Doha International Family Institute Journal - Volume 2023, Issue 1

Oman’s economy has grown tremendously in recent decades. Social development and educational progress have both paved the way for greater participation of women in the labor force, leading to challenges in the work-life balance. Working women are torn between responsibilities in the home and workplace, creating a demand for new social development, employment law and work policies, and a redefinition of family dynamics. The research project outlined in this paper has sought to highlight each of these issues. Its findings are based on a qualitative study conducted in 2017 on a sample of working Omanis, addressing the principal challenges that Omani women face related to achieving their aspirations in regard to work and family life. Based on the data, the study concludes that greater flexibility in working arrangements for Omani women would ease the stress and exhaustion that inhibit them from attaining an effective work-life balance within the arena of these activities.

Myths and misconceptions about the causes of domestic violence against women constitute major obstacles to combating it. Understanding what causes a social problem is the first step toward introducing policy measures and developing a prevention and response mechanism to address and mitigate its occurrence and impact. This article is based on a study conducted by the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) on “Domestic Violence against Women in Qatar”, which adopted the methodology of an analytical desk review of secondary sources on domestic violence in Qatar, from 2020 to 2021. The article investigates the causes of “domestic violence”, as explained by the current theories that constitute the knowledge base for this subject. Due to the importance of this matter for policy-making, the main objective of such exploration has been to uncover myths and refute the common misconceptions and information that tried to explain the root causes of domestic violence. The study showed that all of these theories are tainted by defects and flaws; to address their shortcomings, the “Power and Control Wheel Theory” was presented, which clarified that the act of violence and harm is an “intended act”. Within this context, this article argues that root causes of violence are not attributed to mental illness, drug or alcohol abuse, or poverty; neither are they ascribed to "loss of control" or “anger management” issues. Violence is seen as an integral part of a systematic pattern of deliberate behavior aimed at initiating and maintaining “power and control” over the victim. Further to that, the article shows how myths and misconceptions impact policy-making, suggesting that prevention and intervention efforts on this subject should be guided by notions that emphasize the “intentionality” of domestic violence in order to increase women’s safety and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

Families remain the most essential unit in every community. Previous studies have found similarities among research with families globally that identify the characteristics of strong families. This article aims to characterize the strengths and challenges of families in three Arab countries (Qatar, Jordan, and Tunisia). The research will also help to identify implications for policy in the Arab region. Data were collected using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. The use of a thematic approach helped in the analysis of the data across the three countries. The themes that emerged as strengths included respect, love, responsibility, support, good communication, conveying traditions, and resilience. Family challenges included financial concerns, negative outside influences, change in traditions and values, absent/disengaged fathers, and poor communication and conflict. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.

This paper provides an analysis of three focus group discussions (FGDs) held in Morocco, Jordan, and Oman, with a specific focus on the importance of fathers' involvement in the programs. Data is based on the 2021 Doha International Family Institute study entitled “Parenting Programs in the Arab Region” conducted by the Ibn Khaldun Center for Research and Studies, Jordan. It begins with the information currently accessible based on assessing pertinent literature on parenting education programs. Members participated in the FGDs to explore their experiences with parenting programs and how those programs affected their parenting knowledge and skills. All three focus group sessions were only attended by women, reinforcing the perception of traditional gender roles and obligations. The paper concludes with recommendations toward the promotion of fathers’ involvement in programs, such as enacting paternity and parental laws, involving religious clerics that can advocate for the importance of father involvement during Friday prayers.

Pediatric psychosocial care approaches are used to advocate for family and child strength and durability in health scenarios and to improve the overall well-being of children impacted by severe medical situations. This article focuses on family-focused care in pediatric psychosocial services in Qatar. Using secondary sources, this desk review advocates for a family-centered care approach to support hospitalized children, their families, and the healthcare provision team in pediatric psychosocial care. It argues that if improvements are made to four main areas including education and training, healthcare environment, financial support and advocacy, and future research and audits, Qatar’s pediatric psychosocial care program would more effectively cater to evidence-based child and family-friendly approaches. This article concludes by providing policy recommendations for Qatar’s pediatric psychosocial care provision.

This article has been retracted due to disputed authorship. A retraction notice to this article was published on 12 March 2024. Please refer to the retraction notice DOI: https://doi.org/10.5339/difi.2024.retraction.11

Qatar is witnessing demographic changes, which are leading to an increase in the number of elderly people. This will put more burden on the families and increase their responsibility to take care of the old people. The aim of the research is to investigate the consequences of caring for elderly people and explore the stresses and joys of caregiving. The results of this article are derived from a qualitative descriptive study conducted in 2016. This article shows that the main source of stress for the caregivers is the absence of formal supportive policies that would help them in the caregiving process. Addressing this omission would help to alleviate some of the issues related to caregiving. The results show that stresses have caused burdens, including feeling of guilt, sadness, frustration, isolation, and loneliness. Coping strategies and the positives of caregiving included withdrawal, surrender, engaging in activity, and meditation. Despite the stresses and burdens of caregiving, caregivers found joy and positive impact from taking care of their elderly family members, but a gap in formal support needs to be filled.