About

I am in my second year of a full-time PhD in Media and Communication at the Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies. In 2013, I obtained my Masters’ degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications from Bournemouth University. I worked as a Marketing Strategist in a communications agency and then as a Lecturer at the University of Business and Technology in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where I taught undergraduate students courses such Conceptual Communications, Strategic Branding, Advertising Management, and Research and Evaluation.

Research interests

My research focuses upon the social construction of female entrepreneurship by exploring the ways in which women are represented in the Saudi Arabian media. I endeavour to unveil the structural elements that impact women’s entrepreneurial identities and practices, and the strategies that they adopt to navigate barriers. As a Saudi female, who has worked in both communication and education industries in Saudi Arabia, I have always aspired to push the boundaries of convention. That is why I have embarked on this research journey at Warwick University, which will inevitably open up the possibilities for many women to empower themselves, realize their potential and significantly contribute in the economy.

The main theoretical framework in this study is Social Constructionism, which will enable a better understanding of how female entrepreneurs are being constructed through media discourses. As supporting theoretical frameworks, I am using Experientialism and Essentialism to highlight women’s entrepreneurial experiences and the implication that these may have upon their social construction. I am using Textual Analysis to investigate how the Saudi media ascribe female entrepreneurship with meaning, and I will conduct interviews and focus groups to investigate how women, through their interpretations of the media discourses and entrepreneurial practices, are co-constructing entrepreneurship as both a concept and practice. This research draws upon a multiplicity of disciplines such as media, gender, cultural, economic and feminist studies. My supervisor is Joanne Garde-Hansen.

Teaching

I have taught on the Centre for Cultural and Media Policy Studies on the Mastering your Masters seminar series, to help Masters students with their Major Projects and facilitate their learning progression.