INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCIES IN QATARI SOCIAL SETTINGS: THE EXPLORATION OF HALF QATARI WOMEN’S NARRATIVES

Abstract

ABSTRACT Hybrid identities bring up essential questions regarding intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in Qatar’s social contexts as the country continues to undergo rapid demographic changes. In order to better understand how half-Qatari women develop and exhibit ICC while interacting with Qatari society, this study looks at their lived experiences navigating the intersections of their dual heritages. Although Qatar encourages a shared national identity anchored in collectivist values, the lived experiences of half-Qatari women reveal a conflicting undercurrent in which hybrid identities are both desperately needed for cultural development yet subtly excluded in daily social interactions. How do half-Qatari women negotiate intercultural communicative competencies in Qatari social settings, and what strategies do they use to navigate cultural hybridity and social acceptance challenges? The voices of the participants of this study challenge the dominant narratives of national cohesion by revealing the silent negotiations and identity management required for conditional inclusion. This study examines how eleven half-Qatari women develop and employ adaptive communication strategies across shifting cultural contexts by drawing on Min-Sun Kim’s (1992) interactive constraints framework as a theoretical foundation for analyzing intercultural communication strategies. The results show that dialect preference and language ability are essential indicators of inclusion or exclusion influencing participants’ perceptions of acceptance in Qatari society. These findings expand our understanding of intercultural communication in Qatar by highlighting the perspectives expressed by individuals who occupy liminal cultural spaces. The study encourages further research into the gendered aspects of intercultural competence in collectivist societies and emphasizes the significance of inclusive narratives in forming national identity discourses.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Humanities and Social Science