International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.2, 2018

Kuwaiti diwaniyyah and its relationship to social national identity (Abstract)

Yagoub Yousif Al-Kandari

The major aim of this study is to examine another socio-political function of Kuwaiti diwaniyyah, that is, its role in social national identity. The research examines how Kuwaiti diwaniyyah affects social national identity by investigating the relationship between diwaniyyah as an informal organisationand national identity. There were 1746 Kuwaiti male respondents between the ages of 17 and 77 included in this study. The target population was drawn primarily from diwaniyyah members. A questionnaire was used as the main instrument in this study. It included demographic information and questions related to visiting the diwaniyyah. The national identity (NATID) scale developed by Keillor et al. (1996) has been modified and used in this study. T-test, one-way ANOVA, chi square, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression were the major statistical procedures. Significant differences between mixed faiths and similar origin roots diwaniyyah and non-mixed faiths and different origin roots diwaniyyah were found in the overall national identity. Also a relationship between national identity was found with some variables related to visiting diwaniyyah. The results showed that age and the importance of the diwaniyyah scale are the more predictable variables. The data show that there is a great deal of interaction between the diwaniyyah and social national identity in Kuwaiti society.