Dynamics in the UAE and the Gulf

The UAE and other Gulf countries are witnessing dramatic changes in the realm of the family, and some have important interconnections with the changing educational and occupational landscape. Nonetheless, major shifts in attitudes towards marriage, family, childbearing, childrearing, and caring responsibilities often coexist with traditional beliefs and customs that exhibit more resistance to change, creating multiple constellations of challenges and opportunities.

GESPR invites submissions on a range of topics investigating issues relevant to families, life-course dynamics, and investments in the education of both adults and children in the UAE and the Gulf. Papers on the intersections between changes in family domains and educational inequalities will be particularly welcome. The focus will be primarily on the UAE, but papers on the Gulf or the broader MENA region will also be accepted. We will welcome empirical articles using quantitative, qualitative or mixed-method approaches. Topics can include, but are not limited to:

• Fertility desires and declines in fertility
• Nuclearization of households
• Cohort and generational changes and perspectives
• Delays in marriage age
• Family-work responsibilities
• Family-work conflicts
• Family policies
• Education policies
• Challenges in higher education
• Changes in social norms
• Changes in the occupational landscape
• Social cohesion

Authors who plan to submit a manuscript for the special issue are asked to submit a letter of intent by 28 February 2025, including tentative title and 5-6 keywords; names and affiliations of anticipated authors (indicating the corresponding author); brief description (500 words or less) of the study including an explanation of the perceived fit between the submission and the topic of the special issue; and brief description of the status of the project to ensure fit with the special issue timeline (in 2 sentences).

Following the review of received letters of intent, selected authors will be contacted by the Guest Editor by March 21, 2025, and invited to submit a full manuscript (in Arabic or English between 6000 to 8000 words in length) by April 25, 2025, that will be subjected to peer review. All submissions must contain original unpublished work not being considered for publication elsewhere. All papers will have to conform to the guidelines of Gulf Education and Social Policy Review – please find them here.

Should you have further questions, you may contact the Guest Editor of this special issue, Dr. Luca Maria Pesando (lucamaria.pesando@nyu.edu).

The letter of intent needs to be submitted by email to the Guest Editor and Dr Natasha Mansur (natasha.m@alqasimifoundation.rak.ae) by February 28, 2025.