“Against Marrying a Stranger:” Marital Matchmaking Technologies in Saudi Arabia

Loading...

View/Download File

AlDawood_umn_0130M_17675.pdf (661.65 KB)

Persistent link to this item

https://hdl.handle.net/11299/183309

Statistics

View Statistics

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Title

“Against Marrying a Stranger:” Marital Matchmaking Technologies in Saudi Arabia

Authors

Al-Dawood, Adel

Published Date

2016-10

Publisher

Type

Thesis or Dissertation

Abstract

Websites and applications that match and connect individuals for romantic purposes are commonly used in the Western world. However, there have been few previous investigations focusing on cultural factors that affect the adoption of similar technologies in religiously conservative non-Western cultures. In this study, we examine the socio-technical and cultural factors that influence the perceptions and use of matchmaking technologies in Saudi Arabia. We report the methods and findings of interviews with 18 Saudi nationals (9 males and 9 females) with diverse demographics and backgrounds. We provide qualitatively generated insights into the major themes reported by our participants related to the common approaches to matchmaking, the current role of technology, and concerns regarding matchmaking technologies in this cultural context. We relate these themes to specific implications for designing marital matchmaking technologies in Saudi Arabia and we outline opportunities for future investigations.

Keywords

Conservative Cultures

Culture in Computing

Islam

Matchmaking

Saudi Arabia

Social Computing

Description

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. October 2016. Major: Computer Science. Advisor: Svetlana Yarosh. 1 computer file (PDF); vi, 27 pages.

Related to

Replaces

License

Collections

Master's Theses (Plan A and Professional Engineering Design Projects)

Series/Report Number

Funding information

Isbn identifier

Doi identifier

Previously Published Citation

Suggested citation

Al-Dawood, Adel. (2016). “Against Marrying a Stranger:” Marital Matchmaking Technologies in Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/183309.

Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.