Obstacles to Personal Creativity Among Arab Women from the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Abstract

Personal obstacles to creativity were investigated by sampling 297 Arab women from four Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Obstacles to Personal Creativity Inventory, as self-report, was used. It assesses four types of obstacles (a) inhibition/shyness, (b) lack of time/opportunity, (c) social repression, and (d) lack of motivation. The results showed that the highest mean was reported for the lack of time/opportunities factor, followed in order by the three other factors: lack of motivation, inhibition/shyness, and social repression. (A high mean is indicative of more obstacles.) A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that reported obstacles to creativity significantly differed by field of study. Women in the arts reported experiencing fewer obstacles related to social repression in comparison with women in engineering, who showed the highest mean. No significant effects were observed for level of education, country and income in the GCC countries. The MANOVA also showed significant interactions between (a) education and sector (i.e., government vs private), (b) country and sector, (c) income and field of study, and finally (d) between field of study and sector. Results from this study were compared to two other studies, in Brazil and Mexico, that used the Obstacles to Personal Creativity Inventory. The high mean found for the lack of motivation in GCC countries deserves further investigation, given that motivation is so important for creativity and often is something that can be encouraged.

Gender differences in creative potential: A meta-analysis of mean differences and variability.

“…In addition, major creative achievements (ideas and products) that have changed humanity and contributed to the advancement of knowledge in the past few centuries were largely invented by creative males (e.g., lightbulbs, steam engines, jet engines, automobiles, computers, telephones, and airplanes). Several explanations for the gender gap in creative achievement and creative performance have been offered in the creativity literature, including the lack of time and opportunities, social repression, low expectations from women to engage in creative work, lack of recognition for creative work, and societal and cultural factors (Abdulla et al, 2018; Abraham, 2016; Alencar, 2001; Alencar et al, 2003; Baer & Kaufman, 2008; Hora et al, 2021; Lebuda & Karwowski, 2013; Pagnani, 2011; Piirto, 1991; Runco et al, 2010).…”

Measuring Students’ School Motivation

“…With the increasing complexity of creativity, cognitive and specific skills are required to perform creative work [34]. The four key competencies of the 21st century are critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity, with the last one identified as an empowering factor for motivation [35]. Perkins claimed creativity as a result of cultural contexts [36,37].…”