Cherished amidst change: Ramadan has evolved and adapted, find ZU students

Zayed University (ZU) students from the College of Businesss - Alyaa AlZubaidi, Meitha Almehairbi and Amna Alhammadi (all researchers) are working on a market research project on Ramadan.

- Muhammad Yusuf

They have conducted focus group discussions with senior citizens to research how different Ramadan is today compared to the times when they were at the age of today's students, meaning 40-50 years ago. The researchers conducted focus group discussions with 18 Emirati women (aged 65+), with the support and help of Family Development Foundation in Abu Dhabi. The preliminary findings of the research were very compelling, and promising for publishing in an academic journal. The study revealed many interesting facts, including the impact of Modernisation; the effect of Consumerism, when spending more was considered trendy; and that the Year of Community was launched at the right time. Sustainability is not just about preserving the environment, but is also about preserving cultures and traditions, the researchers underline. Alyaa AlZubaidi is Senior, BSc Marketing and Entrepreneurship; Meitha Almehairbi, is Senior, BSc Marketing and Entrepreneurship; and Amna Alhammadi is Senior, BSc Marketing and Entrepreneurship. They were supervised by Dr. Nataša Slak, Associate Professor, Zayed University. The researchers speak to Gulf Today.

Can you name some Ramadan traditions from the past you wish would make a comeback today?

Our research showed us that many people, seniors and children, want to see traditional practices come back, with a desire for more community-oriented practices and communal eating outdoors. Some respondents particularly recalled the suhoor waker (al-musaharat), the man who called to wake up people for the suhoor meal. Communal eating outdoors was also a tradition close to their hearts, because it allowed passersby to join a large table, with no one being left to eat alone. - Meitha Almehairbi.