| Although the number of immigrants coming to Canada from Arab Muslim nations is increasing, the research literature focusing on Arab Muslim women living in Canada and their gender perceptions seems limited. Studies focusing exclusively on the connection between Arab Muslim women's educational pursuits and their gender perceptions, and how their gender perceptions may have changed as a result of living in two different cultures, are rarely conducted. Additionally, the factors that may influence an Arab Muslim woman's educational pursuits are seldom investigated.;Thus, the present study is an exploratory one that examines how Arab Muslim women who are students in Canada perceive the impact of their experiences in Canadian educational institutions. More specifically, I consider their perceptions in relation to their role as women. My research is guided by the following questions: What are the gender perceptions and roles of Muslim women who are currently living and studying in Canada? How and to what extent have these perceptions changed as a result of living in this new culture?;This thesis explores the gender perceptions of nine Arab Muslim Canadian women through their narratives, examining possible common themes, similarities, and differences in gender perceptions of educated Arab Muslim women from diverse Middle Eastern societies. This research contributes to ongoing discussions and literature around Arab Muslim women, their education, gender roles, and perceptions. It also examines the controversial debate about women and gender in Islam by looking beyond Western writing and outsiders' assumptions about Islamic teaching to women. In many ways, it also reveals how some Arab Muslim women are taking part, each in their own way, in the gender discourses around their rights and roles as Muslim women.;By hearing Arab Muslim women's own voices and perspectives, educators can learn more about Arab Muslim women's lives. While care must be taken not to generalize from this study to all Arabs, all Muslims, or all Arab Muslims, the stories some of these women shared about their schooling experiences in Canada may be applicable in other contexts, such as planning strategies to assist immigrant students. Keywords: Gender and Education, Muslim Women, Arab Women, Women, Arab Muslim Immigrants in North America, Immigrants in Canada, Muslim women in Canada. |
